Onto the final third of the league—the most potent division and the one in which I will probably receive the greatest amount of disdain for my predictions. In fact, I may lose my badge as baseball writer/blogger altogether.
This is a division that, in my opinion, is in a state of drastic change. With the Orioles all but written off for the year, this is still a deep and strong division with four teams that could win any of baseball's other five divisions.
AL East
I hope I haven’t already lost my readers, but hear me out. There is not another team in the division, let alone the league that has as much potential as the Rays. Top to bottom, the team has breakout candidates and can match up player for player with any team in the league.
With a little bit of luck, this team should be the best team in baseball. Furthermore, consider that the Rays used BJ Upton at second base for 48 games in 2007, which essentially single handedly led to the Devil Rays having the worst defensive efficiency in the majors.
Also, consider the depth of the Rays farm system. With youngsters at essentially every spot in the lineup, the club can afford to make a major trade this season to fill a team need.
In fact, if a CC Sabathia becomes available on the open market, is there another team with more trading chips than the Rays?
The pitching rotation is young, but extraordinarily talented. Kazmir, Shields, and Garza make up as good a trio as any in the majors. If a club has to run into these three for a series, watch out!
The bottom of the rotation is more uncertain due to the rawness of pitchers. As is, I am uncertain how things will shake out, but either way, the pitchers taking up the last two spots in the rotation should be at least league average when compared to other pitchers at their places in the rotation. Sonnanstine and Howell would be my picks, although both would be on a short leash.
The bullpen should be much stronger in 2007 with the addition of Percival. I also think Edwin Jackson should be given an extended look in the seventh inning, and Percival should be his mentor. The kid has the stuff; he is just erratic and could probably use a positive role model.
This is not the Rays strongest area but, as I mentioned, they have the depth in the minor league system to make moves. I wonder how long the Rocks hang on to Fuentes?
Offensively the Rays have enormous potential.
Navarro is on the cusp of great things in my opinion and should really help the team develop. It is only a matter of time before Evan Longoria is the everyday guy at the hot corner. While he may be a year or two from being David Wright, he’s infinitely better than what the Rays had at the position in 2007.
In fact, Longoria’s presence and the addition of Bartlett will make the Rays infield solid both defensively and offensively. Also look for Crawford and Upton to be among the best outfielders (again both defensively and offensively) in the American League.
Breakout Candidate: Dioner Navarro
I wrote about him at length at Baseball Digest Daily, and my opinion still stands. Navarro is having an excellent spring and looks to be ready to build off of a solid 2007 second half.
Major Addition: Matt Garza
The Rays haven’t had the best luck developing starting pitchers, and Garza has the ability to be an ace. He will be the number three guy in Tampa and won’t be relied on heavily to contribute what he is capable of doing.
Major Subtraction: Rocco Baldelli/Elijah Dukes
It sounds as if Rocco’s career is over, and he wasn’t that much assistance in 2007, but the team was counting on him to help in the outfield in 2008. In fact, I ascertain that much of the reason the Rays were willing to let Dukes go (personality issues aside) was the thinking that the outfield would be too crowded in 2008.
Hopefully my analysis of the Rays saved me to this point, but hear me out.
The Jays suffered a lot of major injuries and under-performance in 2007, yet only finished 13 games out of first in the league. Comparatively, the Red Sox had an essentially perfect season and only tied the Indians.
Furthermore, the Jays were 9-9 against the Sox and 6-10 against the Yankees. Give them a winning record against either team and they are a 90-win team. Take away a few victories from the Yanks and Sox and the Jays are in the playoffs.
I am predicting that the Jays will be the 2008 AL Wild Card team.
The rotation is in tact and should provide the same, if not better numbers as 2007 (when they finished tied for seventh in starter ERA). Consider now that McGowan and Marcum have room to improve. Additionally Halladay and Burnett have better seasons in them then they displayed last year.
Could this be the American League's best division? Maybe with a trade for an expiring starter, the Jays could stabilize the final spot in the rotation. Let us also remember the awful Ohka, Zambrano, and Kennedy trials from 2007. At worst, the number five spot this year will equal last year's.
The bullpen finished third in the majors in ERA.
BJ Ryan is returning and looks strong in Spring Training. His injury in 2007 ended up being a blessing in disguise, as it allowed young pitchers such as Downs and Accardo to show their dependability. While the loss of Jansen will definitely be felt, it is softened by the fact that Ryan has returned.
Look for the Jays to be a vastly superior team in 2008 than they were in 2007.
Vernon Wells should be more determined than ever to prove that the big contract he received last winter was not a waste. Frank Thomas and Lyle Overbay both vastly underperformed last year, so one can look forward to bounce-back seasons from that duo.
Rios is a player who is still coming into his own and the left field platoon, while terrible in the field, should provide the same if not superior offensive punch as 2007. I also anticipate that Adam Lind will be moved at some point this season to help fill whatever void the Jays may have.
Breakout Candidate: Dustin McGowan
The hard throwing righty really turned things on in the second half of last season. He helped himself out by shaving off some walks in the second half, as well as adding a substantial amount to his strikeouts.
If he can maintain the batted ball data from a year ago, he will be a real surprise in 2008.
Major Addition: Scott Rolen
Despite fracturing a finger that will keep him out of the Jays lineup for the first month and a bit of the season, Rolen’s presence will greatly improve the infield defense. Although…
Major Subtraction: Troy Glaus
The Jays are going to take a big hit offensively here as Rolen is not the powerful hitter that Glaus is. Taking that kind of power out of the lineup may hurt the Jays as they will have to rely on a lot of singles and doubles to score runs.
3. New York Yankees
I am ranking the Yanks as my third best team in the American League East with not much of a chance at making the playoffs. Their rotation is in shambles, as it is yet another year older at the top. Their hitting is as good as the Tigers, but substantially older and thus likely to collapse.
Unfortunately, I am expecting a major regression for the Yankees.
As I mentioned, the rotation is in shambles. While I am a huge fan of Phil Hughes, I honestly don’t see him as being much more then a third starter this year.
With that in mind, I also see him as far and away the best starter the Yankees have this year. For Yankee fans who thought last year was tough going to their 12th, 13th, and 14th starters, 2008 will prove to be just as painful.
Neither Mussina nor Pettitte have what it takes to be a top of the rotation starter for 30+ starts. If the Yankees expect to compete, they are going to have to tap back into their farm system. I’m also not a fan of Wang, unless his new pitches are all that.
The bullpen will be strong with Chamberlain and Rivera, and Edwar Ramirez is a guy I really like, despite the fact that he is surprisingly old! But how much more can the Yankees expect LaTroy Hawkins or Kyle Farnsworth to have left?
That said, the Yankees are going to have a lot of ‘white knuckle’ games as the rotation is not capable of going deep into games and the bullpen is not stocked with players to get the game into the eighth for Chamberlain.
Look out for Yankees fans to scream for bullpen help.
Offensively this team is stacked. One can make an argument that they still have a Hall of Famer at every position. The bench is relatively deep with extraordinarily flexible hitters.
However, how much more do Giambi, Abreu, Matsui, Posada, Jeter, and Damon have left? My assumption is that two or three of these players either suffers a major injury or regresses beyond recognition.
In fact, I also question what kind of attitude Alex Rodriguez will bring to the table now that he is no longer playing for an extension. The team will be alright, but don’t expect any one of the aforementioned seven to accomplish what they did in 2007.
Breakout Candidate: Edwar Ramirez
Despite the fact that he doesn’t really bring it, Edwar has an outstanding strikeout rate of 13.29 per nine innings (good for the best strikeout rate among pitchers with at least 20 innings).
If Edwar could find a way to more consistently be in the strike zone, there is no way he wouldn’t solidify the Yankees bullpen and make a Joba-to-starter move much easier to swallow.
Major Addition: NONE!
They brought aboard ex-Astros Ensberg and Lane, but I would be shocked to see either one have more then 300 at-bats this season.
Major Subtraction: Roger Clemens
While his stint with the Yanks was not as successful as he would have liked (or as the Yankees were paying him), he still pushes pitchers up the pecking order and takes away some of the team depth.
4. Boston Red Sox
While this may come as a huge slap in the face, the Red Sox scream ‘injury trouble’ to me from top to bottom. Even in areas where they appear safe, the club has player’s who so overachieved that regression is actually too obvious of a conclusion.
Too many things fell in place for the Red Sox—this season, everything is simply going to collapse. However, I am still expecting 80+ wins out of the club.
The rotation owns the No. 1 and No. 22 most abused pitchers from 2007 in Matsuzaka and Beckett respectively. Beckett already had a tendency of being brittle and is struggling to be healthy to this point in Spring Training.
Matsuzaka is in an entirely new world in North American baseball. Whether or not Dice-K's second half was a sign of things to come, or simply a small sample size and an aberration to the bigger picture is yet to be determined. But his walk rate and drop in strikeouts over the second half has got to be alarming for any fan of the Sox.
The rotation will also count on a pair of youngsters in the place of Curt Schilling. While Schilling did not have the greatest season in 2007, it is tough to imagine a rookie performing better then he did at Fenway.
Hideki Okajima is not a quality relief pitcher. While many may argue with this assertion due to his performance in 2007, I am willing to go out and state that his numbers were directly related to a unique delivery that confused American League hitters for the first half of the season.
David Aardsma is a guy I anticipate will take over a meaningful role within the bullpen and be a name Red Sox Nation remembers.
The Red Sox hitters are efficient and play their required roles to perfection. The club though, is extremely thin and cannot afford an injury to any one of its key players.
I don’t imagine the Red Sox can go another season without suffering a major injury to either of their aging sluggers, Ortiz or Ramirez. As is, both Lugo and Drew are hurt and their backups are less than stellar. Outside of that, the youth and potential is far and few between.
Breakout Candidate: Manny Delcarmen
Everyone expects that it is only a matter of time before Jonathan Papelbon’s arm falls off. Delcarmen is the best choice and will be a major factor in the Sox bullpen long term.
Major Addition: NONE!
This roster is essentially the same one as 2007’s.
Major Subtraction: NONE!
See above.
5. Baltimore Orioles
Just because I have the Orioles ranked as the fifth best team in the division does not mean I do not like this team. The club finally has a direction and it is a fairly strong one.
The Minor League system is developing and the core of young players is impressive. The Tejada and Bedard trades have supplied the team with a surplus of arms and a future superstar. Moving Brian Roberts is next on the agenda and presumably is only a matter of time away.
The rotation is youthful and has a nice amount of potential. Watching the kids warm up, one would want this starting five over any one else’s.
Jeremy Guthrie throws hard and he keeps it in the strike zone. I do not believe last year scratched the surface on the once-top prospect's potential.
Additionally, how long is it before Daniel Cabrera figures things out? When he is on, good contact is nearly impossible to make. The problem is, he is rarely on and his time with the Orioles has to be running out.
Cross your fingers Orioles fans. Watch out for Adam Loewen!
My boy Fernando Cabrera seems to have the Cabrera bug—outstanding stuff, terrible pitcher. Once upon a time, he had the biggest swing and miss ratio in the league.
The rest of the bullpen is pieced together—some expensive parts, other youngsters with that "P" word. James Hoey is one of those guys with potential. After a spectacular minor league career, he has become extremely hittable and less capable of striking hitters out. In other words, this isn’t a terrible bullpen; rather, it’s one that is perfectly suited for a club like this.
Offensively the Orioles have all but given up for 2008. If and when Brian Roberts gets traded, this will be an outstanding team to match up with in fantasy leagues.
There is hope for the future though. Between Nick Markakis and Adam Jones the Orioles have the highest potential outfield in the majors. Luke Scott should also turn some heads and allow people to realize that the Tejada trade was more then just a salary dump.
Breakout Candidate: Adam Loewen
I am confident the Orioles teach their minor leaguers to MISS the broadside of the barn. In fact, I would love to see some Pitch FX data to see exactly how far out of the zone Loewen works.
That said, I expect the 24 year old to begin making strides toward stardom in 2008.
Major Addition: Adam Jones
PECOTA projects Jones to be nearly as good in 2008 as in 2014. He has all the tools in the world and the Mariners will regret trading him away as soon as the 2009 season.
All that being said, Jones is already better then what the Orioles had in 2007, so that is a step in the right direction.
Major Subtraction: Not getting rid of Kevin Millar
There is no reason Millar should still be with the club. There were ample options available in the free agent market—young hitters with decent potential.
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3 months ago
that was the single dumbest article i have read in a LONGGG time. I am a Yankees fan and i find the placement of the RED SOX COMPLETELY ABSURDDD. ALSO, THE YANKS AGING ROTATION??? WTFFF WE HAVE AN AVERAGE AGE OF 28.8!! AND THATS WITH MUSSINA INSTEAD OF JOBA IN THE ROTATION! WITH JOBA ITS FKN 25.8!! PROBABLY NEAR OR AT THE TOP IN THE FUCKING MAJORS!! and thats not to mention all the other young guys in the minorss. I.E. Alan Horne, Steven White, Jeff Karstens, Darrel Rasner, Kei Igawa, and further down the line guys like Andrew Bracken and Dellin Betances. THEN we have bullpen guys u forgot to mention such as Billy Traber, Scott Patterson, Bruney, Olehndorf, Veras, Albadejo, all of whom have a better chance of making an impact than Ramirez. And we also have guys like jeff marquez, marc melancon, j.b. cox and others waiting in the wings. Yes an old and regressing staff indeed. I also disagree ENTIRELY on your evaluation of the Red Sox. The Sox are an EXTREMELY POWERFUL TEAM with a mix of TALENTED young guys and great vets. the D-Rays are much improved but i think its still going to be a couple of years while guys like david price develope b4 they contend. The Jays will be the same 80-90 win team they have been for years. In my mind, its the yanks and sox fighting it out for 1st place and fighting for the wild card with the indians or tigers, jays and rays figthing for 3rd place, and the orioles in dead last.
from 3 months ago
Average age of 28.8?
Hughes - 22
Pettitte - 36
Kennedy - 23
Mussina - 39
Wang - 28
Now I'm not a math major but I have them at 29.6. An average age of 'above prime'. I also do not believe Wang nor Kennedy are quality starters. They have performed well, but I don't see them as sub 4 ERA pitchers. In fact, I do not see a starter on the Yankees that is capable of an ERA below 4.20 for the 2008 season. Comically, neither does PECOTA.
The fact that you named Kei Igawa as a sub for the Yankees should be evidence enough of how much trouble this rotation is in. Karstens and Rasner are both quite terrible as well.
In terms of the Yankees bullpen, I believe I called it 'strong'. Don't know how you missed that.
Thanks for reading, but try and read with an open mind rather then an opinion and utilizing my article as a reflection of your thoughts.
3 months ago
I forgot to mention that Wang has led the league in wins over the past 2 seasons, and pettitte grew stronger in the second half and in the playoffs. Furthermore, we are not EXPECTING hughes to be anything better than a 3rd starter this year! Also, A-rod's attittude will be an issue?? While he may be somewhat of a prima donna in a way, he is an extremely dedicated and hard worker, as well as a good teamate.
"Everyone expects that it is only a matter of time before Jonathan Papelbon’s arm falls off." WHAT BASIS DO YOU HAVE FOR THIS?? Papelbon is a stud, plain and simple, and over the past few years, the SECOND he has so much as felt a possible pain anywhere, the Red Sox understandibly shut him down. Beckett will be great, but has had problems with injuries. And, though i hate to admit it, the "young guys," Lester and Buckholz are both MORE than capable of thriving in the majors. This is the most ignorant article i have read.. in a LONGG time.
from 3 months ago
Wang - There is not a TRUE performance statistic that agrees with the success he has had in the majors. Hitters will adjust to him, just wait.
Pettitte - I'm not expecting anything out of him. Neither should you.
Rodriguez - Was in a contract year in 2007 and had one of the best two or three seasons of his career. I'm not calling for him to become a 25hr .240 hitter, but a lot of regression is likely.
Papelbon - He has a major shoulder issue. Always has. I never said he wasn't a stud, but hes an injury risk.
Lester - I don't buy him as being a quality major leaguer. Neither do this years projection systems.
Buchholz - I like him long term, but I don't think he'll be a stud in 2008.
The problem is, you need to read things with an open mind. Consider what I am writing and the facts that I am using. Forget your bias' and your opinions and simply read. If you go into an article having already made a decision on it, you will fail in truly understanding what it is the author is saying.
Thanks for reading, but try to read my articles thru a different lens.
3 months ago
I agree that the Rays have a chance to really improve this year but for this team if they finish at .500 it will be considered a successful season. In this division you cannot truly expect a team of young players and a poor bullpen to win 90+ games, because at the very least, that's what it is going to take to win this division. Secondly, to think the Rays have what it takes to acquire Sabathia is ridiculous. While they may have the pieces to acquire him there is no way they can afford him and why would the Indians even trade him? To think the Red Sox and Yankees will finish near the bottom of this division is just fantasy talk. There is no way that can happen. Remember, in 2006 every player imaginable on the Sox got hurt, and they still finished ten games over .500 and that team did not have the depth this years Sox team has. As a Red Sox fan I have hated/respected the Yanks for quite a while and even though nothing would make me happier than seeing them finish in the bottom of this division, that's just not going to happen. Even if the ace of their pitching staff was Sidney Ponson they would still win over 82 games, just because their offense is that good. One last thing, the Red Sox have the second best farm system in all of baseball, to say their youth does not have potential is just dumb.
from 3 months ago
Hey Brandon,
Thanks for reading.
The Sabathia comment was purely throwing out a name. Any free agent pitcher could be tossed into that argument. With the depth of the Rays system, they have got to be the favorite to make a trade like that.
In terms of needing to afford him, if the Rays perform up to the level that I expect, you can expect the Trop to be full with regularity. The ownership group will then be willing to ADD some payroll as they have already mentioned.
Furthering this, why would the Indians trade him? Consider this. I'm an Indians fan. If the club is looking at the standings and are saying 5-6 games out the division lead closing in on the trade deadline. Its all but a given they will not be able to retain him beyond this season, so if the Rays come to Mark Shapiro with a trade that has 2 or 3 of their top prospects. Say a Davis and a Brignac or Jennings and McGee. I find it tough to believe that Shapiro would turn down some of the top prospects the Rays have to please the fans.
Again, thanks for reading. Like I said to Anonymous, read my and any article with an open mind. Consider that if everyone read every article already having made a decision about what they think, there would never be any progression in civilization. Furthermore, consider the evidence that I used, progression, regression, etc...I think when you look at it from that lens, you will come to a drastically different conclusion.
3 months ago
WHAT? rios terrible in the field? rios is probably the best defensive right fielder in the american league. he has a cannon of an arm.
and i'm tired of analysts constantly saying the no. 5 hole isn't filled- because it is by 22 year old jesse litsch who went 7-9 last season (dismal run support) despite having a 3.79 ERA.
from 3 months ago
Hey Dan,
Sorry you misunderstood me. I was referring to the platoon in left field being brutal defensively. As in Stairs and Stewart.
Litsch was very luck last year. Do not fall into the trap of accepting ERA or Wins as a way to measure a pitchers worth.
3 months ago
as for the tampa bay devil rays, they just don't have the pitching.
from 4 days ago
OH ! snap !
3 months ago
What makes you think that Papelbon's arm is going to fall off? He threw 100+ innings back-to-back in 2004 and 2005. Mechanically, he's fine for a closer and he doesn't heavily rely on a pitch like a slider that puts a lot of torque on his arm. I've never heard anyone say that they "expect" his arm to fall off, so I don't know where you got that claim from.
Also, what makes you so confident about David Aardsma? He's either horribly inconsistent or consistently horrible. His two-seamer has this nasty tendency to run right down the middle and his other pitches aren't anything great to write home about. I'd be shocked if he gets more than 10-15 innings in the majors.
You know, if the Red Sox don't end up trading Coco Crisp and Drew goes down with his yearly DL stint, the Red Sox would have a pretty good backup. And if Lugo goes down, it's not like the Red Sox will be losing a whole lot of offense or defense with Alex Cora in there.
Finally, Okajima's head motion was a small reason why he had success last year. Any lefty with a fastball/changeup combo like his is going to have success, funky delivery or not.
Also, you can't possibly argue that the Red Sox & Yankees will fall apart because of injuries and then say that the Rays bullpen will be stronger with Troy Percival.
I'd be inclined to agree with your picks if it was 2010 or 2011, but guys like Price and Davis will be lucky to see half a season with the big league club and Longoria isn't even starting with the Rays in the majors. They know their place right now and are smart to keep these guys down so they can develop and win sometime in the future.
from 3 months ago
Papelbon has a condition where the ligaments or muscles in his elbow are essentially non-essistent. What he did in 2005 and 2006 is as irrelavent as what he did in 2007 as he is one pitch from being shelved long term. There is, as you should know, a reason why the Red Sox are using him as a closer and not a starter, and it is because of his durability.
Aardsma is just a pitcher I like. Personal preference.
Okajima's average FB velocity in 2007 was 87mph while his change was at 81. His FB has a nice sink to it, but clearly he was getting by on deception in the first half of last season. Lets see how he adjusts for 2008.
As for Percival, he improves the bullpen, he doesn't make it. He is also one piece. Whereas the Sox and Yanks are relying entirely on 'over the hill' veterans.
from 3 months ago
Could you link something that discloses the Papelbon condition? I did a quick Google search for it and nothing came up.
Understood about Aardsma. I have a personal disdain for him after what he did with the White Sox last year, so carry on.
And I could see Okajima faltering in 2008 like a lot of Japanese relievers have in their second year, but as long as he's locating well, I think he'll be fine.
And I don't think the Yanks and Sox are relying entirely on over-the-hill veterans...I mean, both bullpens do have some older players (Rivera & Hawkins, Timlin just off the top of my head), but I think Rivera will be fine and Hawkins & Timlin don't make the Yankees & Red Sox bullpens, either.
It's going to be a fun division to watch, though, that's for sure.
from 3 months ago
Hey JJ,
This isn't as specific as I would like, but here is a brief line about it: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/17260084/#storyContinued
Also, Will Carrol wrote the following a few weeks ago:
"There's little reason to think that another year in the role won't help even more, but the shoulder is a fragile thing. He'll be monitored closely again, and the risk that he's shut down as a precaution plays into his getting a yellow."
I read a while ago, I forget where now, that Papelbon is missing cartilage in his shoulder.
So I'm not saying hes a lock to go down with a major injury, but there are a lot more 'safer' closers then Paps.
As for the 'over the hill veterans', I'm referring to the overall age of the team. While the players are all performing at a high level, they are all at ages where a drastic drop off is not very far away. There is no arguing that. And that is what I am expecting this year. That is, I am expecting either a lot of injuries to stars or drastic dropoffs. Its simple regression.
from 3 months ago
Also, Will Carrol's report has all but 3 players as a 'yellow' in terms of injury risk for the Red Sox. Not set in stone, but it is something that obviously concerns Carrol, so why not you?
from 3 months ago
Fair enough, Brandon. I respect what Carrol writes, so maybe he and you are on to something there.
While your article does make some very good points, I still think the Red Sox have the overall depth and resources necessary to win the division (resources as in, enough talent in the minors to trade for an injury replacement). But I don't think they're the 100-win team a lot of people have them pegged as.
3 months ago
Well that was a new take. I think you've got a point. On paper, and based on potential, the Rays are a much better team than the Yanks or Sox. The problem is that the Sox and Yanks have the money to IMPROVE if they have holes as the year goes on. If Paps goes down, the Sox can always buy Valverde from the contention-less Astros. If Mussina can't pitch, the Yanks have MLB-ready starters like Stephen Jackson in the minors and can buy anyone they please.
But don't let anyone on this board discourage you from having faith in the abilities of kids to live up to expectations. The Dbacks did it last year and the Rays can do it this year.
from 3 months ago
Hey Glenn,
Thanks for reading...
I'm not sure the Sox are willing to spend the prospects it would take to bring in a Valverde. Consider that the Rays have more prospects and a younger team, I feel as though they would swoop in and take any player that the Sox or Yanks may go after.
As for the Yankees farm arms. I disagree. I don't see anyone that could contribute at the big league level. In fact, I feel as though Kennedy will be overmatched this season.
3 months ago
I'm a Yankee fan... And I love it! Haha. I love the fact that you have the Rays at the top of the division. They are the most exciting team in baseball this year and I wouldn't be shocked if they won the division. I'll probably have more fun watching them than my own Yanks.
I only disagree with you on the Jays. I don't see them performing to your standard, as they have been hyped to do the last few seasons. I don't know if I see Thomas, Overbay, and Wells to do what you expect them to either and to me, Ryan is still a major injury concern.
I like what you've done with the Yankees. You have every right to hate Wang, but he is productive. I don't know if I'd count out all the hitters you alluded to. Specifically, I see Matsui having a career year. I do expect to see a Jeter, Posada, and Giambi decline like you though. Not sure I see it with Abreu yet and I see Damon being better this season than the last two. I expect Hughes to be better than you believe, but it wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't. I think Pettitte stays consistent. Mussina declines and I'm not sure what to make of Kennedy yet.
I LOVE what you've done with the Sox. haha. Finally, someone agrees with me on the injury aspect. I've been waiting for it to happen for years. I couldn't agree more on Matsuzaka and Beckett, and the rookies are unproven. While Papi and Manny are in better shape this season, one of them has to go down for once.
You pegged Baltimore. I see Loewen breaking out as well and I love the names you expected surprises from in the outfield.
This is the best prediction of the division I've seen. it's very thorough as well. Nice job
3 months ago
Switch the Rays and Sox then you make more sense. Interesting read for sure!
from 4 days ago
OH ! snap !
2 months ago
ok its me again from the top. if mariano and joba as well as all the young guys like traber (whose looked great), bruney and ohlendorf, and thats not including patterson and britton and others in the minors, are over the hill vets then yes, the yanks are counting on over the hill vets. I am not saying i like the bullpen as there are too many wild cards. Yankee fans are not counting on hawkins or farnsworth for much this year.
from 2 months ago
Hey,
I did a quick search to see where 'over the hill' came from, and I couldn't find it. I think, if anything, I was referring to the team as a whole. While many are still producing, they are at an age where expecting them to do so is probably a mistake, at least for the entire grouping.
That said, even the younger arms you suggest, Traber, Bruney, Ohlendorf, Patterson, Britton are far from sure things. And like many ballclubs, the team will hand the ball to the veterans like Hawkins and Farnsworth in pressure situations taking away the potential value of the aforementioned list.
Also, consider the bullpen if/when Joba is moved to the rotation. While he will definitely improve over whatever junk the Yanks are getting out of Petttitte or Mussina, I don't see him being as effective over 85-100 pitches as he was out of the pen.
5 days ago
Good call on the Rays. Not so good on the Jays.
4 days ago
Let's do Mid-Terms !!!
from 4 days ago
L.J.
Done and done
http://theoutsiderslook.blogspot.com/2008/06/division-by-division-recaps.html
OR
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/33541-division-by-division-recaps
4 days ago
Good deal Brandon. Checked it out ... you did better than most of the SI guys.
Is parity coming to MLB ?
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