2011 MLB Preview: Each Team's Player Who'll Be Missed Most from Last Season
Injuries and free agency are parts of MLB that people love and hate. We love it when our team signs the "big fish" in the free agent market, and we cringe and weep when our star player goes down for any extended period of time.
All 30 MLB teams had some type of roster turnover in the offseason. There are some teams that were impacted tremendously by free agent moves, injuries and retirement and some that were relatively unscathed.
In this installment, we will examine who we think will be the most missed player on each team from the 2010 season. How did your team fare?
AL East: Andy Pettitte (New York Yankees)
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The Yankees have been down this road before with Pettitte wavering on retirement or not. For whatever reason, he says his heart wasn't in it, so this time he pulled the trigger.
Pettitte will be remembered not so much for his regular season numbers, although they were very good, but for his postseason numbers, which were unbelievable.
Pettitte is also leaving a Yankee pitching staff that is in real trouble. After CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and, gulp, A.J. Burnett, the back part of the rotation is untested and will undoubtedly be a source of concern for GM Brian Cashman this season. The Yankees are going to miss Andy Pettitte.
AL East: Vernon Wells (Toronto Blue Jays)
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Wells won the flip of the coin on who the Jays will miss the most. The Blue Jays had an active offseason, trading Shaun Marcum and Vernon Wells and making a few smaller deals that will make this a team to contend with in 2011.
The key, though, will be if the Jays can find somebody to replace Wells' numbers from last year. It is fair to say that he hasn't had consistent numbers in his career, but they are serviceable, and in some cases he was the "face of the franchise."
The Jays will be an improved team from 2010, but they will miss Wells' bat in the lineup.
AL East: Victor Martinez (Boston Red Sox)
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The Red Sox were another AL East team that made a lot of moves this offseason. They upgraded their outfield, bullpen and corner infield spots (moving Kevin Youkilis back to third base and replacing him at first base with Adrian Gonzalez), but they didn't upgrade the catcher position.
V-Mart had an outstanding start to the 2010 season but then was hit with injuries. Upon his return, teams ran the bases like a merry-go-round on him, and not getting consistent playing time seemed to affect his offensive position.
The Sox don't have a lot of depth at catcher after losing V-Mart, and I think this is their one weak spot going into the 2011 season.
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AL East: Kevin Millwood (Baltimore Orioles)
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For some people, this may be addition by subtraction, as Millwood's numbers last year, frankly, weren't that good. However, he did eat innings and provide veteran leadership on an otherwise young pitching staff.
With the Orioles signing Vladimir Guerrero and Derrek Lee, they have shown they are on the right track to be competitive again in the AL East. The problem, though, is still pitching, and losing an innings eater like Millwood will put that much more pressure on a young Oriole pitching staff.
AL East: Joaquin Benoit (Tampa Bay Rays)
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This was a tough one, as the Rays lost A TON off their 2010 division-winning team. They lost their starting left fielder, starting first baseman, closer, setup man in Grant Balfour and who I think they'll miss the most: Joaquin Benoit.
It may seem odd that I selected Benoit, but hear me out.
The Rays always find a way to replace players. Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena will be replaced by guys within the system, or guys on the active roster now will step up and take their place. When you lose the back end of your bullpen, though, including your closer and two setup men, I think it spells trouble.
It can be said that Rafael Soriano is more of a loss than Benoit, but Benoit was next in line to close, and now he's gone. Fielders can be replaced. Strikeout pitchers and closers are a little tougher to come by.
AL Central: Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals)
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Greinke, the 2009 Cy Young Award winner, was dealt to the Brewers this offseason in a move that most people knew was coming (although not necessarily the Brewers).
The Royals farm system has been described as the best in baseball, boasting at least five of Baseball America's top 50 prospects. The system is loaded with talent at all levels, BUT that doesn't necessarily translate into success right away, and this season will be no different.
In this writer's opinion, this could be the worst season of Royals baseball to date, and that is a sad statement to make.
AL Central: J.J. Putz and Scott Linebrink (Chicago White Sox)
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The White Sox made some moves this year that Kenny Williams described as "all in" for the 2011 campaign. They upgraded at DH with Adam Dunn, re-signed Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski, signed Jesse Crain and extended Alexei Ramirez's contract.
However, there is talk they may have to move Chris Sale to the starting rotation while Jake Peavy is out. Sale was supposed to be a setup man for closer Matt Thornton. Losing Putz and Linebrink will put a strain on a bullpen that was built for this year.
AL Central: Grady Sizemore (Cleveland Indians)
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Indian fans are again in "rebuilding" mode. This time, though, it may be without center fielder Grady Sizemore.
Sizemore, still coming off surgery from last year, is one of the few bright spots in the Cleveland order. The Indians didn't do a whole lot on paper to improve from last year but are betting that Carlos Santana and Sizemore are both 100 percent come Opening Day. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Sizemore will be.
AL Central: Jeremy Bonderman (Detroit Tigers)
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Bonderman is an interesting story. He took the world by storm his rookie year, got injured, had huge expectations coming off injury and now is gone. He made up a solid duo with Justin Verlander just a few years ago, but those days are gone.
Enter now Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Daniel Schlereth. Gone are Bonderman and Armando Galarraga. Even though these latter two may not have been as solid as the top four, I'd take my chances with them over Brad Penny.
For all the moves the Tigers made this year, this may be the biggest head scratcher.
AL Central: Brian Fuentes (Minnesota Twins)
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I know, I know. Most Minnesota fans will say that Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain were more valuable to the bullpen last year. Some may even say Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy are more important because of the uncertainty of what is potentially up the middle for the Twins in 2011.
I would argue that Brian Fuentes is more important than all of them for one reason: consistency.
Yes, Crain and Guerrier were very good last year, but both of them had their struggles throughout the course of 2010. Hardy and Hudson weren't 100 percent healthy all season, which leaves Fuentes.
Fuentes took the place of Jose Mijares (the real only left-hander in the Twins bullpen, as Ron Mahay doesn't count) and did a solid job. Mijares is off and on much like Crain was most of the time, but Fuentes was consistent. Fuentes is gone, and Mijares is still around as the only left-handed reliever in the bullpen, which could spell trouble for the Twins in 2011.
AL West: Mike Napoli (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
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Mike Napoli will be missed by the Los Angeles Angels this year. Period. They may have brought in Vernon Wells to help with some offense and will get Kendry Morales back after missing last season with injury, but Napoli provided pop from behind the plate.
Napoli hit 20 or more home runs three consecutive seasons and has finished no lower than sixth overall amongst catchers with home runs. A source of power at this position doesn't come around much, and the Angels will be without that this year.
AL West: Rajai Davis (Oakland Athletics)
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The Athletics arguably made some of the biggest offseason acquisitions this season in nailing down what will amount to a super bullpen. However, they didn't re-sign Eric Chavez, missed out on Adrian Beltre and traded away Rajai Davis.
A 50-base stealer, Davis hit .284 and did a nice job in the leadoff position, where it seems the oft-injured Coco Crisp will be in 2011. For a team that struggles to score runs like the A's, offense would seem the last place you would want to lose anything.
AL West: Jose Lopez (Seattle Mariners)
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Another AL West team that struggled to score runs in 2010 traded away a source of offense. Lopez has definitely had better years than 2010, but I think the Mariners gave up on him to quickly.
The Mariners ranked near the bottom in runs scored last year, and Lopez had his worst year as a professional. So did Chone Figgins, Milton Bradley and so on.
The point is for a team that didn't score runs, it doesn't make sense to get rid of more offense.
AL West: Cliff Lee (Texas Rangers)
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As a huge Nolan Ryan fan, it pained me to use this picture, but as a baseball fan, I'm glad Cliff Lee went where his heart was.
The 2011 No. 1 free agent was supposedly either going to stay in the Lone Star State or go to the "Evil Empire," but Lee threw one of his best curveballs when he signed with the Phillies—a team he had pitched for in 2009 and was upset to leave when he was traded to Seattle in essence for his new teammate, Roy Halladay.
Lee is a No. 1 guy. Texas doesn't have another pure No. 1 (although C.J. Wilson could become one in the future), and these guys don't grow on trees. It is a no-brainer that the Rangers will miss Lee and will ultimately cost them a chance of getting back into the playoffs.
NL East: Johan Santana (New York Mets)
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Although Johan pitched last year, it doesn't look like he'll be ready for Opening Day this year (Mike Pelfrey has already been named Opening Day starter).
Santana is recovering from surgery and just started throwing a ball this week. That doesn't bode well for the Mets, who have had enough trouble this year with K-Rod, what to do with Jose Reyes and the Bernie Madoff situation with ownership.
The Mets aren't going to be good this year, and not having Santana will make them that much worse.
NL East: Jayson Werth (Philadelphia Phillies)
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The one free agent signing this year that made GMs cringe was the huge contract the Nationals gave to Jayson Werth. Werth was a fixture on the Phillies' championship teams and always seemed to get the big hit for the Fightin' Phils in the playoffs, but that bat has now gone south to D.C.
With highly touted prospect Domonic Brown set to take over for Werth, the Phillies seem comfortable in their decision. Hopefully for them, Brown can pick up the slack that Werth handled while in the City of Brotherly Love.
NL East: Dan Uggla (Florida Marlins)
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With the Marlins getting set to move into a new stadium next year, you would think they would try to keep one of their mainstays in the teal and orange. Unfortunately for Marlins fans, this didn't happen. Uggla not only was traded, but traded within the division to the Braves.
The Marlins have always been able to replace players, but replacing Uggla's numbers will be a yeoman's task, especially since he played second base. The Marlins have always had to deal with a tight budget, like their state mates the Rays, but this one is tough to grasp.
NL East: Adam Dunn (Washington Nationals)
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Adam Dunn is a hitting machine. You can pen him in for at least 40 home runs and 100 RBI. That act will be going to the south side of Chicago and with it a major run producer for the Nats. As mentioned before, the Nats did sign Jayson Werth, but his numbers are nowhere close to Dunn's.
This will be an interesting year in the nation's capital; with Stephen Strasburg out with Tommy John surgery and phenom Bryce Harper not yet ready, it could be a long summer.
NL East: Billy Wagner (Atlanta Braves)
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I have to be honest. I almost went with Bobby Cox as the player/manager a team would miss most this season but instead went with Billy Wagner.
The Braves' saves leader from 2010 called it quits after the season. Wagner collected 37 saves for the Braves and posted a career-best 1.43 ERA.
As mentioned before, finding a closer or at least a solid option at the back end of the bullpen is a tough situation for any team, but especially tough for a team hoping to contend for a division title in 2011.
NL East: Tom Gorzelanny (Chicago Cubs)
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Gorzelanny isn't a household name, but with the exception of Carlos Zambrano and now Matt Garza, do the Cubs have any? Zambrano showed signs of what used to be last year after his treatment for anger, and Garza is the new No. 2 in the rotation.
Ted Lilly was traded last year to the Dodgers, and Jeff Samardzija is the Joba Chamberlain of the Cubs. Losing Gorzelanny will hurt the Cubs in the middle of their rotation, and that is something that won't help them finish any higher than third in the NL Central.
NL Central: Orlando Cabrera (Cincinnati Reds)
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I have spoken highly of Cabrera in my short time writing for Bleacher Report, but I think he is a solid shortstop who provides spark and a winning mentality on teams he has played for.
Last year, he teamed with Brandon Phillips to give the Reds the solid, up the middle defense that wins championships. He and Phillips worked marvelously together and did great things in a short amount of time.
That's not to say new Reds shortstop Edgar Renteria will fall on his face, but Cabrera seems to bring out the best in the players he's around.
NL Central: Trevor Hoffman (Milwaukee Brewers)
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Hoffman lost his closer's role last year to John Axford and then rode off into the sunset as MLB's all-time save leader. With what the Brewers did this offseason, they had better hope Axford is indeed the man.
Hoffman will be missed not only because he's the all-time save leader but also because he's been through the battles of a pennant chase and division championships.
I'm not saying Axford isn't up to the challenge. I'm just saying Hoffman would have been a nice fallback in case Axford can't handle the pressure.
NL Central: Matt Lindstrom (Houston Astros)
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Lindstrom was the Astros closer last year, earning 23 saves. This year he will be either setting up or competing for the closer's job with Huston Street of the Colorado Rockies.
Lindstrom was arguably one of Houston's best pitchers period, and with this trade comes the job again of looking for a ninth-inning guy.
The Astros are in rebuilding mode, and maybe trading a chip like Lindstrom will pay off for them with prospects. However, you have to put fans in the seats, and giving up a game-stopper like Lindstrom maybe isn't the best way to go about doing that.
NL Central: Zach Duke (Pittsburgh Pirates)
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I have to say, I actually feel sorry for the Pirates. They have a gorgeous stadium, a rich history and Hall of Fame players but not a winning season since the Barry Bonds era in the 1990s.
It seems they are always rebuilding and then go about doing it a variety of ways. It looks like they've settled on going young and building from within, but on the mound, it doesn't look like there is too much that is major league-ready.
Zach Duke was arguably the Pirates' best pitcher (behind or in front of Pat Maholm), followed by Ross Ohlendorf and James McDonald. The Pirates are fielding some offense now with Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen, but the staff still needs work. Trading a pitcher like Duke doesn't make sense.
NL Central: Dennys Reyes (St. Louis Cardinals)
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Left-handed pitching wins ball games, and the Cardinals didn't re-up one of the better ones in the games. Sure, Reyes isn't what you'd call a physical specimen, but the guy got guys out.
Losing a pitcher of Reyes' quality is tough in a division with Prince Fielder and Carlos Pena. It will make a lefty/lefty matchup a bit more difficult for manager Tony La Russa.
NL West: Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego Padres)
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One of the biggest trades of the offseason was Adrian Gonzalez going to the Red Sox for a handful of prospects.
The Padres were in a tough situation, much like the Brewers were/are with Prince Fielder. They couldn't afford to pay Gonzalez what he was looking for and probably wouldn't get market value, or at least what they thought was market value, in a trade. They reached out to the Red Sox and got what they thought was the best they could have done.
People are always going to look back on this and say the Padres didn't get enough, but one thing that could sway this deal in the Padres' favor is Gonzalez's history of injuries. He is going to put up huge numbers at Fenway, but only if he's healthy.
NL West: Jeff Francis (Colorado Rockies)
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The Rockies seem to be pushing the right buttons lately with the contract extensions to Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez and were somewhat active in the free agent market this year.
However, any time you lose a starting left-handed pitcher, you need to make sure you have somebody behind him to step up and go. Jeff Francis may not be the 17-game winner he was in 2007, but he is more than capable of winning double-digit games.
You can never have enough pitching depth, and pitching in Coors Field is all the more reason to stockpile pitching instead of letting go of it.
NL West: Mark Reynolds (Arizona Diamondbacks)
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Talk about feast or famine. Mark Reynold is this in a nutshell. He'll either hit the ball a mile or cool off the entire stadium with one swing of the bat.
Regardless of how you perceive him, he is a raker, hitting 28, 44 and 32 home runs the past three seasons. On the flip side he's struck out 204, 223 and 211 times in those same time frames.
Again, he is a hitter, and the Diamondbacks are going to miss his pop in the lineup. Justin Upton will need to step up big time to fill the void left by Reynolds.
NL West: Russell Martin (Los Angeles Dodgers)
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I just read recently that Russell Martin's skills were beginning to diminish. I'm not really sure what this means, as there isn't exactly a long list of top prospects at the catching position.
The Dodgers are in a situation that is completely out of their control. The divorce proceedings between the McCourts have made the Dodgers decide on some positions they would probably rather not have to deal with.
Martin's numbers have decreased over the past few seasons, but unless you have a Buster Posey in the farm system, the Dodgers would have been wise to keep Martin under contract for 2011.
NL West: Juan Uribe (San Francisco Giants)
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Juan Uribe came up huge in the World Series for the Giants, taking over for Pablo Sandoval at third base. He is a true utility man, having played second and short throughout his career.
With his 24 home runs and 85 RBI last year, he was exactly what the Giants needed when they weren't getting production at any of the infield spots.
He is now with the Los Angles Dodgers seemingly in a similar role to last year. With Casey Blake declining, look for Uribe to step up and be the catalyst the Dodgers really need this year. The Giants will always have the pitching to win, but they will need to score runs as well.
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