MLB: 15 Winners and Losers This Offseason so Far

On October 28th, 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series. On October 29th, the offseason officially began.

Here we are 42 days later, and what an exciting 42 days it has been.

In a winter headlined by Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Jose Reyes and C.J. Wilson, everyone figured sparks would fly. Boy, how the sparks have flown. The scary things is, we are not even close to being done yet.

As of today the Winter Meetings are officially over. There was a lot that happened over the week, only adding to the excitement that has happened so far. With a lot of time to go, it seemed fitting to look back and recount the winners and losers to this point in the offseason.

15. Teams in Need of a First Baseman (Winners)

We all knew this would be a good season to be a first baseman, especially of the free agent variety.

The market has been headlined by Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. Any team would salivate over the prospects of having one of these members of baseball royalty on their team.

Now that Pujols has landed, things only get more exciting. The Angles own a plethora of first base talent. Mark Trumbo and Kendry Morales both have potential as trade candidates, and both could get teams excited.

But, it does not stop there. The Cincinnati Reds have made some noise about offering up both Joey Votto and top prospect Yonder Alonso. Miami has been anything but shy when it comes to the possibility of moving Logan Morrison or Gaby Sanchez. Seattle, a possible Prince Fielder suitor, could look into trading up and comer Justin Smoak if they do land the big lefty.

Needless to say, there is no better time than the present to be looking into acquiring a big first baseman to bolster a lineup.

15. Free Agent Outfielders (Losers)

Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Beltran and Josh Willingham. We have heard their names in a lot of rumors, but it has all been speculation. The fact of the matter is that besides Grady Sizemore and David DeJesus, there has not been a lot of movement for free agent outfielders.

Generally speaking, this is never good for free agents. A lack of interest means a lack of leverage. A lack of leverage means a lack of a big payday. Interest can always heat up, but things have been pretty tempered so far.

14. Pittsburgh Pirates (Winners)

It has certainly been a theme this offseason: silently putting together a great team.

The Pittsburgh PIrates have certainly done that. With their early season success in 2011, Pittsburgh has looked to further improve their club and finally crawl out of the pits of the NL Central.

Their winter kicked off with the signing of Clint Barmes. The 32-year-old has never been a particularly strong hitter, owning a career .703 OPS. The true value of Barmes comes from the glove. The right-hander has played above average second, third, and short in his career. For a Pirates team that fielded one of the worst defenses in 2011, they can certainly use the support.

Another under the table move was the acquisition of Yamaico Navarro. Navarro is another utility infielder, playing second, third, and short in the minors; but, his bat can make him a regular contributor as a starter. The 24-year-old is just coming into his prime, and owns a career line of .279/.348/.430 in the minors.

Other notable signings include Eric Bedard, Nate McLouth and Rod Barajas. The majority of their moves have been low risk/high reward, and all have the ability to elevate the Pirates' game in 2012.

14. San Diego Padres (Losers)

The Padres have only made one major deal this winter, and frankly, it does not make a lot of sense. Based on 2011, the Padres are a far way from competing. They have a lot of great young talent, but it will be a while before it all comes together.

So, one has to question why they made a trade for Rockies closer Huston Street. Street is a quality bullpen arm, and the 28-year-old has posted three great years in Colorado.

But, like I said, San Diego is a ways from competing. So, why trade for a closer who cannot really help your team? The Padres did only give up a low level minor league prospect, but they are also eating the majority of Street's contract.

The deal just did not make sense to me. And, with little interest in Mat Latos and Chase Headley during the winter meetings, who knows if San Diego can make any splashes.

13. Yu Darvish (Winner)

Yu Darvish has been posted and teams have until Wednesday to land the newest player from the other side of the Pacific. Now that Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson have been moved off the market, the sky is the limit for the 25-year-old starter.

There are a lot of teams seeking pitching help for 2012, and many have joined the list of Darvish suitors. Among them are the big spending Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. Somebody is going to land Darvish, and chances are it leads to a lot of money.

13. Jimmy Rollins (Loser)

Sorry Jimmy, but nobody wants you.

The Miami Marlins did not want you, they signed Jose Reyes.

The Milwaukee Brewers could have used you, but they opted for the less expensive Alex Gonzalez.

Boston? Nah, they will stick with Marco Scutaro.

San Francisco? They just do not have the money.

Atlanta, perhaps your final saving grace...ehhh, looks like they are going with a platoon to get Tyler Pastornicky in the lineup.

Looks like you are stuck with Philadelphia. It is true, the Phillies are desperate and that probably gives you leverage. But, they are also your only option, and that gives them leverage. Not to mention, you are 32 and looking for a five-year deal. As a speed guy, you probably will not age well. And the Philly fans, they are going to hate you for it.

Sorry J-Roll, but you are in a horrible spot.

12. Los Angeles Dodgers (Winners)

Things are looking up for the Dodgers. After a disappointing season filled with Frank McCourt controversy, they are finally moving back into contention.

First, they got the ownership situation resolved. McCourt is out and the MLB has put the Dodgers up for sale. So far the most talked about suitor has been Mark Cuban. Love him or hate him, the guy is passionate about putting together winning teams.

Then, Ned Colleti locked up superstar Matt Kemp. The contract was huge, but if the almost triple crown numbers we saw last year become the norm, it will be well worth it.

Throughout the last week the Dodgers have spent time bolstering their rotation. They already have Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Ted Lilly. Now, they add two more inning eaters in Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano. The Dodgers bolster one of the most work-horse oriented rotations in baseball.

The moves are not mind blowing, but with a division up for grabs, they could be just what it takes to win the NL West in 2012.

12. Houston Astros (Losers)

Speaking of the pits of the NL Central...

But, then again, things are definitely changing for the Houston Astros. Come 2013, they will officially be in the pits of the AL West.

Houston has not made any noise this offseason. They are losing free agents, losing fans, and have created a negative media maelstrom with their upcoming league change.

Perhaps the worst thing for the Astros is their inability to rebuild. They continue to play host to one of the weakest farm systems in baseball. One rebuilding outlet for Houston has been the potential of trading "ace" Wandy Rodriguez (and I use that term loosely, because ace to Houston does not exactly mean ace to the rest of the league).

The only problem is Houston has not been able to drum up much interest in Rodriguez. The trade market for starters is over saturated, and the majority of available players are much better than Rodriguez.

The potential for a trade is still there, but until one gets done the Astros will continue to be losers.

11. Prince Fielder (Winner)

It is true, the big man has not yet landed on a team. The winter meetings seemed less than exciting for the 27-year-old slugger.

But, now that Albert Pujols has moved off the market, it is only a matter of time. The list of suitors is long, and full of big spending teams.

Fielder has received interest from the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers and the Miami Marlins. Any of those teams could provide Fielder with a lucrative contract.

Even without a deal, things can finally start rolling for Fielder. His payday is just around the corner.

11. Juan Carlos Oviedo (Loser)

When you read "Juan Carlos Oviedo," you were probably wondering "who?!"

You may know him by his other name: Leo Nunez.

The one time Marlins closer was placed on the restricted list in September. It was later announced that the 28-year-old Leo Nunez was actually 29-year-old Juan Carlos Oviedo.

The controversy resulted in Oviedo not being tendered a contract by the Marlins.

To make things worse, the right-hander was recently arrested in the Dominican Republic for his use of falsified records. Oviedo was released, and probably will not face charges. At this point who knows who, if anybody, will pick him up.

If this does not scream offseason loser, I am not sure what does.

10. Bobby Valentine (Winner)

Bobby V is coming out of retirement. And, besides the Los Angeles Angels, could he have asked for a better team to land with?

The Boston Red Sox's 2011 season ended in controversy, and it very quickly became obvious they were a clubhouse divided. Now the Sox brass brings in Bobby Valentine. The guy has a big personality, but who better to clean up the clubhouse and get that team back on track?

It does not hurt that Valentine has landed with a club that is in such a great spot to compete in 2012. The offense is one of the best in baseball, and the pitching has a lot of upside (if they can just put down their beer and chicken).

As the big goofy smile shows, Bobby Valentine is a happy man.

10. Bobby Valentine (Loser)

That is right folks, I just hit you with the double whammy. Bobby Valentine, a winner AND a loser. What craziness is this?

It has not even been a month since Boston announced his hiring and he has already been mired in some controversy. Valentine does not exactly have a "sane" history as a manager. He has a long list of hijinks, and he has always been known for his temper.

Curt Schilling got the controversy parade started when he told the world he thought that the Boston Red Sox signing Bobby Valentine as manager was a joke. Not a "what a pathetic move" joke, but a literal "ha-ha" joke.

Now, Valentine has to go through his drudges as ESPN analyst gone manager. As the season ended, he was critical of certain Boston players and now faces awkward, air clearing, conversations. He already has Josh Beckett out of the way, and I am sure there are more to go.

9. C.J. Wilson (Winner)

Now we are getting into the big guys.

C.J. Wilson was the top starter on the market this offseason, and he certainly made off like one. True, he is only making $15,500,000 per season, but for a guy who has two years of starting under his belt, that is pretty good.

Last season, Wilson went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA. Sixteen of his 34 starts were at Rangers Ballpark (a hitters park by trade), where he posted a subpar 3.69 ERA. On the road, Wilson had a 2.31 ERA. Now he gets to pitch at home in a neutral park, i.e. his stats can only get better. As if he was not good enough to begin with!

So, to recap: C.J Wilson+lots of money+Angels Stadium=Winner. That is Charlie Sheen level math right there people.

9. Hanley Ramirez (Loser)

The Miami Marlins have signed shinny new shortstop Jose Reyes, and that means Hanley Ramirez is up for a position change.

Han-Ram has expressed preference for a trade over a position change. The Marlins response: "Well, we can shop you a little, but it might just be tough cookies for you."

Sorry Ramirez, but things change. You used to be Jeff Loria's holy grail. The Marlins owner was so fond of you that he bought you a solid gold ".342" necklace when you won the batting title in 2009. You were the marquee player on a small market team, and even when slacking (and boy did you slack) you could do no wrong.

Now, you are being asked to move positions and play backseat to a plethora of new talent. Tough cookies Han-Ram.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Ramirez in 2012. If he stays in Miami, will he take on a new attitude and play his heart out, or continue his sulking and dig even deeper into his inner loser?

8. Arizona Diamondbacks (Winners)

Arizona has not done much, and as of a couple hours ago, they were not on this list. Then, they just did this little thing of trading for Trevor Cahill.

Cahill had a rough season in 2011, going 12-14 with a lackluster 4.16 ERA. However, he did post career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts. Cahill is only 23 and has a lot to offer. It was just 2010 that he went 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA, and that was no mirage. This kid has a lot of upside, and pitching behind Ian Kennedy gives Arizona a deadly 1-2 punch.

Arizona did give up top prospect Jarrod Parker in the deal, but with stud Tyler Skaggs, there is still plenty of minor league depth.

Even better for the D-Backs is now they have some flexibility. There has already been some talk of Joe Saunders becoming available. If moved, Arizona can either fill some offensive gaps or resupply their farm.

8. David Ortiz (Loser)

David Ortiz over estimated his value, and in the end he got burned.

The 36-year-old DH was coming off one of his best seasons to date in which he hit .309/.398/.554 with 29 home runs. Boston initially offered arbitration to Ortiz. It seems Ortiz did not estimate that teams were not willing to shell out $10,000,000-plus and a first-round draft pick for a DH.

And so, days ticked by and Ortiz got closer and closer to the arbitration deadline. Boston offered the lefty a two-year contract, but still he sat and waited. Finally, it came to the point where he could no longer wait and was forced to accept arbitration.

Now Ortiz is in between a rock and a hard place. He can head to arbitration, and receive a one-year deal worth between $13-$14 million; the money is there, but it lacks security. Or, he can accept Boston's proposal, and make significantly less than his hoped for $25,000,000 over two years; he gets two years, but the pay is a lot lower than desired.

Hubris has officially put the ball in Ben Cherington's court.

7. Big Name Closers (not Named Ryan Madson) (Winners)

Jonathan Papelbon signs with the Philadelphia Phillies for $50,000,000 over four years, with a fifth-year vesting option.

Heath Bell signs with the Miami Marlins for $27,000,000 over three years.

Ryan Madson is still waiting for somebody—scratch that, anybody—to call him.

For the most part, it has been a lucrative offseason for people who pitch only one inning. Granted, Jonathan Papelbon came a couple million short of his desired record setting contract, but he is still going to make a lot of money.

Papelbon and Bell certainly helped set a precedent for closers this offseason. I am sure Brandon League, Jose Valverde and K-Rod are all looking forward to their chances in 2013.

7. Philadelphia Phillies (Losers)

Things were not exactly looking up for the Philadelphia Phillies in October. With the final out of the NLCS, Ryan Howard hobbled to the ground in pain. It was later discovered that Howard had torn his Achilles and now his status for 2012 is up in the air.

Then, the Miami Marlins decided they were ready to step up their game. The Marlins have made statement after statement in free agency, and the Phillies should be worried.

Philadelphia did land Jonathan Papelbon, but in the process they duped Ryan Madson (a cheaper option).

And, as Jose Reyes, Clint Barmes and Alex Gonzalez move off the board, it seems Jimmy Rollins is out of suitors. Subsequently, Philadelphia is out of shortstop options. It is said that Rollins, 33, is seeking a five-year deal. Combined with Howard (32), Utley (32) and Polanco (36), the Phillies will play host to one of the oldest infields this season.

To top it all off, there is talk that Ruban Amaro Jr. is shopping Dominic Brown. Does he understand that at some point you need to utilize your prospects? That offense is only getting older, and less efficient. Unless they pull off a big deal, the 2012 MLB season could be a disappointing year for the City of Brotherly Love.

6. Oakland Athletics (Winners)

Billy Beane has a lot to work with this offseason, and he made that known in the winter meetings. Trevor Cahill was made available and has already been traded for a slew of MLB- ready talent from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gio Gonzalez has been declared available and has stirred up tons of interest. Andrew Bailey? Ah, sure, toss him into the mix and generate even more noise.

Anyone who has read Moneyball knows that Billy Beane is a master of the trade. And, when it comes to acquiring one his players, you better believe you are going to pay for it.

Oakland is dealing with a full deck and from a position of power. Teams are desperate for starting pitching, and the Athletics' list of trade bait is a mile long.

Beane has already moved Trevor Cahill for a package of prospects headlined by Jarrod Parker. Parker is MLB ready, and his dividends will be felt soon enough. He is a kid who can automatically step in and replace Cahill in that rotation. The ridiculous thing is Beane also landed two other prospects. I cannot wait to see what he gets for Gonzalez.

The Oakland Athletics have a ton of leverage right now, and are in a great position to develop a young core.

6. Ryan Madson (Loser)

Poor Ryan Madson. Heading into the offseason, the 31-year-old looked to make a lot of money.

The longtime Phillies reliever made a name for himself between 2007 and 2010, in which he posted an ERA of 2.97. Then, last season, he exploded onto the scene as a closer, garnering 32 saves with a career low 2.37 ERA.

However, November has not been nice to Mr. Madson. On November 7th the Phils and Madson had a principle deal of four years and $44 million. Then, using the deal as leverage, Ruban Amaro Jr. turned around and landed Jonathan Papelbon.

Next up was the Miami Marlins, who had expressed a lot of interest of Madson. Suddenly, they went around and nabbed Heath Bell.

So, now here we are Ryan. You lost your two biggest suitors, and now stand to be the only remaining closer on the market. Usually, this would still entitle you to a big payday. But, most teams are set for closers heading into 2012, and your list of suitors is dwindling.

Madson has been used as leverage all winter, and now it seems like he will probably take a pay cut because of it.

5. Teams with Starting Pitching Depth (Winners)

If you have starters to spare, now is the best time for it. The top two free agent starters are off the board, opening the door for starters to start getting traded. C.J. Wilson signing with the Angels only strengthens the market, since it keeps him away from teams in need of pitchers.

There have been a lot of rumors around Atlanta, Oakland, Chicago and San Francisco, all of which are looking to move some excess starters. Meanwhile, teams like Texas, Boston, New York, Toronto, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Miami are all hunting for pitching. Those teams have some of the deepest farms in all of baseball.

With so many teams in need of pitching, it gives the teams with starters a lot of leverage. With a long ways to go before Spring Training, it is just a matter of time until the blockbusters start; and, in the end, it is going to be the teams with extra pitching that become the big winners.

5. Teams in Need of Pitching (Losers)

Since teams with pitching depth are winners, it only makes sense that teams in need of pitching are losers.

They have no power, no leverage. All that lies with the teams with depth.

The market is already getting ridiculous. Though reports have been mixed, there was word that the Oakland Athletics asked for top prospect Will MIddlebrooks from the Boston Red Sox, in exchange for closer Andrew Bailey. Just a closer. That is how crazy things are getting out there.

And it is only going to get worse. The top starters have moved off the free agent market, and now it is time for the trades to happen.

Time to dig into your baseball history books. Look at the hauls netted for Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum, Cliff Lee (both times), Josh Beckett, C.C. Sabathia and Dan Haren. Now imagine if they all happened at once. With an over saturated trade market filled with names like Gio Gonzalez, James Shields, Matt Cain, Jair Jurrjens, Trevor Cahill and Wandy Rodriguez, we could be looking at that scenario.

With all the "have nots" desperate for starting pitching the power shifts to the "haves."

Who knows how many of these starters will be moved, but I would certainly hate to be Boston or Texas right about now.

4. Colorado Rockies (Winners)

This one might surprise people, but the Colorado Rockies has had a really strong offseason so far.

They have been pretty sneaky at it, too. Remember when I said that thing about teams quietly stringing together awesome moves. Well, the Rockies blow all those guys away with their sneakiness.

The Rox have worked from a position of strength, and in turn have bolstered their rotation and outfield.

The first eye-opener was moving Chris Ianetta for Tyler Chatwood. Ianetta had decent power for a catcher, but the acquisition of Ramon Hernandez, and the impending impact of prospect Wilin Rosario, made the catcher expendable. In turn, the Rockies got Chatwood, a 22-year-old flame thrower with a big curve ball. Chatwood had some control issues last season, but still compiled 142 major league innings. At just 22, there he has a lot of room to grow.

Colorado did not stop there. They finally moved the pile of disappointment that was Ian Stewart. Stewart, 26, was once heralded as the next great power hitter. Instead, he owns a whopping .428 career slugging percentage. In return, the Rockies received Tyler Colvin. The 26-year-old outfielder looked great in 2010 in which he hit 20 home runs in 135 games, but suffered some set backs in 2011.

Also included in the deal was D.J. LeMahieu. The 23-year-old has a career minor league line of .317/.353/.399, while showing off speed and an aptitude for defense.

On top of it all, Colorado moved Huston Street (perhaps preparing a move for Michael Cuddyer) and acquired Kevin Slowey. I have to admit, the Slowey deal is a little confusing, because the last thing you want at Coore's Field is a fly ball pitcher.

Nonetheless, Colorado has made all the little moves that pay off in a big way. They moved catching depth for a young starter with a high ceiling and room to grow. They moved a disappointing ex-prospect for a young outfielder and an infielder with potential.

The Rockies are set for success in 2012.

4. Boston Red Sox (Losers)

As if the Boston Red Sox have not had it hard enough. They were offseason losers before the regular season even ended. That is right folks, they were offseason losing hipsters.

Let us get the cliche September collapse blurb out of the way. The September collapse was horrible, the media fallout was even worse, and Boston is still reeling from it.

With all that one would expect some real fireworks to turn things around. Instead Boston has used the majority of the offseason hunting down a manager. Oh, and trading for a pitcher... oh wait that never happened. They must have finally acquired that new closer... um, never mind. I know, they finally cut ties with David Ortiz.... wow, you got to be kidding me.

That is right people, Boston has done nothing. Sorry, nothing to make the team immediately better heading into 2012. Now, do not get me wrong, I am not a fan of impulse moves. I would like it if Boston ran Lavarnway and Kalish out in 2012 at DH and RF. However, Boston obviously needs pitching. Like, really really bad.

They have checked in on Gio Gonzalez, kinda looked into Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt, and tried really hard to acquire Andrew Bailey (without giving up Will Middlebrooks, a price far too steep).

In summary... meh.

3. Miami Marlins (Winners)

Dear Jeffrey Loria,

Please cross your fingers. If your new stadium does not work out, you will have a lot of money to pony up. But, dude, what a team you put together. The star power alone is sure to bring in the fans.

That rotation is killer. Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, Mark Buehrle, Ricky Nolasco and Chris Volstad. If J.J. can stay healthy, well then watch out.

Oh man, and Heath Bell! Solid choice for a closer.

Sorry you did not get that grand prize of Albert Pujols. Word is, your organization stuck to their guns and refused to give out a no trade clause. You definitely get props for that. Hey, there is always Prince Fielder.

And, even without either prince you still have a big bopper lineup. Please forward Ozzie Guillen this potential lineup card:

1. Jose Reyes (S), SS
2. Emilio Bonifacio (S), CF
3. Hanley Ramirez (R), 3B
4. Logan Morrison (L), LF
5. Mike Stanton (R), RF
6. Gaby Sanchez (R), 1B
7. Omar Infante (R), 2B
8. John Buck (R), C

It is right-handed heavy (Prince Fielder could balance that out...), but it is still ridiculous. The best in the NL East by far.

Good luck on all your future endeavors. Your club made a great statement this offseason, and I look forward to seeing what you can do in 2012.

Admiring Fan,
Jon Irwin

3. San Francisco Giants (Losers)

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. San Francisco fans, please turn away (mostly so I can avoid the rage that will be your comments).

Egos were inflated because your scrappy offense got hot at the best time of year and won your undeserving team a championship in 2010. Then you fizzled in 2011 and proved chemistry is not the secret weapon to a successful club. Michael Lewis will never write a book about Brian Sabean called "Friendlyball."

Actually, the real cherry on top is that 2012 is going to be very disappointing for you.

Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain still lack long-term contracts. In fact, Matt Cain should not even play for you anymore. Your GM had a shot at Jesus Montero and, so far, has let it slide.

Instead, he traded Jonathan Sanchez for a lackluster Melky Cabrera. You had one of the worst defensive outfields in 2011, and your grand answer is Melky Cabrera!?

No, actually it is Angel Pagan. And that is why you shipped Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez out to the Mets. News flash, Torres is the dominate fielder compared to Pagan. Especially in center, where Torres has a career 19.1 UZR compared to Pagan's -2.7.

To top it all off, the Giants' long sought prize of Jose Reyes signed with Miami. Looks like it is Carlos Beltran or bust.

San Francisco still hosts one of the worst offenses in the NL, and the outfield is in horrible shape. The front three starters are still solid, but trading Cain was the best shot at scraping together a true offense.

The Giants still have time, but until they acquire another middle of the order bat to complement Posey, they will be slapping their way through 2012.

P.S. Brian Wilson sold out to Subway.

2. Albert Pujols (Winner)

I cannot say much about Albert Pujols that has not already been said, so I will try to keep this short and sweet.

Prince Albert is called prince for a reason. Throughout his short tenure in the Majors he has already aligned himself into the prestigious ranks of baseball royalty.

Pujoles has a .328/.420/.617 career line with 445 home runs and 1,329 RBI. Not to mention his lifetime 65.7 UZR at first base.

Through the first 10 years of his career, Pujols never hit less than .300 with 30 home runs and 100 RBI; that is a feat solely owned by the Prince. He could have made it 11 years, but hit only .299 in 2011.

If Pujols keeps up the pace for the majority of his new contract, he will go down as the best hitter to ever play. His bat is legendary, his glove is golden, and no one is more deserving of his monster contract.

And boy, what a monster contract it was. $254,000,000 over 10 years (plus incentives). He did not set the record (that still belongs to Alex Rodriguez), but that is still a lot of money in the bank. Pujols could have had A-Rod money from Miami (or so the rumors say), but instead opted for the security of a no-trade clause.

Another win for Pujols is his move to the AL. Ten years is a long contract, especially when you are already 31 years old. A move to the AL opens up the door so that one day, when the aging process does take effect, Pujols can move into a DH role.

St. Louis fans, I know you are hurt and feel betrayed. Pujols was your prodigal son, and he has abandoned you.

But, for Pujols it was all about security, and he now has it.

2. St. Louis Cardinals (Losers)

Sorry St. Louis. I like a lot of your players and I respect the devotion of your fans. Your city is legendary in Major League Baseball, and I hope to see a game there some day.

But, things are looking ugly right now, and that is really unfortunate.

Your mastermind of a manager is gone. Tony LaRussa has retired. The man went out on top, which is a hell of a way to go, but it will be hard for your club to find a competent replacement.

Your rotation is still in flux. Edwin Jackson is a free agent, Chris Carpenter is getting older, and who knows how Adam Wainwright comes back.

And, the biggest wound of all, is that your golden child is gone. The man that could do no wrong, the prince of baseball, Albert Pujols.

As the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers continue to vie for NL Central dominance, your team is falling behind. True, you won the 2011 World Series. However, you also slid into the wildcard spot because of a struggling Atlanta Braves crew. Their choke saved your butts.

It is definitely an uphill battle. The lineup is in shambles. Lance Berkman was great last season, but he is 35 and slugged only .479 in the second half, compared to .602 in the first half. Matt Holliday and David Freese have upside, but is there any other adequate hitter on your team besides those guys?

The Red Birds have all these issues, and to top it all off their grand general has retired. If anybody could have made this team competitive, it would have been LaRussa, but now he is gone.

I do not want to say all hope is lost, but your situation is bleak, to say the least.

1. Los Angeles Angels (Winners)

Call them the new Evil Empire, call them scumbags, call them stupid, call them whatever you want—but, just do not call them losers.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are tired of being pushed out of the AL West. It is their division, and they are tired of sharing. So, what did they do? They put together one of the best baseball teams in history. First, let us look at the diamond.

C: Chris Ianetta
1B: Albert Pujols
2B: Howie Kendrick
SS: Eric Aybar
3B: Mark Trumbo
LF: Peter Bourjos
CF: Mike Trout
RF: Vernon Wells
DH: Torii Hunter

Pretty ridiculous, right? And that is just my prediction—who knows what they will really look like. They can still deal Mark Trumbo or Kendry Morales, and that can open up even more doors for the boys in Anaheim.

The lineup has a lot of speed, which is perfect for that Mike Scioscia run and gun style. At the same time, the middle of the order packs a huge punch. It will be hard for any pitcher to get through these guys with a chance to breath.

Then we get to the real prize. I am surprised more people are not talking about this. The Angels have the best rotation in baseball, seriously. Philadelphia eat your heart out. Here are the Angels' new front four, and their 2011 stats:

1. Jered Weaver: 18-8, 2.41 ERA, 235.2 IP, 7.6 K/9
2. Dan Haren: 16-10, 3.17 ERA, 238.1 IP, 7.3 K/9
3. C.J. Wilson: 16-7, 2.94 ERA, 223.1 IP, 8.3 K/9
4. Ervin Santana: 11-12, 3.38 ERA, 228.2 IP, 7.0 K/9

One of the biggest issues plaguing the Angels in 2011 was lack of bullpen depth. Well, when you have four pitchers eating over 220 innings a piece, how often do you need to use the 'pen?

The bottom line is this is an Angels team ready to win in 2012. Granted, everyone said the same thing about the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010, and the Boston Red Sox in 2011.Their teams were nothing like this. Neither team had the starting pitching that this team had, or the awesome offensive clout.

The Los Angeles Angels are officially in a league of their own.

1. Texas Rangers (Losers)

Sorry Texas, but you take home the prize for biggest losers this offseason, so far. It is true that the St. Louis Cardinals are taking a much bigger hit than your club, but the expectations for you are much different.

No one expected the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series in 2011, and I do not know how many people thought they could retain Albert Pujols. On the other hand, your club was expected to dominate this season. In 2012, if St. Louis does bad it will not be a surprise; if the Rangers struggle, it will be a huge disappointment.

And believe me, the Texas Rangers will struggle in 2012.

First off, they are still without an ace. Despite all their big talk about holding on to starters and bolstering their rotation, they have let their aces slip away two years in a row. Last year it was Cliff Lee, and this year it was C.J. Wilson.

The difference is that when Lee left, the Rangers still had Wilson. Now that Wilson is gone, who is there? The Rangers have a deep farm system, but no one that is ready to contribute 200 innings in 2012 while posting a superb record and low ERA.

Secondly, when Albert Pujols left St. Louis, he signed on to a different division; in fact, he signed his way into a brand new league. St. Louis is hurt by losing Pujols, but at least their competition has not gotten any better.

Meanwhile, you lost your ace to your biggest division rival. That is like the damage of losing C.J. Wilson to the second power. So, as the Texas Rangers slip back into mediocrity, the Los Angeles Angels are astronomically better.

With an ample trade market, the Rangers can still recover. In fact, they are seen as the front runners for Yu Darvish. Even so, the fact still remains that the Angels are going to be really good next season.

I wish I could say that I have faith that the Rangers will do something to turn the tide, but for right now they go down as the biggest offseason losers.