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Official MLB 2012 Season Thread
- Thread starter tennisace
- Start date
I think the key here is the fact that he's tied to draft pick compensation. There's no reason for his abilities to drastically decline over last season, and would make just about every rotation better (except of course for a team like the Dodgers or Tigers). And this off-season has shown that teams are certainly willing to shell out way to much money in order to get desired free agents. However, that money is far from worth it if it costs teams a first (or second) round pic, which could potentially develop into a player with similar abilities to Loshe while costing less and lasting longer. He'll sign eventually, but possibly not until after the season starts
He went through this last year too though (at least I believe) so he probably knows what he's doing.
Holy shades of Johnny Damon...
But no seriously. Red Sox camp is looking pretty damned good right now. Very much impressed with what all I've seen and the "new" old atmosphere that's surrounding this club. It seems that no one in baseball is really talking or interested in the Red Sox, and that to me is a very good sign that things are turning our way.
I can maybe see us being a playoff team if Toronto has as poor chemistry as I think they're going to have. Think Will Meyers and the re-tooled offensive Rays will win the division though.
A team that very much interests me this year is the Arizona Diamondbacks. This offseason just kind of seemed like what my CPU does in my The Show game... All over the place in philosophy. Trading Bower in the Choo deal for not much of anything (poor clubhouse chemistry or something had to go in to that... teams usually just don't give up on a guy with that much upside as him) then unloading Chris Young and Justin Upton... Losing Ryan Roberts...
Its going to be interesting to see what the hell these guys were thinking throughout the offseason and if they'll be able to compete for a playoff spot...
I wouldn't get too carried away with camp results, unless you're expecting the Royals to go to the World Series and the Angles to blow up. But I do agree that the Red Sox have a good chance at making to playoffs this year. Recent injuries to the Yankees have done a lot of damage to that team, and the Orioles won't have as good of a year in 2013. I'm a bit more optimistic about Toronto's chemistry, though, since it's pretty much just Toronto+Miami. The other additions would have had to blend in anyways, so really it all just depends on how the Marlins group matches up with the rest of the Blue Jays.
The Rays are scary, though, finishing an incredibly tough and competitive AL East. The Myers trade was perfect for them, and when he's called up he'll make a huge impact. I do see the Red Sox likely coming in third in the AL East, but that might be able to get them into the playoffs anyways. I'm not sold on the teams in the AL Central besides the Tigers, and I feel the Texans and Athletics will have down years as well. But we'll just wait and see, I suppose.
With regards to the Diamondbacks, I actually really like their team right now. Getting Prado was obviously a plus, although it did cost them their star player. I don't think Eaton will perform quite well enough his rookie year to call him a proper replacement, but he will still have a pretty good year. And they didn't need Bauer with Skaggs, Miley, Kennedy, Mccarthy, and Cahill forming a quality rotation, but I agree they should have tried to get more in return. I've heard Gregarious has been a bit of a disappointment so far. But then again, Bauer had problems with Miguel Montero, which would have made any success he would have had in Arizona limited and other teams might have recognized that. Either way, they likely won't get the playoff spot, not with competing with the Braves, Cardinals, and Giants for the two wildcards.
The Rays are scary, though, finishing an incredibly tough and competitive AL East. The Myers trade was perfect for them, and when he's called up he'll make a huge impact. I do see the Red Sox likely coming in third in the AL East, but that might be able to get them into the playoffs anyways. I'm not sold on the teams in the AL Central besides the Tigers, and I feel the Texans and Athletics will have down years as well. But we'll just wait and see, I suppose.
With regards to the Diamondbacks, I actually really like their team right now. Getting Prado was obviously a plus, although it did cost them their star player. I don't think Eaton will perform quite well enough his rookie year to call him a proper replacement, but he will still have a pretty good year. And they didn't need Bauer with Skaggs, Miley, Kennedy, Mccarthy, and Cahill forming a quality rotation, but I agree they should have tried to get more in return. I've heard Gregarious has been a bit of a disappointment so far. But then again, Bauer had problems with Miguel Montero, which would have made any success he would have had in Arizona limited and other teams might have recognized that. Either way, they likely won't get the playoff spot, not with competing with the Braves, Cardinals, and Giants for the two wildcards.
BECAUSE WHY NOT, guys. Let's do preemptive standings and predictions
AL BEAST
1. Toronto Blue Jays
Homerism aside, they are the best team in the division. The margin, however, doesn't appear to be all that big, with the Blue Jays chance to win the division based off of the range of possible outcomes for the starting pitching. What worries me the most isn't actually Johnson, Dickey, or Morrow, but Buerhle and Romero. I can see those two performing badly, and from there, the potential replacements would have me worried. Amazingly enough, I can still see them making a wild card spot even if they don't perform that well.. It's a good year to be a Blue Jays fan, finally.
2. Tampa Bay Rays
Maddon is probably the best in the business when it comes to managing (suck on it, Orioles' fans). I guess the big wild card for them is how much Longoria plays, because when healthy, he really is one of the most valuable players year in and year out. It'll be interesting to see how Matt Moore plays, just out of personal interest. His development could really lower the blow of losing Shields.
3. Boston Red Sox
Kinda like the Blue Jays, they were underrated last year due to injury. Their team is coming back, hopefully all healthy, and they retooled and added some new pieces. As a whole, their fate (again, like the Jays) will likely depend on their starters. There isn't as much upside there, however, so their fate seems to depend less on them exceeding expectations and more on the teams around them collapsing (which isn't entirely far fetched). Also, fuck the Yankees.
4. New York Yankees
I am ready to say that this is the year that things go badly. This is expecting a lot to go wrong, but more so this year I feel capable of saying that this is the year that that happens. They have a lot of lineup turnover, and are already injury riddled before the season starts. They do have the potential to be first, for sure, but there's just so much that can go wrong (and I want to be daring) that I'll say fourth for them.
5. Baltimore Orioles
It's just hard to see them performing that well again.. The success they had is unsustainable, even with a great bullpen, and they did nothing to improve the team over the off-season. It's hard to see them getting much over five hundred, even..
I was gonna do the rest but it was gonna take a longgggggg time, so I'm going to just do my playoff teams now
American League
AL East Winner - Blue Jays
AL Central Winner - Tigers
AL West Winner - Rangers
Wildcard #1 - Angels
Wildcard #2 - Athletics
National League
NL East Winner - Nationals
NL Central Winner - Cardinals
NL West Winner - Giants
Wildcard #1 - Braves
Wildcard #2 - Reds
Wildcard Games:
Braves vs. Reds
Angels vs. Athletics
ALDS:
Blue Jays vs. Athletics
Tigers vs. Rangers
NLDS:
Nationals vs. Reds
Giants vs. Cardinals
ALCS:
Blue Jays vs. Rangers
NLCS:
Nationals vs. Giants
World Series:
Rangers vs. Nationals
Enjoy yourself, Stallion.
AL BEAST
1. Toronto Blue Jays
Homerism aside, they are the best team in the division. The margin, however, doesn't appear to be all that big, with the Blue Jays chance to win the division based off of the range of possible outcomes for the starting pitching. What worries me the most isn't actually Johnson, Dickey, or Morrow, but Buerhle and Romero. I can see those two performing badly, and from there, the potential replacements would have me worried. Amazingly enough, I can still see them making a wild card spot even if they don't perform that well.. It's a good year to be a Blue Jays fan, finally.
2. Tampa Bay Rays
Maddon is probably the best in the business when it comes to managing (suck on it, Orioles' fans). I guess the big wild card for them is how much Longoria plays, because when healthy, he really is one of the most valuable players year in and year out. It'll be interesting to see how Matt Moore plays, just out of personal interest. His development could really lower the blow of losing Shields.
3. Boston Red Sox
Kinda like the Blue Jays, they were underrated last year due to injury. Their team is coming back, hopefully all healthy, and they retooled and added some new pieces. As a whole, their fate (again, like the Jays) will likely depend on their starters. There isn't as much upside there, however, so their fate seems to depend less on them exceeding expectations and more on the teams around them collapsing (which isn't entirely far fetched). Also, fuck the Yankees.
4. New York Yankees
I am ready to say that this is the year that things go badly. This is expecting a lot to go wrong, but more so this year I feel capable of saying that this is the year that that happens. They have a lot of lineup turnover, and are already injury riddled before the season starts. They do have the potential to be first, for sure, but there's just so much that can go wrong (and I want to be daring) that I'll say fourth for them.
5. Baltimore Orioles
It's just hard to see them performing that well again.. The success they had is unsustainable, even with a great bullpen, and they did nothing to improve the team over the off-season. It's hard to see them getting much over five hundred, even..
I was gonna do the rest but it was gonna take a longgggggg time, so I'm going to just do my playoff teams now
American League
AL East Winner - Blue Jays
AL Central Winner - Tigers
AL West Winner - Rangers
Wildcard #1 - Angels
Wildcard #2 - Athletics
National League
NL East Winner - Nationals
NL Central Winner - Cardinals
NL West Winner - Giants
Wildcard #1 - Braves
Wildcard #2 - Reds
Wildcard Games:
Braves vs. Reds
Angels vs. Athletics
ALDS:
Blue Jays vs. Athletics
Tigers vs. Rangers
NLDS:
Nationals vs. Reds
Giants vs. Cardinals
ALCS:
Blue Jays vs. Rangers
NLCS:
Nationals vs. Giants
World Series:
Rangers vs. Nationals
Enjoy yourself, Stallion.
Eh. Though it's early, I've seen enough. Guess I can play along.
American League East
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. New York Yankees
5. Baltimore Orioles
Like I said before, Tampa Bay at the top because they have so much pitching depth, it's not even funny. Add some young talent, a mix of veterans, and an always amazing bullpen, and I can't see them struggling. They have a top three juggernaut starting pitcher anchoring their rotation and a pretty amazing supporting cast with Moore, Hellickson, Cobb, and don't forget there's Archer in the wings. It's just scary. The reason that I'm not sold on the Blue Jays is the fact that these super teams such as the Marlins last year, Dodgers last year, Red Sox two years ago... They just don't mix well. There is too much personality for their own good and when the going gets tough, they flake and quit. Call it Dwight Howard Syndrome or something. I understand that there is a lot of talent in Toronto, but there is a reason the Marlins were the embarrassment of the league last season. They just can't play well together. And in this division with these teams? They're not going to live up to the hype they are "destined" to. I want to put the Yankees in last because I see no pitching and their prospects are kicked to hell. But something tells me they'll make some trades to force themselves into contention like always. Baltimore doesn't seem to have the pitching either.
American League Central
1. Kansas City Royals
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Minnesota Twins
Ok, hear me out on this one. The Royals are a real team. Their pitching with Shields, Guthrie, Davis, Santana, Hochaver is very round and they have some wicked kids on the cusp of being called up if problems arise. They are star packed with youngins like Hosmer, Cain, and Moustakas. They have a nice mix of veterans with Gordon, Butler, and Francoeur. And they just seem to mesh well. Do I think they are equip for a deep post season run? No. But I think that they are going to get hot and start believing. They are this years Oakland A's for me. Just have all the right stuff... The Indians actually have a real manager now and a clubhouse atmosphere that's not going to give up but I don't see them having the pitching and their line up is very streaky. I don't think they are ready to make a playoff run, but I do see them above .500...
American League West
1. LA Angels
2. Texas Rangers
3. Oakland A's
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Houston LAstros
This is self explanatory. The Angels have the best overall player in the game, the best pitcher in the AL in my opinion, and these guys called Hamilton and Pujols. Good night division, this is a land slide. I don't see the A's as being a better team as the Rangers, and you know the Rangers are going to make moves at the deadline while the A's owners sit and count their money, so I'm placing them in third. Seattle has a good shot to maybe equal the A's with their new lineup, and they do still have Felix Hernandez, but I'm sticking them in fourth. And the LAstros are last. Because they're the fucking LAstros. But watch out for Bud Norris having an explosive year. Guy has gas...
National League East
1. Washington Nationals
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Atlanta Braves
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins
The Phillies still have a great pitching rotation and are going to hang on for a little bit with their pitching, but I think the Nats are going to edge them out. I see the top 3 teams fighting out for playoff spots the entire year, with the last two being toilet water. But hey, you guys can dream right?
National League Central
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Pitsburg Pirates
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Chicago Cubs
The Cardinals just always seem to find a way to win don't they? Wainwright back leading the charge with an amass of MLB ready starting pitching and a killer bullpen. I just can smell the love from the city of St. Louis. Cincinnati just seems eh to me. I don't see them getting anywhere. But this is the weakest division in baseball, so who knows? And yes, the Pirates will be under .500 for another year in my mind. Don't fool yourself, they're cursed...
National League West
1. San Francisco Giants
2. LA Dodgers
3. San Diego Padres
4. Colorado Rockies
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Giants just have more pitching than the 1956 American League All Star Squad. And while I just pulled out that year out of my asshole, they have Cain, Big Time Timmy-Jim, Vogelsong, Bumgarner, Zito... By far the tops in all of baseball. I still cannot believe that the Dodgers are going to suffer from Toronto Blue Jays syndrome and not mesh together well. I just don't. They can always prove me wrong, but I've seen so many super teams die. I think that their heads are too big for their own good. The last 3 teams in the division are a toss up because they are all toilet water. I'm going with this set up because I don't understand Arizona's offseason moves at all, Padres are young and could go on a streatch, and the Rockies have CarGo and First Aid Troy...
Pretty much overall, like every season, how these teams look now is not how they'll look midseason. Trades will eb made, deals will be struck, game changing injuries will plague contenders and force them into the basement of the division. But that's baseball for ya. Last year I had the Angels winning the world series and the O's 40 games under .500. No one really knows what will happen, but this is the ebst guess I got. Lets see if Im right!
American League East
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. New York Yankees
5. Baltimore Orioles
Like I said before, Tampa Bay at the top because they have so much pitching depth, it's not even funny. Add some young talent, a mix of veterans, and an always amazing bullpen, and I can't see them struggling. They have a top three juggernaut starting pitcher anchoring their rotation and a pretty amazing supporting cast with Moore, Hellickson, Cobb, and don't forget there's Archer in the wings. It's just scary. The reason that I'm not sold on the Blue Jays is the fact that these super teams such as the Marlins last year, Dodgers last year, Red Sox two years ago... They just don't mix well. There is too much personality for their own good and when the going gets tough, they flake and quit. Call it Dwight Howard Syndrome or something. I understand that there is a lot of talent in Toronto, but there is a reason the Marlins were the embarrassment of the league last season. They just can't play well together. And in this division with these teams? They're not going to live up to the hype they are "destined" to. I want to put the Yankees in last because I see no pitching and their prospects are kicked to hell. But something tells me they'll make some trades to force themselves into contention like always. Baltimore doesn't seem to have the pitching either.
American League Central
1. Kansas City Royals
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Minnesota Twins
Ok, hear me out on this one. The Royals are a real team. Their pitching with Shields, Guthrie, Davis, Santana, Hochaver is very round and they have some wicked kids on the cusp of being called up if problems arise. They are star packed with youngins like Hosmer, Cain, and Moustakas. They have a nice mix of veterans with Gordon, Butler, and Francoeur. And they just seem to mesh well. Do I think they are equip for a deep post season run? No. But I think that they are going to get hot and start believing. They are this years Oakland A's for me. Just have all the right stuff... The Indians actually have a real manager now and a clubhouse atmosphere that's not going to give up but I don't see them having the pitching and their line up is very streaky. I don't think they are ready to make a playoff run, but I do see them above .500...
American League West
1. LA Angels
2. Texas Rangers
3. Oakland A's
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Houston LAstros
This is self explanatory. The Angels have the best overall player in the game, the best pitcher in the AL in my opinion, and these guys called Hamilton and Pujols. Good night division, this is a land slide. I don't see the A's as being a better team as the Rangers, and you know the Rangers are going to make moves at the deadline while the A's owners sit and count their money, so I'm placing them in third. Seattle has a good shot to maybe equal the A's with their new lineup, and they do still have Felix Hernandez, but I'm sticking them in fourth. And the LAstros are last. Because they're the fucking LAstros. But watch out for Bud Norris having an explosive year. Guy has gas...
National League East
1. Washington Nationals
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Atlanta Braves
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins
The Phillies still have a great pitching rotation and are going to hang on for a little bit with their pitching, but I think the Nats are going to edge them out. I see the top 3 teams fighting out for playoff spots the entire year, with the last two being toilet water. But hey, you guys can dream right?
National League Central
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Pitsburg Pirates
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Chicago Cubs
The Cardinals just always seem to find a way to win don't they? Wainwright back leading the charge with an amass of MLB ready starting pitching and a killer bullpen. I just can smell the love from the city of St. Louis. Cincinnati just seems eh to me. I don't see them getting anywhere. But this is the weakest division in baseball, so who knows? And yes, the Pirates will be under .500 for another year in my mind. Don't fool yourself, they're cursed...
National League West
1. San Francisco Giants
2. LA Dodgers
3. San Diego Padres
4. Colorado Rockies
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Giants just have more pitching than the 1956 American League All Star Squad. And while I just pulled out that year out of my asshole, they have Cain, Big Time Timmy-Jim, Vogelsong, Bumgarner, Zito... By far the tops in all of baseball. I still cannot believe that the Dodgers are going to suffer from Toronto Blue Jays syndrome and not mesh together well. I just don't. They can always prove me wrong, but I've seen so many super teams die. I think that their heads are too big for their own good. The last 3 teams in the division are a toss up because they are all toilet water. I'm going with this set up because I don't understand Arizona's offseason moves at all, Padres are young and could go on a streatch, and the Rockies have CarGo and First Aid Troy...
Pretty much overall, like every season, how these teams look now is not how they'll look midseason. Trades will eb made, deals will be struck, game changing injuries will plague contenders and force them into the basement of the division. But that's baseball for ya. Last year I had the Angels winning the world series and the O's 40 games under .500. No one really knows what will happen, but this is the ebst guess I got. Lets see if Im right!
Not trying to second guess your reasoning or picks, but can you tell me why the Dodgers and Blue Jays will suffer from "having talent that won't mesh" but the Angels won't? I don't seem to get that. Also, you offered explanation for why the Yankees and Baltimore finishing below Toronto but I don't see how you put the Red Sox above them. Maybe I'm just missing something.
Nah, it's ok. I'll try to better express myself...
When I see a team like Toronto amass a ton of players through free agency and through trades during an off season, I get a little weary. Especially with a new manager and coaching staff in Toronto's case. People have to adjust to new roles, new lineup order, new philosophy, new team mates. It takes awhile for everything to happen and there are slumps involved. The Miami Marlins were in the same situation last year; amassing a wealth of talent and integrating it with a wealth of proven players. To me, it just seems in Toronto's and the Dodger's case that they are just the same team the Marlins and the Red Sox were last year, just packaged differently. Something obviously didn't work, so I'm hesitant with saying they will this year.
They don't seem to mesh this early in spring training. They don't seem like a team like the Rays or the Cardinals or the Giants do.
The Angels are kind of a different story to me because they've been integrating these members in over time and have a lot of young players to mix in like a Hank Conger or Trumbo or Mike Trout. It's not just an influx of personalities from a failed team repackaged. Maybe the Angels will blow up again. I don't really know. But I have a good feeling about them knowing and executing their rolls.
With the Red Sox...
This team has hands down one of the best bullpens I've ever seen in my life. Last time I checked, Daniel Bard, a 100 MPH gas pump with some amazing years under his belt was expected to start in AAA. With three closers, Uehara, a plethora of lefties, long men, specialists... It's amazing.
Keep in mind too, this team has some healthy parts back. Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz (albit recovering still from injury), Mike Napoli, Shane Victoreno all are very good offensive players. They have the pitching in Lester, Buchholz, Dempster, and a very very slim and athletic looking Lackey. Young players like Will Middlebrooks and Ryan Lavarnway all ready to make an impact on opening day. And a some VERY impressive prospects in the wings looking for their chance. You know the Sox won't be silent at the deadline either, and Red Sox ownership is feeling tons of pressure from fans to make the playoffs since we haven't won a single post season game since 2008 against Tampa and failed to make the playoffs in 10, 11, and 12. Bobby Valentine was crap and fought more with players than worked with them and John Ferrell returns them to a nice, work oriented Terry Francona style.
The team just has a different look an a different feel to it. It's like what is happening in Cleveland, but there actually is pitching and a balanced line up. And not to mention, these players that we acquired like Napoli, Gomes, Victoreno, Dempster, and Hanrahan have all been team first, veteran leaders.
And yes, I'm kind of a Red Sox homer. I know more about them than I do any other team, so I'm biased in my outlook of how I see them. Maybe I'm also just a bit excited and optimistic for how things are looking. But cutting to the facts, we have solid veteran pitching, a solid veteran line up, the best bullpen in the MLB, and a non-jackass manager who won't be trying to fight players and embarrass the Sox.
And I just don't see how New York's old and injured roster with no depth and Baltimore's lack of pitching and acquisitions can out preform them.
People sometimes forget the Red Sox have a very very solid core group of players and don't treat us seriously after the last few seasons... But if you look, we're just as deep and just as talented (if not more so) as Texas, Washington, St Louis and Cleveland...
At least that's my logic.
When I see a team like Toronto amass a ton of players through free agency and through trades during an off season, I get a little weary. Especially with a new manager and coaching staff in Toronto's case. People have to adjust to new roles, new lineup order, new philosophy, new team mates. It takes awhile for everything to happen and there are slumps involved. The Miami Marlins were in the same situation last year; amassing a wealth of talent and integrating it with a wealth of proven players. To me, it just seems in Toronto's and the Dodger's case that they are just the same team the Marlins and the Red Sox were last year, just packaged differently. Something obviously didn't work, so I'm hesitant with saying they will this year.
They don't seem to mesh this early in spring training. They don't seem like a team like the Rays or the Cardinals or the Giants do.
The Angels are kind of a different story to me because they've been integrating these members in over time and have a lot of young players to mix in like a Hank Conger or Trumbo or Mike Trout. It's not just an influx of personalities from a failed team repackaged. Maybe the Angels will blow up again. I don't really know. But I have a good feeling about them knowing and executing their rolls.
With the Red Sox...
This team has hands down one of the best bullpens I've ever seen in my life. Last time I checked, Daniel Bard, a 100 MPH gas pump with some amazing years under his belt was expected to start in AAA. With three closers, Uehara, a plethora of lefties, long men, specialists... It's amazing.
Keep in mind too, this team has some healthy parts back. Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz (albit recovering still from injury), Mike Napoli, Shane Victoreno all are very good offensive players. They have the pitching in Lester, Buchholz, Dempster, and a very very slim and athletic looking Lackey. Young players like Will Middlebrooks and Ryan Lavarnway all ready to make an impact on opening day. And a some VERY impressive prospects in the wings looking for their chance. You know the Sox won't be silent at the deadline either, and Red Sox ownership is feeling tons of pressure from fans to make the playoffs since we haven't won a single post season game since 2008 against Tampa and failed to make the playoffs in 10, 11, and 12. Bobby Valentine was crap and fought more with players than worked with them and John Ferrell returns them to a nice, work oriented Terry Francona style.
The team just has a different look an a different feel to it. It's like what is happening in Cleveland, but there actually is pitching and a balanced line up. And not to mention, these players that we acquired like Napoli, Gomes, Victoreno, Dempster, and Hanrahan have all been team first, veteran leaders.
And yes, I'm kind of a Red Sox homer. I know more about them than I do any other team, so I'm biased in my outlook of how I see them. Maybe I'm also just a bit excited and optimistic for how things are looking. But cutting to the facts, we have solid veteran pitching, a solid veteran line up, the best bullpen in the MLB, and a non-jackass manager who won't be trying to fight players and embarrass the Sox.
And I just don't see how New York's old and injured roster with no depth and Baltimore's lack of pitching and acquisitions can out preform them.
People sometimes forget the Red Sox have a very very solid core group of players and don't treat us seriously after the last few seasons... But if you look, we're just as deep and just as talented (if not more so) as Texas, Washington, St Louis and Cleveland...
At least that's my logic.
The thing with the Blue Jays though is that we aren't a free agent team. We are defined by Jose Bautista, we are his team. Imo I'm going to love the chemistry we have because if a guy like Reyes starts getting prissy, Bautista will have the clubhouse leadership and latin connection to set him straight. Same goes for most of the rest of the clubhouse, they know they're place in the organization. A guy like Dickey I'd have no fears about with chemistry because he's old enough to have been around the league and to understand what he has to do without getting an ego in the way. Regarding the manager, the new manager is the old manager so he fits right back into the organizational culture without much difficulty. Guys like McGowan who were trying to crack the club or who were in the farm system 7-8 years ago are already familiar with him which helps integrate him with the rest of the clubhouse as well.
There's definitely some concern with retooling your roster to such a great extent through free agency and trade but when you have that singular presence that defines your club, as with Bautista, Jeter, etc, there's a much lesser risk of prolonged slumps, dysfunction and so on.
There's definitely some concern with retooling your roster to such a great extent through free agency and trade but when you have that singular presence that defines your club, as with Bautista, Jeter, etc, there's a much lesser risk of prolonged slumps, dysfunction and so on.
@ButteredToast
While I don't agree with the logic in general of meshing, if that's where people want to make their argument from I can understand their perspective at least. Still, I feel as if the one thing you're missing is the quality of the teams surrounding the influx of players, and the amount/quality of the players received. I think in the Toronto situation the talent present originally and the influx is much greater than either the Miami or LA situation you previously mentioned. Granted, I feel as if Toronto still has the most varience due to the injury bug as a whole.
And Stallion, I just don't see how they've dropped off that badly! iono, but to me, it doesn't scream out to be significantly worse. From there, the playoffs are truthfully a crapshoot and I figured why not :P
While I don't agree with the logic in general of meshing, if that's where people want to make their argument from I can understand their perspective at least. Still, I feel as if the one thing you're missing is the quality of the teams surrounding the influx of players, and the amount/quality of the players received. I think in the Toronto situation the talent present originally and the influx is much greater than either the Miami or LA situation you previously mentioned. Granted, I feel as if Toronto still has the most varience due to the injury bug as a whole.
And Stallion, I just don't see how they've dropped off that badly! iono, but to me, it doesn't scream out to be significantly worse. From there, the playoffs are truthfully a crapshoot and I figured why not :P
It's interesting that you both picked the Cardinals over the Reds. I feel that the Reds have one of the best all around teams in baseball. The lineup is solid as long as Votto can stay healthy a full season, as I expect Frazier to produce more than Rolen and Choo will be a improvement over Stubbs in what was an already pretty good offense. And with Choo, if he properly makes the transition to Center the Reds can be great in the field as well. Not to mention the rotation, even if Chapman doesn't handle the switch as well and is forced to return to closer.
I'll admit the Cardinals are good, especially if they end up getting a new shortstop (such as Andrus, which would allow Profar to play every day). But the Reds just seem too well-built. Maybe I'm too persuaded by last years record, though.
Which is unfortunate, as I am a Brewer fan, but I'm really worried about our starting rotation after Gallardo. And don't even talk to me about Axford and the bullpen, but hopefully that picks up with all of the new signings. I will say, though, that I believe we'll finish above the Pirates as long as Braun isn't suspended and Hart's recovery doesn't run into trouble (he's historically a quick healer, though, so I'm not too concerned with that)
I'll admit the Cardinals are good, especially if they end up getting a new shortstop (such as Andrus, which would allow Profar to play every day). But the Reds just seem too well-built. Maybe I'm too persuaded by last years record, though.
Which is unfortunate, as I am a Brewer fan, but I'm really worried about our starting rotation after Gallardo. And don't even talk to me about Axford and the bullpen, but hopefully that picks up with all of the new signings. I will say, though, that I believe we'll finish above the Pirates as long as Braun isn't suspended and Hart's recovery doesn't run into trouble (he's historically a quick healer, though, so I'm not too concerned with that)
Truthfully, I'm probably partially overrating the Cardinals due to the strength of the organisation due to players like Tavares and Miller. Realistically, the two are very good teams, and it's likely to be a coinflip as to who wins and who ends up being a wildcard, imo.
The one to not be overly optimistic about with Choo is that he's not likely to be a good centerfielder, because he was already slowing down a lot as a right fielder.
I think your Brewers will be better or equal to the Pirates. The pirates don't inspire much confidence for a while - their pitching is mediocre (though with help on the way) and they've been a funny example of rapid correction to playing above their abilities recently. It's amazing that even if they were lucky in both of the first halves of the last two seasons, they just quickly crashed down right away.
My personal thoughts on how things end this year
NL East
1. Nationals
2. Braves
3. Mets
4. Phillies
5. Marlins
NL Central
1. Reds
2. Cardinals
3. Brewers
4. Pirates
5. Cubs
NL West
1. Dodgers
2. Giants
3. Diamondbacks
4. Rockies
5. Padres
AL East
1. Blue Jays
2. Rays
3. Orioles
4. Red Sox
5. Yankees
AL Central
1. Tigers
2. Indians
3. Royals
4. White Sox
5. Twins
AL West
1. Angels
2. Athletics
3. Rangers
4. Mariners
5. Astros
NL East
1. Nationals
2. Braves
3. Mets
4. Phillies
5. Marlins
NL Central
1. Reds
2. Cardinals
3. Brewers
4. Pirates
5. Cubs
NL West
1. Dodgers
2. Giants
3. Diamondbacks
4. Rockies
5. Padres
AL East
1. Blue Jays
2. Rays
3. Orioles
4. Red Sox
5. Yankees
AL Central
1. Tigers
2. Indians
3. Royals
4. White Sox
5. Twins
AL West
1. Angels
2. Athletics
3. Rangers
4. Mariners
5. Astros
draft picks are becoming slightly overvalued considering the attrition rate of baseball draft picks, and it ended up being a descent price considering that they got him so late. Milwaukee is stuck in an awkward situation, where they've got a core of players at or leaving their peaks, but they also just aren't that great. There's a chance that something could happen, so you can't blame them for trying, but it requires a lot to go right.
anyways, it's times like this when I was just thinking that why is baseball so archaic? I wanna trade draft picks, guys.
1. Toronto
2. Baltimore
3. Tampa
4. New York
5. Boston
2. Baltimore
3. Tampa
4. New York
5. Boston
1. Detroit
2. Chicago
3. Cleveland
4. Kansas City
5. Minnesota
2. Chicago
3. Cleveland
4. Kansas City
5. Minnesota
1. Los Angeles
2. Oakland
3. Texas
4. Seattle
5. Houston
2. Oakland
3. Texas
4. Seattle
5. Houston
1. Washington
2. Atlanta
3. Philadelphia
4. New York
5. Florida
2. Atlanta
3. Philadelphia
4. New York
5. Florida
1. St Louis
2. Cincinnati
3. Chicago
4. Milwaukee
5. Pittsburgh
2. Cincinnati
3. Chicago
4. Milwaukee
5. Pittsburgh
1. San Francisco
2. Los Angeles
3. Colorado
4. Arizona
5. San Diego
2. Los Angeles
3. Colorado
4. Arizona
5. San Diego
Dodgers are going to crash and burn.
The Yankees' aging roster will finally catch up to them.
Hopefully my Red Sox will start kicking some ass after last year's embarassing season!
The Yankees' aging roster will finally catch up to them.
Hopefully my Red Sox will start kicking some ass after last year's embarassing season!
Nationals 3 @ Angels 3
Bottom 9th, 2 outs, Nationals lead 3-2, Mike Trout on third, Albert Pujols on second. Rafael Soriano throws a 1-2 slider to Josh Hamilton, who smashes it off the right-field fence. Trout scores easily and Pujols barely beats Jayson Werth's throw to Wilson Ramos for an Angels victory
Bottom 9th, 2 outs, Nationals lead 3-2, Mike Trout on third, Albert Pujols on second. Rafael Soriano throws a 1-2 slider to Josh Hamilton, who smashes it off the right-field fence. Trout scores easily and Pujols barely beats Jayson Werth's throw to Wilson Ramos for an Angels victory