GM Perspective of LA Dodgers Sale

One of the preeminent goals of any General Manager is to put the best possible team on the field that he can, given the resources at his disposal. Well, the resources at Ned Colletti’s (or whoever the next GM is) disposal just got a bit larger.

It was announced yesterday that the LA Dodgers would be sold to a group of bidders that included Magic Johnson for a whopping 2.1 Billion dollars. Yes, that is Billion with a B. Crazy. That is a Billion dollars more than any other franchise has sold for. Why so much? The Dodgers are located in the potentially largest market in the United States, Los Angeles. They have a history as a franchise, which means that they have a loyal fanbase. They also have a humongous television market, which will allow them to have enormously deep pockets in terms of player spending.

As a GM, the possibilities suddenly became endless. This year, the Dodgers payroll is at $90 million dollars, which is smack in the middle of the league. I would expect that number to rise by several (dozens) million over the next few years. The Dodgers General Manager will now have the freedom to pursue marquee free agents, so players in the 2013 free agent class (Ervin Santana, Francisco Liriano, Zack Greinke, Josh Hamilton, BJ Upton, Delmon Young) should all be options. My guess is that money will still be regulated, but I assume that the payroll will end up in the 130-150 Million dollar a year range.

As far as actual control over player movements, I could see the ownership wanting to take a large role in player decisions. For a GM, that can be helpful, or it can be a nightmare. Even though a GM has a lot of power, his ownership group has the final say over player movements and contracts, and if they consider themselves baseball experts, that can be crippling to a general manager’s freedom to build a team.

I suppose we just need to hope that Magic and his cohorts can sit back, trust their staff, and watch the wins and money roll into Los Angeles.

Final Four Preview

            Well, I managed to miss every single Elite 8 game this weekend, as I was chaperoning a school activity. However, I am good at looking at stats and recaps, so I understand what went on mostly. The four teams that are headed to New Orleans for the 2012 NCAA Final Four are Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas, and Ohio State. Lets take a look at each matchup and give predictions for who will be playing in the title game.

Kentucky (1) vs. Louisville (4)

This game is a matchup of 2 men who have exactly the same haircut. But enough about fashion…sorry. Kentucky has been the assumed National Champion for the last 2 months. They ravaged the SEC and have shown surprising resilience to go along with their incredible overall skill level. Their trio of freshman have final ALL started to play like future NBA players (ahem, Mr. Teague), and the older players that Calipari uses the most (Jones, Miller, Lamb) have made this team very difficult to beat. Against an undisciplined team like Baylor, Kentucky will just massacre you.

However, Louisville is no Baylor. I do not mean that as an insult to Baylor, but Louisville has really grown up in the last couple of weeks. This team has some elder statesmen in Kuric and Siva that keep this team running hot, and they have a very large frontcourt that will battle Kentucky on the glass all game. In fact, 2 of the best shotblockers in the entire country will be squaring off in Dieng and Davis. The shots will be tough to come by in this game.

In the end, Louisville was given a 4 seed for a reason. They hit the glass really hard and rebound a lot of misses, but some of that is because they do not shoot the ball terribly well. Peyton Siva has zero outside shot, and Kuric has proven himself to be this teams only reliable 3 point shooter who can also contribute in other areas. Kentucky simply has the willpower and the talent to win this game. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will punch everyone in the face as he rebounds and defends with a vengeance, and the leadership of Dorn Lamb and Darius Miller will carry this Kentucky team to the Championship Game.

Kentucky 82- Louisville 71

Kansas (2) vs. Ohio State (2)         

            This game should be the more hard-fought battle, as these teams each bring some similarities and differences to the table.

           

            Both teams like to start their offence with their best players, who happen to be very similar people. Thomas Robinson and Jared Sullinger are THE two best post players in the NCAA Div 1 this year, and they both look to dominate opponents. Both players have refined post up games, although Sullinger is a better shooter and Robinson is more explosive. They are both willing passers, though they both realize that they are the number 1 option on their team.

            One of the differences that these teams have is their floor general. Tyshawn Taylor and Aaron Craft are two very different players. Taylor is explosive, creative, and accident prone, Craftis steady, effective, and creates turnovers. While Taylor will be the better NBA player in a few years, Craft is already one of the best individual and team defenders in college basketball. If Craft shuts Taylor down, or if Taylor is able to play to his strengths, this game will be decided by the point guards.

            There are just so many variable to this game! If Elijah Robinson plays really well, if William Buford can actually contribute consistently, if Deshaun Thomas continues to tear up opposing teams, if Jeff Withey blocks every single shot that OSU takes….There are so many variables in this game. I am very excited about this one! Overall, I think that Kansas has a slight advantage in this game, as they have Thomas Robinson, the National Player of the Year in my eyes.

Kansas 68 – Ohio State 63

What is your pick? Let me know why you agree or disagree with this post.

Post Correction

My apologies, Eddie Royal no longer plays for the Denver Broncos. Their 2nd wideout will probably be Erik Decker at this point. Thank you, @AdRoof for reminding me.

Mile High Manning?

            The news came through the pipeline today. Peyton Manning is working on negotiating a deal with the Denver Broncos. As I told some of my friends, I couldn’t see Manning as a Bronco simply because of the orange in the jersey, but I guess it is going to happen. Lets look at what Manning will have at his disposal in Colorado.

O-Line: The Denver Broncos have shown that they can run block, but they still have some ways to go in the pass blocking game. Obviously, not having a pocket passer can hurt an offensive lines pass blocking numbers, but the Broncos did give up 42 sacks in 2011, 9^th worst in the NFL. That number will have to go down as the Broncos protect the (possibly) fragile neck of Peyton Manning

RB: Willis McGahee has proven himself to be a solid ground-and-pound type running back. He was willing to carry the ball a lot, and he still had energy to break out and gain large chunks of yardage when it was available. Knowshon Moreno had a solid end to the 2011 season as well, giving Manning a strong ground game to complement the passing game.

TE: Well, lets hope the Broncos saved some money to sign a pass catching tight end, because this group was not used at all during the Tebow era in Denver. The leading pass catcher among the current tight ends had 19 receptions last year…not good. Again, we can chalk some of that up to Tebowmania, but under a Manning led offense, an athletic tight end with reliable hands is a must. The Broncos must be sure that this position is upgraded.

WR: Even with one of the worst passing games in the league, Demaryius Thomas has proven that he can be a game changer. He can stretch the field vertically, and he has good hands. The fact that Manning’s old friend Brandon Stokely is already on the roster has been much discussed, and I am sure a few footballs will be thrown his way. On the other side of the field, Eddie Royal has had some really productive years of football, and he should only get better with a traditional, accurate quarterback throwing him passes.

Defense: The Broncos were able to make a surprise run to the playoffs in 2011 partly because of the ground heavy and Tebow specified offense that they employed, but they also used an improved defense to work their way into the playoffs. The return of Elvis Dumervil and emergence of rookie LB Von Miller really shored up the pass rush and run defense, but they were in the middle of the pack for both Opponent passing yards and rushing yards per game (18^th and 22^nd overall). The defense needs to look into replacing Champ Bailey at CB with another lockdown-type corner. This is obviously not the defense that Manning could have had with the 49ers, but I think they are trending in the correct direction

Overall: With the addition of Manning, I think the Broncos become the clear favorites to win the AFC West. The Raiders and Chiefs are just not there from a talent or consistency perspective, and the Chargers lost 2 very important offensive players in free agency this year. My predictions for Manning:

3,200 yds, 24 TD, 14 INT, 63% CMP%

 These numbers are clearly below his season bests, even his season averages, but I think the Broncos will stick to their devastation running game and allow Manning to manage the offense without constantly being the only option, like he had to be in Indianapolis. His Completion % will be down, but should still be solid as he learns a new offense and connects with new players. I would not be surprised at all to see the Broncos win 10+ games, win the division, and win a playoff game in 2012. I would also not be surprised to see Manning organizing throwing sessions with Royal, Thomas, and Stokely before April is over. The man knows his business.

Thoughts? Predictions?

2012 NBA Trade Deadline Analysis

Holy Cow. Every year, we assume that the NBA trade deadline will pass without too much hubbub. And it seems like every year, a flurry of trades happen. Well, that trend was kept up this year, as there were 7+ moves in the hours before the 3PM deadline. Lets take a look at some of the more interesting ones. (Written at 5:00 PM, March 15th)

After thinking about this a lot, there were a lot of moves that didn't really make a whole lot of difference in this league, but there was one that really did matter. (Written the next day)

The only trade that mattered in the NBA yesterday, from a playoff standpoint, was the Clipper, Wizards, Nuggets trade. Here is what went down:

Clippers receive:

• Nick Young (1 yr, 3.6 Mil)

Wizards receive:

•  Nene (5 yrs, 65 Mil)

Nuggets receive:

• Javale McGee (1 yr, 2.4 Mil, then RFA)
• Ronny Turiaf (1 yr, 4.6 Mil)

Looking at this from a team by team standpoint, we will start with the least interesting. The Clippers have had problems in the backcourt since Chauncey Billups went down with a torn ACL. Young will provide this team with dependable 3 point shooter who can also create his own shot. The good thing is, with Chris Paul running this team, Young won't be allowed to jack up a shot every time he touches the ball, which will be helpful. He won't help this horrible defensive team get any better, but he can't make them much worse.

The Wizards receive a quality big man who curiously got traded in the same season that he signed a monster 5 year extension with the Denver Nuggets. Why would someone trade a player like that? Well, Nene turned 30 this year, and he has struggled to come back from some lingering injuries already this season. The Nuggets could perhaps be worried that he is already on the backside of his career. HOWEVER, the Wizards get an agile big man who can play quality basketball on both sides of the floor. He can shoot, pick and roll, defend, and finish in the paint. If he is healthy, Nene can be a good influence on this young Wizards team.

Finally, the Nuggets. This, as I said, was a puzzling move for the Nuggets. Nene was someone who they were really anxious to sign long term. But, I think there is some logic behind the trade. Nene was already the elder statesman on this young and exciting team. He was playing at a level that did not resemble his best basketball, and the Nuggets were obviously worried about that lasting the entire length of his shiny new contract. With McGee, the Nuggets get even younger and faster than they already were. Javale is a premier shotblocker and rebounder, and can finish an alleyoop with the best of them. The Nuggets are banking on George Karl straightening out this knucklehead. If the Nuggets like what they see, they will probably try to sign McGee in the offseason, to be a part of their young core heading into the future.

Now, the big picture. The Clipper and the Nuggets were both looking like playoff teams before this trade. The Clippers got better in the short-term, but the Nuggets may not have. Their offense got a little more one dimensional without Nene, and they could be in danger of falling out of playoff contention with this trade. It will be interesting to see also what happens with the Wizards and their new Brazilian center.

There were lots of other small trades yesterday, but nothing so exciting and unexpected as this 3 team trade.

Warriors-Bucks Trade Analysis

The bare bones:

The Golden State Warriors get:

·      Andrew Bogut (3 yrs, 39.5 Mil)

·      Stephen Jackson (2 yrs, 19.3 Mil)

The Milwaukee Bucks receive:

·      Monta Ellis (3 yrs, 33 Mil)

·      Ekpe Udoh (3 yrs, 11.2 Mil)

·      Kwame Brown (1 yrs, 7 Mil)

This is the first blockbuster trade that we have seen in the NBA this season, and although it is between two teams that could miss the playoffs, it has implications that could be felt all over the NBA.

In the short term, you could argue that both teams got what they wanted. Golden State has no one that can impose themselves in the painted area on offense. Although Bogut hasn’t been the same since he broke his elbow and wrist 2 years ago, he is still a player capable of posting up and scoring the basketball. He is also a defensive presence who teammates really seem to enjoy.

On the flipside, the Bucks are in constant need of consistent scoring. In the last couple of weeks, Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova have been carrying this team. Acquiring Monta Ellis will take pressure off of Jennings especially and allow him to be more of a creator. However, this could go very badly if both Jennings and Ellis take 20+ shots per game. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. Optimistically, Scott Skiles helps Ellis realize that defense is also a part of the game, and the Bucks institute a motion/flowing offense that allows many players to get open shots through the course of a game.

For the future, I feel sorry that the Warriors have to put up with Stephen Jackson again. Captain Jack has shown himself to be a coach killer and a locker room cancer. The quicker that his is off of an NBA roster, the better. Since Bogut and Ellis both have 2 years after this season left on their contracts, that will allow their new respective teams to attempt to build around them and form a winning basketball team.

Overall, I think the Warriors won this trade. They still retained their most valuable asset in Steph Curry, the have some talent on the perimeter with Klay Thompson, and David Lee should be a good partner for Bogut. The Bucks get the king of the +/- in Ekpe Udoh, but they already have Larry Sanders to fill the role of a shot blocker who is inept on offense. This round goes to the Warriors.

Peyton Manning GM Thoughts and Personal Reaction

            This is the worst subject of all time to look at from a GM’s perspective. Now, that is not really true, it is an incredibly relevant discussion, I just hate that it involves my favorite player, and the best athlete to ever play a professional sport in Indiana, Peyton Manning.

            The official announcement that Peyton Manning was cut was yesterday came at a news conference in Indianapolis. Lets look at the thought process of Jim Irsay, who had to make this tough decision. There are many points that he had to consider, and we would be doing him a disservice if we didn’t consider each one.

1.     Money

Manning was due a 28 Million dollar salary bonus this month if he wasn’t cut by the team. If the Colts draf Andrew Luck, and he plays at a spectacularly high level, he will still make less than that in his first 5 years in the league. There is no way around it, the Colt’s saved a humongous amount of money by cutting Manning today.

2.     Injury History

It would make any 35 year old nervous to have 4 surgeries in under 2 years. It is downright nightmarish for it to happen to a professional athlete. One of the only other athletes that we know to have that many surgeries on a recurring area in his body is Greg Oden, and he is probably going to be out of the NBA unless he can somehow show that he can stay healthy for an entire season. Peyton hasn’t proven anything this offseason, except that he has a really good mind for public relations. As far as health goes, I believe that Manning will be healthy, but rusty. For Irsay, it is a huge gamble to put the future 2-5 years of your franchise in the hands of someone who may never play effective football again.

3.     Team Future

Don’t know if you have heard of this guy, Andrew Luck? He is only the best QB prospect to come out of college since the guy who is being cut for him. That’s right, Mel Kiper, Mr. Hair himself, has Luck rated as one of the best prospects of all time, and THE best since Manning was drafted 1^st overall out of Tennessee in 1998. For Irsay, would you rather have 15 years of Manning, or 3 years of Manning? Because, if Luck fulfills his potential, he really could be a franchise-cornerstone kind of quarterback for the next decade or so. It is tough to not give that kid the reigns to the franchise immediately.

4.     Team History

When people think of the Indianapolis Colts, the first thing that pops into their heads isn’t Dwight Freeney. It isn’t Reggie Wayne, and it isn’t Marvin Harrison (unless it is a cop doing the thinking). Peyton Manning is synonymous with Indiana sports as a whole, and even more so for the Colts. He is an icon and a legend, The greatest Indiana athlete since Larry Legend. Irsay is going to hear it from Colt’s fans. Even people who know that this is for the good of the team will be upset in the short term, because it feels like we just betrayed out best friend. We can only hope that Luck makes just as many hilarious phone and Oreo commercials, hosts SNL wonderfully, and works just as hard to be the best at his trade.

For me, it was hugely upsetting when I heard that Manning would be cut. It had seemed inevitable, but it feels like, as I said before, we are losing the best thing we ever had. Manning was always a shining example of class and work ethic. No one was smarter, and no one worked harder to be the best at his sports. Here’s hoping that Manning plays amazing football in Arizona, or Houston, or Miami, or wherever he ends up. I can only hope for a great end to an amazing career.

American League Preview

AL East

New York Yankees

            The Bronx Bombers are having the same optimistic feelings that every single MLB team has during the spring. They are healthier, in better shape, feeling happier, etc… than they have ever felt before. While this can often be just misguided optimism, the Yankees are a good bet to win the AL East again this year. They improved their pitching staff by adding Michael Pineda to the already formidable CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova, and they think that their offense will be healthier this year (A-Rod). Bet on this team winning 90+ games.

Boston Red Sox

            Speaking of teams who should score roughly 1 million runs this year, the Boston Red Sox should score a TON. Carl Crawford should (repeat, should) bounce back from a career worst year in 2010. The rest of the lineup should benefit from a healthy Kevin Youkilis, Clay Buchholz, and John Lackey. (I am not defending John Lackey, I am just saying he might be slightly better if totally healthy)

Tampa Bay Rays

            How do you spell: Best starting pitchers in the American League? R-A-Y-S. James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore, and Davis/Niemann should be able to give the Rays a great chance to win on most nights. Shields has suddenly found consistency, Price is poised to have a break out season this year, and Moore can apparently strike out 22 batters per game, if the playoffs last year prove to be the norm. The Rays hitters are less impressive, but a full year of Desmond Jennings, and the usual brilliance from Evan Longoria will help this team compete for a wild card spot at the very least.

Toronto Blue Jays

            Man, the Blue Jays get absolutely screwed in the AL East. In the AL Central, they would step in as the 2^nd best team. In the NL, they could win a couple of divisions. But in their current division, they face the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays about 50 times per year (it seems like) and they just can’t keep up the pace. Oh well, this team is fun to watch. Jose Bautista, Brett Lawrie, and Colby Rasmus should smash the ball pretty well and help this team win some games. I like their pitching less than some, but Brandon Morrow could have a big year in 2012.

Baltimore Orioles

            If the Blue Jays are in trouble because of the depth of this league, the Orioles will seemingly need to wait until there are 7 wild card spots in the playoffs, and that still may not be enough for them to make the post season. The Orioles have had terrible luck with drafting, which makes it hard to build a competitive franchise. They have one of the bleakest futures of any team in Major League Baseball, and will need to work hard to make the next decade bearable for their fans.

AL Central

Detroit Tigers

            Gross. That is what the amount of power in the heart of the Tiger’s lineup should make you say. Carbera, Fielder, Boesch should all hit 20 (or 30) homeruns. Combine those gentlemen with an automatic win every 5 days when Justin Verlander takes the mound, and you have your AL Central division champions. But only if Cabrera doesn’t lose 5 games because of his terrible defense at 3^rd base. That will be the most interesting part of this season, as Miguel Cabrera drops weight and moves back to the hot corner for at least a season.

Kansas City Royals

            The Royals have a lot of talent in their system, and some of that talent is finally making its way into the major league. Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, and Salvador Perez are all homegrown players who will be difference makers for this club in 2012. The pitching is not quite as ready for the spotlight, but the Royals should contend in the division, at least through the summer months. What I like about this team is that it has a few seasoned players like Jeff Francouer and Alex Gordon to help this team learn how to work through expectations and adversity.

Cleveland Indians

            I can see a lot of people disagreeing with me with this pick. The Indians had a pretty successful season in 2011, finishing 2^nd in the division at 80-82. But the reality is that they finished 15 games behind the Tigers, and I don’t see them improving much this year. The bright spots for this team are Asdrubal Carbera and hopefully Ubaldo Jimenez, if he can regain his 2010 form that he had as a Rockie.

Minnesota Twins

            The Twins lost some pretty important players this offseason with Cuddyer and Nathan heading out of the clubhouse, but in bigger news, they got back the cornerstone of their franchise in Joe Mauer. Mauer was riddled with injuries in 2011 and his season never really got off the ground. If he can hold up under the demands of catching 2 or 3 out of every 4 games and still contribute on offense, this team will have a reasonable amount of success. However, I would like to submit that a team can never be a contender if their best pitcher is Carl Pavano.

Chicago White Sox

            This team is reasonably old and not getting any younger. Paul Konerko is apparently untouched by time, so I fully expect him to put up 30 homers again this season while still hitting around .300. As for the rest of the old men, we can only hope that Adam Dunn can hit again someday, or that Alex Rios wasn’t a flash in the pan in 2010 either. The White Sox have quality pitching, and they could finish as high as 2^nd in this division, but adding a new manager to the mix could make for some growing pains for this crew.

AL West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
            Apparently, there is money on the west coast. (just not with the Dodgers) Obviously the Angels signed Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson to huge deals, which made a huge splash this offseason. But to me, these are just some finishing touches to a team that has been competing, but always been a player or two away from winning a championship. Well, they added a couple good ones, and the Angels are my pick to win the World Series this year!

Texas Rangers

            The Rangers have some negative publicity this winter as they let their #1 pitcher leave in free agency. But, all clouds have a land-of-the-rising-sun lining, as the Rangers were able to add Yu Darvish from Japan, a pitcher who has absolutely demolished the Japan Professional Baseball League for 5 years in a row. He should be a more than capable starting pitcher, and its not like the Rangers hitters are going to stop hitting homeruns. My only worry with this team is that OF Josh Hamilton will be a distraction instead of an MVP candidate.

Oakland Athletics

            How can you not be improved when you add Manny Ramirez and the biggest mystery since sliced bread in Yoenis Cespedes? The Athletics are hoping that Cespedes can bring them a power threat to partner with Josh Willingham that will allow them to win some games when their pitching isn’t at its best. It is also worth mentioning that the A’s lost their best pitcher to the Washington Nationals.

Seattle Mariners

            Seattle may not win a ton of games this year, but the youth on this team is very exciting. Dustin Ackley, Justin Smoak, Jesus Montero, and the myriad of talented pitchers in the minors make this team look good for years to come. The problem is, 2012 is not one of the “years to come”. I think this team will struggle, even as Ichiro proves that he is not on his last legs yet. Best case scenario, 3^rd place finish in the AL West.

*The Houston Astros will join the AL West in 2013. Kinda sucks for them.

Thanks for reading the AL Rankings! I cannot wait for the actual baseball season to start, and I think this one has some incredibly interesting story lines that I will be sure to keep my eyes on. Thoughts?

National League Preview

With the spring season almost upon us, there is a smell of leather and pitch in the air. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the smell of baseball. As a lover of numbers and statistics, baseball has long been one of my favorite sports. The sabermetric field if one that I am trying to embrace, even though my brain can’t even comprehend some of the equations that are tossed around. However, despite my intellectual inefficiencies, baseball always brings a sense of excitement with it. There are so many games to watch, so many players to be interested in, and so many stats to stare at for hours.

The plan for this column is to take a brief (insufficient) look at each team, listed by league and  division in the order of how I think they will finish. I am going to look at the National League first, and the American League next week.

NL East (Best division in the National League

Philadelphia Phillies

            As long as Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels pitch for this team, they are going to be a top contender on the National League. All three should be mentioned in the Cy Young debate this year, and the Phillies should once again come close to 100 wins. This team’s only weakness is the lack of power bats in the lineup. Ryan Howard is healing from an ACL injury, and Rollins and Utley don’t inspire the same fear in pitchers that they used to. But, with a bit of health, the Phillies will remain the class of the National League.

Atlanta Braves

            The Braves are hoping that this is the year that some health and good fortune are on their side. If so, they will be a World Series contender. Mciahel Bourne, Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla make up the heart of what could be a very explosive lineup. The tinkering that he has done with his swing could allow Jayson Heyward to return to a homerun-smashing outfielder. As has been the case the last few years, the Braves have an absolute stable full of pitchers at their disposal in the major leagues and in the minors if injury threatens.

Washington Nationals

            In a recent statement, the National’s GM said that he should be fired if his team doesn’t make the playoffs this year. With the new, 2 wild card playoff format, he may just get to keep his job another year. The Nationals should absolutely be the most improved team in the league. A healthy Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzales and Edwin Jackson will anchor the rotation, and a bounceback season in the batter’s box for Jason Werth should be enough to help this team ascend to heights it has not seen in the 21^st century.

Miami Marlins

            If the Nationals aren’t the most improved team in the National League, The Mariners should take that honor. Their lineup should score a TON of runs. Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Mike Stanton, Gabey Sanchez, Logan Morrison…there is an absolute crapton of hitters in this brand new Miami ballpark. The two big questions for this team are: Can they defend, and can their pitchers keep up with the hitters? Should be really interesting

New York Mets

            Yuck. I always know that the Mets will be on Fox on Saturdays, and I always know that they will be horrible to watch. There are a few bright spots with this team, and Johan Santana makes another try at a healthy season and Jason Bay tries to recover his slugging form from 2010, but the Mets ownership, as everyone knows, is totally devastated financially, and there is little future for this team in the farm system at this point. Keep Chugging boys.

NL Central

Cincinnati Reds

            The Reds sent a bucket full of prospects to the San Diego Padres to get RHP Mat Latos. They are hoping that the young pitcher can bring a stabilizing presence to the pitching staff, and join with Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo, and Homer Bailey to take the Reds to the Playoffs. 100 million dollar man, Joey Votto now has some contract expectations to live up to.

St. Louis Cardinals

            The return of Adam Wainright cannot displace the loss of the greatest offensive force in baseball, El Hombre (but not in LA). The Cardinals are hoping that David Freese can build on his playoff’s breakout from 2011 and be an impact player at the hot corner.

Milwaukee Brewers

            Man, strange things happen to famous people a lot. After Ryan Braun won his appeal of a 50 game drug suspension, players everywhere were pretty upset, since they think Braun cheated the system. I expect to see the reigning NL MVP get pitched waaaaay inside this season, but I also expect him to continue to be one of the best players in baseball. Yovani Gallardo should be on the short list of NL Cy Young candidates this year, after finishing 2011 on a huge hot streak.

Pittsburgh Pirates

            Is it sad that AJ Burnett will miss 8-10 weeks with eye socket surgery, or is it just another pitiable example of the poor luck and bad management that has helped the Pirates be one of the worst teams in football? I personally think that Pirates will have a chance of contending in the NL Central in 3-4 years, but it is not this year. They have a bunch of great pitching prospects in the minor leagues, including 2011 #1 pick Gerrit Cole. However, all good things take time, and the Pirates will probably lose 80+ games this year.

Chicago Cubs

            If the addition of Theo Epstein were an instant magical formula to improve the Cubs by 20 or 30 games, I would be excited about this team. Other than that remote possibility, (which I suppose could be true) I see the Cubs being awful to watch again this year. Sorry, Chicago peoples.

Houston Astros

            I have nothing constructive to say about this team, except that they are doing a smart thing by restructuring the ownership and management. Sorry Astro fans, but your team will have the #1 pick in the first year player draft in 2012.

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks

            I think this is the year that Justin Upton wins an MVP award, and I also think that the Diamondbacks have enough quality pitching to win this division. I wouldn’t depend on the extra wild car if I were them, as the NL East probably has dibs on the best record thing. But, the D-backs are young and exciting, and could take a big step forward this year.

San Francisco Giants

            Despite having one of the top 3 pitching staffs in the National League, the Giants will need to see some huge production from some young players if they expect to contend on offense. Tim Lincecum saw less than 2.8 runs per game from his offense in games that he started last year. So, even though he had a 2.74 ERA, he only won 13 games.

Colorado Rockies

            The Rockies have become very serious about surrounding their young, talented starts with veteran role players. Michael Cuddyer is just the type of player who can help this team maintain focus and win important ball games. Tulowitski and Car-Go should continue to be one of the best hitting duos in baseball, but we must simply wait and see if the pitching staff will be up to snuff. (snuff….sounds very Scarlet Pimpernel)

Los Angeles Dodgers

            If more people than just Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw can have career years, and if the LA Dodgers can finally get sold to a decent owner, there could be some excitement in Dodger-town (wherever that is). However, it is totally possible that Kemp and Kershaw continue to put up huge numbers and the team still misses the playoffs by 10 or more games.

San Diego Padres

            So, if you trade away talent, don’t spend money on new talent, and have an unfortunate draft record, what do you get? Your 2012 San Diego Padres. They may have some talent in the pipeline somewhere, but it’s not going to be a lot of help this year.

 Well, that was the National League. American League to follow at some point after the weekend. Give me your thoughts on your home-team. How will they fare?