Around Baseball 2014

[over500]

Tribe places Bourn, Giambi on 15-day DL

 

I didn't even know Giambi was still around lol

Same. I get surprised every year to find out he's still in the league. I'm pretty sure he's still gonna be hitting pinch hit homeruns 10 years from now on.

[jaysblue]

Keith Law's predictions for 2014 (ESPN insider):

 

Keith Law offers up his win-loss predictions for all 30 teams and winners for the six major postseason awards. Furthermore, explanations for each team are included, along with notes on key players or possible impact call-ups. Award predictions follow the division picks.

 

AL East

 

It's hard to pick against a Boston Red Sox team that returns so many of the players who helped them win the World Series last year, losing Stephen Drew but replacing him with one of the majors' best rookies in Xander Bogaerts. I'm far from sold on Grady Sizemore's ability to be productive and stay healthy in center, but Jackie Bradley Jr. will be ready when the time comes.

 

I'll take Boston over the Tampa Bay Rays on paper and because of their greater ability to add during the season; the Red Sox have a stronger farm system and more resources, whereas the Rays are more likely to trade David Price than they are to package low-minors prospects for a short-term, major-league property.

TEAM W L

Boston 92 70

Tampa Bay 88 74

NY Yankees 85 77

Baltimore 81 81

Toronto 78 84

 

The New York Yankees are better, yet older, and they have no margin for error with their rotation if there should be an injury or a shortfall in performance. Second base and third base could both be serious problems for them all year, although Drew would be an ideal fit and is still sitting out there in free agency.

 

The Orioles boosted their rotation and offense, and would be an 85-win team in most other divisions, but they and the Blue Jays (whose rotation is thin already and relies on a lot of health from guys with injury histories) will suffer for the tougher competition they have to face.

 

AL Central

 

The Detroit Tigers are once again the class of the division, slighty worse off after trading Doug Fister and losing Jose Iglesias for all or most of the year, but still far stronger than any of the teams likely to chase them down.

 

The Kansas City Royals have the best chance to do so, thanks to the rise of Eric Hosmer last year and the arrival/return of some of their top young pitching prospects -- Yordano Ventura now, Danny Duffy sooner, Kyle Zimmer later.

TEAM W L

Detroit 92 70

Kansas City 81 81

Cleveland 80 82

Chicago WS 77 85

Minnesota 70 92

 

The Cleveland Indians' 2013 season was almost as surprising as Pittsburgh's, but losing Scott Kazmir and Ubaldo Jimenez hurts their rotation, without internal options ready to step in and provide that kind of performance. A full year of Danny Salazar will help, and they can always hope for Trevor Bauer to fulfill his potential, but I've never been a big Carlos Carrasco fan.

 

The Chicago White Sox had a great offseason, most recently grabbing a free Javy Guerra from the Dodgers, and they're a team on the rise again, with a fighting chance to get above .500 if John Danks and Felipe Paulino can stay healthy for 50-plus starts.

 

The Minnesota Twins' farm system is among the best in baseball, but their products won't start showing up in the majors until much later this year or early in 2015.

 

AL West

 

Three battered rotations top this division, and that could even create an opportunity for the Seattle Mariners, whom I've pegged in a somewhat distant fourth place, to slide into the playoff picture.

 

The Los Angeles Angels have the offense, and I think adding Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago improves the rotation to “adequate,” enough to get to 85-plus wins and the playoff picture.

 

The Oakland Athletics would have been my pick for the top spot, but losing Jarrod Parker for the season stings, and their internal options -- such as career reliever Jesse Chavez -- are nowhere close to as productive.

TEAM W L

LA Angels 89 73

Oakland 87 75

Texas 84 78

Seattle 76 86

Houston 64 98

 

The Texas Rangers' rotation was hit even harder, pressing two relievers -- hard-throwing Tanner Scheppers, who has a history of shoulder problems, and polished lefty Robbie Ross -- into starting roles, while the team had to give a long look to Joe Saunders for the fifth spot even though he has nothing left. Losing Jurickson Profar, who I thought was primed for a breakout year, for three months also sets them back a win or two.

 

The Mariners could be a lot better than I predicted, based mostly on their reliance on young starters whom I don't think are quite ready for league-average production over a full season.

 

Houston Astros fans just need to be patient; all those great kids you've been hearing about will start to show up in the majors this year.

 

NL East

 

With the caveat that I thought something similar last year, the Washington Nationals are the best team in the National League in my opinion, with strength in just about every area that counts other than, well, defense at third base. I thought adding Doug Fister helped in two ways -- making the rotation stronger and lessening their reliance on their bullpen, which was one of their weaker points coming into the year.

TEAM W L

Washington 95 67

Atlanta 82 80

NY Mets 80 82

Philadelphia 72 90

Miami 68 94

 

The Atlanta Braves took several wins backward with the hits to their rotation and the particularly unfortunate timing -- a year from now, prospect Lucas Sims might have been ready to grab one of those spots. It's a rough start for a team that was otherwise strong almost top to bottom, with the one major hole, behind the plate, waiting for top prospect Christian Bethancourt to fill it.

 

The New York Mets' rotation has quietly become both good and deep; give them Matt Harvey and we could be discussing a wild-card spot, even before we talk about any of their pitching prospects contributing.

 

The Philadelphia Phillies are old and getting older, spending their money in what seemed to be suboptimal ways this winter, and if I did specific player forecasts, I wouldn't give Cole Hamels more than 120 or so innings, given the questions around his shoulder.

 

The Miami Marlins will at least be fun to watch because of all of their young talent, but the rotation is thin, and they don't put enough men on base.

 

NL Central

TEAM W L

St. Louis 92 70

Pittsburgh 83 79

Cincinnati 80 82

Milwaukee 75 87

Chicago Cubs 68 94

 

The St. Louis Cardinals are the deepest team in either league -- the best equipped to get through a 162-game season with all of its inevitable injuries and need to rest regulars. The roster is strongest on the pitching side, with two potential midrotation or better starters, Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal, working in short relief.

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a lot of little things go their way last year, so I see a little regression, but I also see a lot of improvement from core young players, as well as the arrival at some point this year of Gregory Polanco and Jameson Taillon, both of whom should contribute right off the bat.

 

The Reds’ loss of Shin-Soo Choo could cost them four or five wins alone, depending on what they get from Billy Hamilton, whose speed can change the game if he can get on base enough; they've also got too many holes on the left side of the field, although I think their rotation is a little underrated because of their homer-friendly home park.

 

The Brewers have no depth and are depending on a lot of question marks around their infield, although I think their rotation will be better than expected.

 

The Cubs need pitching, now and in the future, although the arrivals of some of the big four hitting prospects, starting with Javier Baez, should at least provide some hope.

 

NL West

 

The Dodgers are loaded for Uribear this year, with the majors' best rotation, a bullpen so full they thought they could just toss Javy Guerra into the water (hint: you should have waived Brandon League instead) and an outfield surplus when everyone's healthy. They still need a second-base solution and Hanley Ramirez gives some runs back on defense, but otherwise it's the second-best club in the league, and maybe the best if we just consider the starters.

TEAM W L

LA Dodgers 94 68

San Francisco 87 75

Arizona 79 83

San Diego 77 85

Colorado 74 88

 

 

The San Francisco Giants are stuck a little bit in good-not-great territory: not good enough to catch the Dodgers, but I think more than good enough to grab a wild-card spot -- and they have more than one option to take that one-game start if the situation arises.

 

The Arizona Diamondbacks have a solid lineup and some very good defensive players all over the field, but their rotation took a big hit with the injury to Patrick Corbin, and the team just doesn't look gritty enough to handle the grind of a 162-game season.

 

The San Diego Padres don't have much impact on the offensive side, and their rotation is extremely high-beta, with three starters -- Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross and the already-hurt Josh Johnson -- bringing lengthy injury histories to the field this year.

 

The Colorado Rockies have pitching coming, but they're a little short right now, and I think at some point they'll have to look at trading Jorge De La Rosa for longer-term assets, which might put a damper on 2014 even as the future looks brighter.

 

Player Awards

 

AL MVP: Mike Trout

 

One of these years, they'll get it right.

 

AL Cy Young: Yu Darvish

 

The AL leader in strikeout rate last year, Darvish has gradually improved his control and should be among the league's top three pitchers again, as long as he stays healthy.

 

AL Rookie of the Year: Masahiro Tanaka

 

We've seen a number of players come over from Nippon Professional Baseball and not get much rookie of the year support, and I would like to think most BBWAA voters at this point are over any bias against NPB players in this category. Whether you like it or not, they're eligible, and Tanaka looks like the best of a full crop of AL rookies, someone who'll play well on his own merits and who'll get the kind of run support that helps a pitcher in postseason award voting. Bogaerts would be my choice among all other players.

 

NL MVP: Yadier Molina

 

Molina's a worthy candidate, and a few recent near-misses won't hurt his standing with voters, either.

 

NL Cy Young: Jordan Zimmermann

 

Zimmermann has looked as though he might make the leap for at least two years now, and the Nationals managing his workload carefully should help him stay strong into late September when the Nats make a playoff run this year.

 

NL Rookie of the Year: Travis d'Arnaud

 

As loaded as the AL rookie class is, the NL class is shallow, with a few guys given regular jobs but with big question marks over performance or, in d'Arnaud's case, durability. I'll concede that Billy Hamilton could run his way to this award, but if I'm putting money on a favorite, it's the catcher with 20-homer power.

[G-Snarls]

Best picture of the spring?

 

http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/baseball/mlb/img24506250.jpg

[mitchf]

Best picture of the spring?

 

http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/baseball/mlb/img24506250.jpg

We aren't worthy!!

[fatcowxlive]

So MLB Central's season preview ended with Zaun going to a lady with a crystal ball to predict s*** in the MLB. lol here are the results:

 

Top 3 AL Teams:

Boston

Detroit

Seattle

 

Top 3 NL Teams:

Atlanta

Pittsburgh

LA

 

World Series:

Seattle will beat Atlanta

 

AL MVP and CY Young:

Miguel Cabrera and Felix Hernandez

 

NL MVP and CY Young:

Freddie Freeman and Gerrit Cole

 

Jays Record:

76-86

 

LOL s*** was scripted as f*** it seemed and if it was, whoever did these predictions are stupid af lol

[Dylan]

Mariners to win world series? lol I'm okay with that

[Frenchsoup]

#RedSox OF Shane Victorino is getting his hamstring examined in Boston, making him an uncertain for Monday's opener: http://t.co/Ruj1Gw8NSU

 

that would be a huge loss for those guys

[Abomination]

So MLB Central's season preview ended with Zaun going to a lady with a crystal ball to predict s*** in the MLB. lol here are the results:

 

That would likely be more accurate than Zaunie I get a kick out of him, but man alive am I glad he's not a coach or in the front office.

[GD]

World Series:

Seattle will beat Atlanta

 

If this happens I'll film myself setting $50 on fire

[GD]

Trout : Stanton

Sale : Fernandez

Tanaka : Baez

 

Please don't go No49 on us in the BBDL

[fatcowxlive]

If this happens I'll film myself setting $50 on fire

 

Now I want Seattle to win lmao

[Abomination]

Please don't go No49 on us in the BBDL

 

Too late lol

[Abomination]

If this happens I'll film myself setting $50 on fire

 

Not punishing enough. You should have to give it to Dogg in person

[fatcowxlive]

The Fernandez pick is conditional on him staying fully healthy and Kershaw missing more than 2 starts.

NL ROY could easily be Syndergaard, Taveras, or Baez depending on playing time.

 

Tda if he's healthy maybe?

[GD]

Not punishing enough. You should have to give it to Dogg in person

 

You hate me that much?

[Angrioter]

Rays

Tigers

Angels

 

Rangers

Red Sox

 

Nationals

Cardinals

Dodgers

 

Braves

Giants

 

 

Trout : Posey

Fernandez : Lee

Tanaka : Wong

[Abomination]

I'll pick:

 

Red Sox

Tigers

Athletics

 

Rays

Rangers

 

Cardinals

Dodgers

Nationals

 

Giants

Braves? (Pretty much crap shoot here)

 

Tigers over Dodgers

 

Trout | McCutchen

Verlander | Kershaw

Tanaka | Taveras

[Atothe]

I meant to have him in there oops. But I don't expect big things from him.

 

I'm going with Stanton, I believe he plays 150 games and hits 50 hrs with a beautiful round number of .650 slg percentage

[bzapple]

NL MVP will be a crapshoot, could be any of:

Cutch

Goldy

Posey

Stanton

Wright

Votto

Tulo

HanRam

 

Molina?

[bzapple]

I think you're underrating Braun pretty significantly.

 

I can't see him getting many votes even if he does have another great year. Too many people hate him.

[Angrioter]

Power and speed decline.

 

MVP is about Averagesssss, dingers and Ribeyes lol

[bzapple]

What are we picking here? Actual MVP or should be MVP?

 

I assumed people were posting predictions.

[Atothe]

I can't see him getting many votes even if he does have another great year. Too many people hate him.

 

umm barry bonds won and most reporters disliked

[Atothe]

That's a little different... Lol

 

the point is, if Braun is better then everyone else they're not all gonna let biases get in the way of him winning a mvp

[Atothe]

No way Braun is that much better than everyone else though.

 

Is this hypothetical that absurd?

[Atothe]

No way Braun is that much better than everyone else though.

 

and by that much I really mean as far as traditional stats go. Something like 320/390/530 30, 18 steals, 110 rbis, 100 runs scored.

[Atothe]

I see Braun as a 6 win player

[G-Snarls]

ESPN baseball is back video:

 

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10698620

[G-Snarls]

Update on Kershaw:

 

 

[Captain Adama]

AL

Trout

Darvish

Walker

 

NL

McCutchen

Syndergaard

Syndergaard