2011 MLB Season: 30 Teams, 30 Storylines To Keep Track of This Season
Since the end of the 2010 season, we've witnessed: a) managerial changes, b) contract feuds and c) brand-new $100 million contracts. This is just a taste of what is undoubtedly leading to another season peppered with intriguing questions and expectations that will have baseball fans practically frothing at the mouth with excitement.
How exciting is this season going to be? There is actually a storyline for every team in the league that fans will now have a chance to follow. Get ready. These are the 30 biggest stories for all 30 teams in baseball.
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies: Historic Pitching Rotation
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Philadelphia's Ph-earsome Ph-oursome of Phillies pitchers must ph-eel ph-antastic with 2011 ph-inally almost here.
Honestly, I could probably keep coming up with ph-words for the entire article, but I couldn't do that to the people reading this. We're all going to be seeing lots of witty headlines in the near future with Philadelphia's unstoppable quartet of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt.
How good is this rotation? The Ph-antastic Ph-our (sorry, I couldn't resist) has a combined 2.86 postseason ERA. One pitcher is a former NLCS MVP, another is a NLCS MVP and World Series MVP, another is one of the greatest postseason pitchers in recent memory, and their ace is only the second-pitcher ever to throw a postseason no-hitter.
NL East: Atlanta Braves: New Manager Fredi Gonzalez
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Fredi Gonzalez has the unfortunate task of having to replace one of the greatest managers in baseball history, Bobby Cox.
Not that Gonzalez isn't up to the challenge. The Sporting News named him Manager of the Year in 2008, he led the Florida Marlins to winning seasons in 2008 and 2009 and he was handpicked by Cox himself to be his successor. But how do you follow someone who managed the same team for 21 seasons and helmed the only team to win a World Series during the franchise's tenure in Atlanta?
Despite big expectations, the Braves should be able to back up Gonzalez with their well-built lineup and pitching staff.
NL East: New York Mets- Looking Forward to 2012
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How fast do the Mets want to get 2011 over with? New York finds itself in a fairly unique position of being a high-payroll team with low expectations. New general manager Sandy Alderson made it very clear that the Mets wouldn't go after any of the big-money free agents this offseason and would be looking to simply shore up the bullpen and starting pitching.
Instead, it seems that the Mets new front office is looking forward to the following offseason, when they will be rid of the large contracts of Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez.
Hypothetically, the Mets could finish the season in good shape and even conceivably challenge for the Wild Card. But this would require a lot more luck than New York has had in recent years, not to mention good seasons from some of the Mets offensive stars like Jason Bay, Beltran, David Wright and Jose Reyes.
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NL East: Florida Marlins: Javier Vazquez's Return to the NL
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Shockingly, Javier Vazquez proved once more that he can't pitch in New York, a fact that seemingly eluded the Yankees when they acquired him.
Vazquez signed a one-year deal with the Florida Marlins to return to the NL East, the site of the best years of his career. Given his success was as recent as 2009, I'm willing to concede that 2010 was a fluke and that Vazquez is still one of the game's elite starters. Keeping that in mind, his partnership with Marlins ace Josh Johnson should keep this perennially-young Marlins team in contention for the playoffs.
NL East: Washington Nationals: Jayson Werth's Contract
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Don't get me wrong; I think Jayson Werth is a good player. But is he really worth $126 million over seven years?
To give you some idea of what the Washington Nationals have really done, here are a few facts to mull over: a) in 2017, the Nationals will be paying the 38-year-old Werth $21 million, b) Werth's 120-career home runs are the fifth fewest of any player to ever sign a $100-million contract, and c) at least one Washington newspaper will at some point run the headline "Werth-less."
I get that the Nats needed to make a statement, but how much better have they really made themselves?
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols Contract
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I'm going to take my talents to the Big Apple and join the New York Yankees. No, I'm just joking, but in this day and age, it doesn't seem implausible to expect Albert Pujols to make his own "Decision".
This season will be filled with talk about whether or not Pujols will re-sign with the St. Louis Cardinals or become the biggest free-agent acquisition since Alex Rodriguez. It also presents the frightening concept of Pujols going into his contract year and what he will do to ensure his big bucks.
NL Central: Cincinati Reds: Aroldis Chapman
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Way, way, way back in 1997, I used to play this video game on my N64 called Major League Baseball featuring Ken Griffey Jr. I remember playing as the Seattle Mariners and having Randy Johnson as my starting pitcher. During the game, I noticed that you could have Johnson throw his special pitch, nicknamed the "Super Fastball," which would be clocked in the game at 105 mph.
Flash forward to September 24, 2010. Aroldis Chapman throws an inside fastball that would be recorded at 105 mph. The only realistic conclusion I can draw is that Chapman can't be a real person, because real people don't throw 105 mph.
The only question that the Reds have to ask themselves is whether to put him in the starting rotation or use him as a reliever. We'll have the answer soon.
NL Central:Milwaukee Brewers: Zack Greinke Moving to National League
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The Milwaukee Brewers will be serious contenders in the NL Central, thanks to some big offseason moves like trading for 2009 Cy Young Award-winner Zack Greinke.
Greinke, along with Yovani Gallardo and another new addition in starter Shaun Marcum, gives Milwaukee a legitimately-good pitching staff to go with their slugging lineup. There is much speculation over how big of an impact Greinke will make on the Brewers fortunes due to the move over to the weaker National League.
Could he win another Cy Young? Or was his 2010 season, where his ERA jumped from 2.16 the previous year to 4.17, an indicator that his 2009 season might have been a fluke? His recent broken rib will also further complicate matters.
NL Central: Pittsburgh Pirates: Preparing for 19th Consecutive Losing Season
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It's tough to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates, and I'm not even a Pirates fan. But how do you get excited about another season when you're most likely going to see your team finish in last place again.
Looking at their roster, you can tell that this is a team that won't be going anywhere. Paul Maholm, the likely Opening Day starter, finished with an ERA over 5.00 last season. The franchise's supposed-savior Pedro Alvarez somehow managed to strike out 119 times in only 95 games in his rookie season. Andrew McCutchen would seem to be the lone star on an otherwise bleak team.
But there's always next year. The 20th time's a charm, right?
NL Central: Chicago Cubs: What Do Matt Garza and Carlos Pena Mean for Chicago?
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What do they mean? I've always liked Matt Garza, and I think he'll do well in Chicago, but is he the last piece of the puzzle? The same goes for Carlos Pena.
The Cubs have definitely seen their best days pass them by, and,even with these recent additions, I can't see them being huge players in the competitive NL Central. Hopefully Pena will raise his average back over the Mendoza line and reaffirm his position as one of the top first-base sluggers in the league.
The Cubs are sort of in-between in terms of their personnel. They clearly have some good young players like Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin, but the franchise clearly isn't ready to simply throw in the towel and start rebuilding again.
NL Central: Houston Astros: No One Left to Get Rid of
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Carlos Lee probably isn't going anywhere. He will be one of the last recognizable Astros going into this season, along with Hunter Pence and Wandy Rodriguez. The 'Stros wanted to rebuild. Well, this is pretty much the definition of rebuilding, having now purged most of the big contracts left on the team.
Houston GM Ed Wade will undoubtedly be looking to find a team willing to take Lee's enormous contract off their hands, but my guess is that he'll be looking for a long time.
NL West: San Francisco Giants: Defending Their Title
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The San Francisco Giants clearly didn't need a lot of offense from their team last year—just enough to slip past their playoff opponents and stun everyone by winning the World Series.
The Giants' game plan this offseason was to keep most of their roster intact and once again ride their great pitching staff into the playoffs. Their only big move during the winter was replacing Edgar Renteria with Miguel Tejada, making San Francisco the second-straight team to win a World Series and promptly dump the World Series MVP.
At 36 years old, Tejada won't contribute a lot offensively anymore, so look for more pressure to be put on Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval to emerge as the anchors of San Francisco's lineup.
NL West: Colorado Rockies: Keeping the Future Under Contract
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The Colorado Rockies are clearly taking great pains to make sure their franchise will remain a major contender in the NL West in the coming years. The Rockies spent upwards of $230 million on the contracts of Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez this offseason, ensuring that the duo will remain in Colorado for the better part of the decade.
Both players definitely played well enough last season to deserve the big payday. Gonzalez walked off with the batting title last season, while Tulowitzki almost single-handedly hit the Rockies into the playoffs (he had 15 home runs and 40 RBI during the month of September). With Tulo and CarGo under contract for the next few seasons, the Rockies won't have to worry about the core of their lineup for a long time.
NL West: San Diego Padres: Winning with Pitching (Meaning They Have No Hitters)
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I don't mean to be unfair to the Padres. They came out of nowhere to nearly walk off with the NL West and, if not for a late September swoon, could have taken the division. That being said, there's only so far pitching and not hitting can get you. Just look at the Giants.
I mean, really, there is no one on this team. Now, with no Adrian Gonzalez, the Padres are hoping that third basemen Chase Headley can become the offensive leader of this team and that outfielder Cameron Maybin isn't the bust everyone has made him out to be.
Thankfully, the Padres pitchers, led by young ace Mat Latos, should keep San Diego in the division hunt.
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers: Don Mattingly: Rookie Manager
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New Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has been put in a tough position. The NL West is not easy to predict with legitimate contenders in the San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants.
Mattingly is one of the most well-respected coaches in the league and now, taking over in place of the retiring Joe Torre, will be given the reins of his first major-league team.
The Dodgers, like their manager, are also in a tough position. Loaded with talent, the Dodgers should be major contenders in the NL West, but due to the competitiveness of the division, they might not be able to claim first place. Mattingly has been described as an excellent leader, so with him in charge, the Dodgers might just be able to break through the crowded West and snag a spot in the playoffs.
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks: Justin Upton Returning to Form
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Justin Upton was already dealing with hip and ankle problems last season when a severe shoulder injury ended his season early. In the subsequent offseason, the Arizona Diamondbacks had his name in trade talks. Clearly, the 23-year-old outfielder has had a rough year.
Coming in to 2011 healthy and focused, Upton has a lot to prove to show that he has the potential to become one of the league's elite players. If he is healthy, don't count out a 30 home runs and 20 stolen bases season from the burgeoning superstar.
AL East: New York Yankee: Pitching Rotation Problems and Jeter's 3,000th Hit
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They were unable to sign Cliff Lee, Andy Pettitte retired on them and now it seems that CC Sabathia is looking to opt out of his contract after this season. Throw in a vastly underperforming AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes coming off a season in which he threw more innings than ever before, and you have a recipe for potential disaster this year.
At least Yankees fans will have Derek Jeter's quest for his 3,000th hit to help alleviate stress. Jeter is also coming off arguably the worst season of his career and, at age 36, likely will not improve all that much this year, but he is still one of the game's best shortstops.
AL East: Boston Red Sox: Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Jonathan Papelbon
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The Boston Red Sox made the biggest splash this offseason by signing All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million deal and then trading for All-Star first basemen Adrian Gonzalez. These two moves have dramatically shifted power in the AL East and left Boston as the heavy favorite to take the division crown.
Crawford is widely regarded as one of the best outfielders in baseball and will form a speedy top-of-the-lineup trio with Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. Gonzalez, no longer hampered by Petco Park, has Red Sox fans salivating at the thought of what kind of damage he will do in Fenway.
Closer Jonathan Papelbon, however, may not get to enjoy 2011 in Beantown due to speculation that he may be traded, with young Daniel Bard taking over as ace of the bullpen.
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays: Praying Jose Bautista Is for Real
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They've given everything away that had any real money attached to it. And with all the money they'll save with Vernon Wells' contract gone, a good deal of it will be used to sign slugger Jose Bautista to a long-term deal.
Bautista certainly played like he was worth a lot of money last year, bashing 54 home runs and leaving the league flabbergasted. But is he for real? Who knows? It wouldn't be the first time we were all duped by someone who suddenly hit 50 home runs (I'm looking at you, Brady Anderson.). Bautista most likely won't perform as well as he did last season, but I don't think 30-to-35 home runs this season is unreasonable.
AL East: Tampa Bay Rays: Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon Reunited
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The big story this offseason for the Tampa Bay Rays was watching nearly every quality player the Rays had depart for teams that could pay them more than the slave wages they were earning before. Now the Rays will see if they can replace their established star players with some younger talent, like Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson....and some older talent like Manny Ramirez and Johhny Damon.
Ramirez and Damon are far past their primes at this point. Neither can really play the outfield anymore and they aren't the offensive stars they used to be. What Ramirez and Damon are really there for is to put fans in the stands. They may not be the "Idiots" of old, but they can still play solidly and hopefully contribute positively to this young Rays team.
AL East: Baltimore Orioles: Big Offseason Additions
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Though they still ultimately pale in comparison to their AL East rivals, the Orioles will boast a much more impressive lineup thanks to the smart additions of veterans like Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero, as well as in-their-prime stars like JJ Hardy and Mark Reynolds.
On top of that, a solid bullpen bolstered by veteran Kevin Gregg will help keep the O's in games.The main complaint with Baltimore is that, once again, their pitching will be decidedly unspectacular after Jeremy Guthrie and Brian Matusz. However, if the lineup plays as good in real life as it looks on paper, we will see the beleaguered franchise climb out of last place.
AL Central: Minnesota Twins: Return of Joe Nathan
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Though Joe Nathan isn't expected to be ready by the the time the season starts, the return to the Minnesota Twins bullpen isn't that far away. The process of eventually rejoining the team will be made easier by Matt Capps, who will be able to take some of the immediate pressure to perform off Nathan's shoulders.
Even coming off Tommy John surgery, Nathan still clearly has the pedigree and experience that make him the Twins best option at closer. Though Nathan won't be at the level he was at, say, five years ago, he's still undeniably one of the game's elite ninth-inning pitchers.
AL Central: Detroit Tigers: Going for Broke
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The Detroit Tigers certainly think they have all the pieces. A strong lineup built around centerpieces Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, a starting rotation loaded with a bevy of power pitchers, and a stocked-up bullpen. Make no mistake, the Tigers are going to be in the playoff hunt for the long haul. Clearly, they have the talent and are loaded with veterans who have all seen time in October. The only question is whether they will be able to stay healthy and if Cabrera is able to stay sober long enough to avoid another major incident.
AL Central: Chicago White Sox: Adam Dunn
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The Chicago White Sox and Adam Dunn. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. Or Abbott and Costello (insert famous duo here). Dunn fits the bill of everything the White Sox need from their cleanup hitter and fills the spot that Jim Thome left in the lineup after 2009. Some think that the perennial 40 home-run hitter is what Chicago needs if they want to get past the Twins and Tigers and regain their division. Sox fans should expect another great year from the Big Donkey.
AL Central: Kansas City Royals- Mike Moustakas and Co.
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The Kansas City Royals will finish in fourth place in the AL Central. That's my prediction. However, it'll be the Royals top prospects like third basemen Mike Moustakas, reliever Louis Coleman and starter Mike Montgomery who will be the real story in Kansas City.
Moustakas is widely regarded as one of the best hitters in the minor leagues right now and he could find himself called up to the majors at any point during the season. The Royals inconsistent bullpen needs a good arm to form a bridge to closer Joakim Soria, and Coleman could very well squeeze his way through spring training and earn that job.
The 21-year-old Montgomery is being groomed to be the eventual replacement for Zack Greinke and given his quality fastball, improving curveball, and stellar changeup, he could break into the Royals weak rotation relatively soon.
The Royals farm system is considered the best in baseball. Besides the three players mentioned above, there are a slew of others itching for a chance to break into the Kansas City roster. And as we've seen with recent success stories like the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers, a team's farm system could be the difference between a playoff spot or last place.
AL Central: Cleveland Indians: Grady Sizemore
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How quickly has Grady Sizemore fallen from grace? Once viewed as a spectacular five-tool player, Sizemore's injury problems, as well as the Cleveland Indians losing, have led to Sizemore's status being reduced from superstar to injury-risk. Not to mention that coming off microfracture knee surgery is no picnic, and Sizemore's numbers will likely not be what many Cleveland fans are hoping they can be.
But keep in mind that Sizemore is still only 28 and, if he can stay healthy, could very well reverse his fortunes. At the very least, he could keep the Indians out of the AL Central cellar.
AL West: Texas Rangers: No More Michael Young?
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The Texas Rangers became the second team this offseason to offend their longest-tenured player (ahem, Yankees), when they announced that they were having Michael Young switch positions from third base to designated hitter. This would mark the third position switch of Young's career, having been a second baseman converted to shortstop, then a shortstop converted to third baseman. Admittedly, the Rangers felt that free-agent signee Adrian Beltre could fit better in the lineup and defense, and he probably does.
But is Beltre really so much better than Young that the Rangers are willing to risk the chemistry of a team that took the AL pennant last year? The question really is: What team is willing to take on the 34-year-old infielder and his $80-million contract? Young may find himself stuck with Texas, and the Rangers may have created an internal problem that needs to be fixed immediately.
AL West: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Kendry Morales and Vernon Wells
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After falling to third place last season, the Los Angeles Angels are looking to stay healthy and regain control of the AL West. Despite bungling negotiations with Carl Crawford this offseason, the Angels were still able to snag a good consolation prize when they traded for Blue Jays veteran outfielder Vernon Wells.
Wells, hopefully, should be able to follow up his comeback year from 2010 and remain a consistent RBI presence in the Angels lineup. After breaking his ankle last season, Kendry Morales will hopefully return to his 2009 form and supply plenty of power as the team's cleanup hitter.
AL West: Oakland Athletics: Preparing to Upset Everyone
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The Athletics came out of nowhere to shock everyone with a second-place finish in their division. The key for the Athletics last season was the talent of their young starting pitching and bullpen, and this will be the key for this year's Athletics: Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Braden and Andrew Bailey. They are what Oakland needs to compete in the AL West.
With the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels both re-arming themselves in the offseason, the deck will once again be stacked against the A's. And that's just the way they like it.
AL West: Seattle Mariners: Better Hitting? Not Impossible
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The Seattle Mariners finished dead last in the major leagues in runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. And they won't do a whole lot better this season. Seattle added veteran DH Jack Cust and new catcher Miguel Olivo, but even combined with the likes of Ichiro Suzuki, Chone Figgins and Franklin Gutierrez, they will still be by far the worst hitting team in the AL West.
Outside of reigning Cy Young-winner Felix Hernandez, their pitching won't be much better either.
At the very least, they can't do any worse than they did last season.
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