Going back to your Royals analysis, i think your spot on. This team can be really solid. Their biggest weakness was their starting staff and its improved immensely. No reason they cant be around .500 if not a little over. Butler is already a solid bat in the middle of the order, if Moustakes and Hosmer live up to some of their potential, and you sprinkle in Gordon, Cain, and Perez this teams offense can really click.
2013 Boston Red Sox- 2012 record 69-93 Home 34-47 Away 35-46 East 26-46 Central 24-16 West 8-24<o
></o>
NL 11-7 O/U 78-77-7 2013 Total wins is set at 84 -140 on under +110 on over at the Greek<o></o>
Odds to win the American League east +500 (Tor +125, TB Rays +300, Yanks +385, and Balt.+850)<o></o>
Odds to win American League Pennant +1000<o></o>
Odds to win World Series +2000<o></o>
Starting Rotation:<o></o>
1. John Lester 9-14 4.82 Coming off a complete nightmare of a 2012 season.<o></o>
2. Clay Buchholz 11-8 4.56 Most consistent starter last year<o></o>
3. Felix Doubront 11-10 4.86 I thought he did very well last year. I watched a lot of his starts and I swear he never got a call. He pitched 161 innings last year and I expect good things from him.<o></o>
4. John Lackey did not play in 2012-returning from Tommy John elbow surgery. 2011 season was awful.<o></o>
5. Ryan Dempster 12-8 3.38 Somewhat of an underrated starter throughout his career.<o></o>
Bullpen:<o></o>
Joel Hanrahan - Closer 36 saves last year with Pirates with a 2.72 ERA. Red Sox expecting big results here.<o></o>
Andrew Bailey- Setup man 1-1 7.04 ERA 15.1 innings pitched last year. Another guy coming back from major surgery, his the reconstructive thumb variety. 2009 American Rookie of the Year.<o></o>
Daniel Bard - 5-6 with a 6.22 ERA. Followed that up in Pawtucket with 3-2 and 7.03 ERA. Tied with John Lester for the 2012 Red Sox Schizophrenia Award.<o></o>
Junichi Tazawa - 1-1 with a 1.43 ERA in 44 innings. I was impressed with this guy last year after I stopped throwing stuff at my tv and watched him pitch.<o></o>
Koji Uehara - Acquired from Texas. 0-0 record. 1.75 ERA in 36 innings. Always liked this guy’s stuff even though he is prone to give up a few home runs.<o></o>
Craig Breslow - 3-0 with 2.70 ERA. Pitched 40 innings with Arizona and 23 for the Red Sox.<o></o>
Andrew Miller - 3-2 3.32 ERA. Will still be looking for Major League control. <o></o>
Chris Carpenter- Only pitched 6 innings for Red Sox last year and 16 for Pawtucket<o></o>
Clayton Mortensen - Pitched 42 innings last year with a 1-1 record and 3.21 ERA<o></o>
Alfredo Aceves - 25 saves last year. Middle relief this year? Occasional starter? Head case for sure.<o></o>
Left Field - Johnny Gomes- .262 18 homers. Solid hitter acquired from Oakland. . David Nava and Mike Carp from Seattle back him and Victorino up.<o></o>
Center Field - Jacoby Ellsbury- .271 4 homers. Still waiting for him to reach potential. Everyone knows what this guy can do. Can he stay healthy? <o></o>
Right Field - Shane Victorino- .255 11 homers. I loved this guy playing for Philly but he certainly has no gaudy numbers. Hope the Red Sox do not regret this pick up.<o></o>
Third Base - Will Middlebrooks- .288 15 homers in 75 games. Loved this kid from the start. Had 70 strike outs which is only offensive complaint. <o></o>
Shortstop - Stephen Drew - .223 7 homers. Played for Arizona and Oakland last year. Back ups are Jose Iglesias and Pedro Ciriaco(who also backs up Middlebrooks at third and Pedroia at second))<o></o>
Second Base - Dustin Pedroia - .290 15 homers. This guy is the real deal. Good stick for a midget and he never, I mean never, boots a ball<o></o>
First Base - Mike Napoli- .227 24 homers. More damaged goods for the Red Sox. Sure he can hit but avascular neucrosis (hip condition) is probably worse than it sounds. I think Texas may have pulled a fast one here. He has never played first base btw.<o></o>
Catcher- Jarrod Saltalamacchia - .222 25 homers. Back up is David Ross an 11 year veteran with a good reputation on defense. These two could make an effective combo. I think Ryan Lavarnway, the Red Sox prospect who got a fair amount of playing time last year will be packing his bags soon.<o></o>
Manager- Bobby Valentine was dismissed by the Red Sox and acquired John Farrell from the Blue Jays. I always liked Farrell as Francona’s pitching coach and all I can say is “see ya Bobby”.<o></o>
Designated Hitter- David Ortiz is signed for two years and 26 mil. Hope his Achilles is healed. He is scheduled to be a go on opening day. Ryan Lavarnway and Mauro Gomez will be available if Big Pappi cannot go.<o></o>
Only two American league teams allowed more runs than the 2012 Red Sox and I am confident that this will improve with help from Dempster, Hanrahan, and Uehara. I also expect John Lester to revert back to being a real number one starter. If Lackey can contribute anything and Buchholz and Doubront perform as expected, they have got to improve dramatically. Unfortunately, after a year like 2012 the question marks seem to weigh on your mind heavier than usual. Ortiz and Nappoli just scare the hell out of me, especially if they cannot play. Hopefully Gomes and Victorino will be doing some heavy mashing at Fenway, Ellsbury will stay healthy and Drew at short will work out. That being said I will throw a small one on the over 84 wins +110 and pray…a lot.
></o>NL 11-7 O/U 78-77-7 2013 Total wins is set at 84 -140 on under +110 on over at the Greek<o
></o>Odds to win the American League east +500 (Tor +125, TB Rays +300, Yanks +385, and Balt.+850)<o
></o>Odds to win American League Pennant +1000<o
></o>Odds to win World Series +2000<o
></o>Starting Rotation:<o
></o>1. John Lester 9-14 4.82 Coming off a complete nightmare of a 2012 season.<o
></o>2. Clay Buchholz 11-8 4.56 Most consistent starter last year<o
></o>3. Felix Doubront 11-10 4.86 I thought he did very well last year. I watched a lot of his starts and I swear he never got a call. He pitched 161 innings last year and I expect good things from him.<o
></o>4. John Lackey did not play in 2012-returning from Tommy John elbow surgery. 2011 season was awful.<o
></o>5. Ryan Dempster 12-8 3.38 Somewhat of an underrated starter throughout his career.<o
></o>Bullpen:<o
></o>Joel Hanrahan - Closer 36 saves last year with Pirates with a 2.72 ERA. Red Sox expecting big results here.<o
></o>Andrew Bailey- Setup man 1-1 7.04 ERA 15.1 innings pitched last year. Another guy coming back from major surgery, his the reconstructive thumb variety. 2009 American Rookie of the Year.<o
></o>Daniel Bard - 5-6 with a 6.22 ERA. Followed that up in Pawtucket with 3-2 and 7.03 ERA. Tied with John Lester for the 2012 Red Sox Schizophrenia Award.<o
></o>Junichi Tazawa - 1-1 with a 1.43 ERA in 44 innings. I was impressed with this guy last year after I stopped throwing stuff at my tv and watched him pitch.<o
></o>Koji Uehara - Acquired from Texas. 0-0 record. 1.75 ERA in 36 innings. Always liked this guy’s stuff even though he is prone to give up a few home runs.<o
></o>Craig Breslow - 3-0 with 2.70 ERA. Pitched 40 innings with Arizona and 23 for the Red Sox.<o
></o>Andrew Miller - 3-2 3.32 ERA. Will still be looking for Major League control. <o
></o>Chris Carpenter- Only pitched 6 innings for Red Sox last year and 16 for Pawtucket<o
></o>Clayton Mortensen - Pitched 42 innings last year with a 1-1 record and 3.21 ERA<o
></o>Alfredo Aceves - 25 saves last year. Middle relief this year? Occasional starter? Head case for sure.<o
></o>Left Field - Johnny Gomes- .262 18 homers. Solid hitter acquired from Oakland. . David Nava and Mike Carp from Seattle back him and Victorino up.<o
></o>Center Field - Jacoby Ellsbury- .271 4 homers. Still waiting for him to reach potential. Everyone knows what this guy can do. Can he stay healthy? <o
></o>Right Field - Shane Victorino- .255 11 homers. I loved this guy playing for Philly but he certainly has no gaudy numbers. Hope the Red Sox do not regret this pick up.<o
></o>Third Base - Will Middlebrooks- .288 15 homers in 75 games. Loved this kid from the start. Had 70 strike outs which is only offensive complaint. <o
></o>Shortstop - Stephen Drew - .223 7 homers. Played for Arizona and Oakland last year. Back ups are Jose Iglesias and Pedro Ciriaco(who also backs up Middlebrooks at third and Pedroia at second))<o
></o>Second Base - Dustin Pedroia - .290 15 homers. This guy is the real deal. Good stick for a midget and he never, I mean never, boots a ball<o
></o>First Base - Mike Napoli- .227 24 homers. More damaged goods for the Red Sox. Sure he can hit but avascular neucrosis (hip condition) is probably worse than it sounds. I think Texas may have pulled a fast one here. He has never played first base btw.<o
></o>Catcher- Jarrod Saltalamacchia - .222 25 homers. Back up is David Ross an 11 year veteran with a good reputation on defense. These two could make an effective combo. I think Ryan Lavarnway, the Red Sox prospect who got a fair amount of playing time last year will be packing his bags soon.<o
></o>Manager- Bobby Valentine was dismissed by the Red Sox and acquired John Farrell from the Blue Jays. I always liked Farrell as Francona’s pitching coach and all I can say is “see ya Bobby”.<o
></o>Designated Hitter- David Ortiz is signed for two years and 26 mil. Hope his Achilles is healed. He is scheduled to be a go on opening day. Ryan Lavarnway and Mauro Gomez will be available if Big Pappi cannot go.<o
></o>Only two American league teams allowed more runs than the 2012 Red Sox and I am confident that this will improve with help from Dempster, Hanrahan, and Uehara. I also expect John Lester to revert back to being a real number one starter. If Lackey can contribute anything and Buchholz and Doubront perform as expected, they have got to improve dramatically. Unfortunately, after a year like 2012 the question marks seem to weigh on your mind heavier than usual. Ortiz and Nappoli just scare the hell out of me, especially if they cannot play. Hopefully Gomes and Victorino will be doing some heavy mashing at Fenway, Ellsbury will stay healthy and Drew at short will work out. That being said I will throw a small one on the over 84 wins +110 and pray…a lot.
A big question mark with KC is they need an ace bad. I'm not sure they have a #2 either. Maybe Davis makes a jump, but I have concerns with Shields now that he is out of TB. Giving up their best prospect for him is really risky also. When was the last time TB got snookered in a trade?
Shields is an Ace. i Agree he may be somewhat of a bust in terms of what they gave up (Wil Myers) but hes a top 30 pitcher even on a bad year. If he pitches up to his potential he can be a top 10-15. I like Wade Davis and Ervin Sanatan, correct their not exactly #2 guys on paper , but they both are capable of pitching up to that level. I think Santana might have a solid year. They've upgraded that staff immensely from last season and their hitting should only further develop and progress.
This is my thoughts on the 2013 Cleveland Indians
Ownership has been going thru some rough times the last few years as this team has looked like a Triple A farm club and than ownership tries to pick up some over the hill guys like Johnny Damon and Derrick Lowe thinking that would help but it backfired in their face.The minor league system is very weak right now except at the shortstop position as some guys will be ready for 2014 or 2015 season so the Dolan ownership which owned STO decided to sell the station to Fox Sports to generate money to rebuild the ball club and decided on going out and spend money on some free agents this year in Nick Swisher,Michael Bourn,Drew Stubbs,and Mark Reynolds to strenghen their weak lineup they had the last few years.So here is what this team should look like this year in the field:
C - Carlos Santana - He complains alot in the clubhouse I heard but with the new additions this year in the lineup I see him having a good year with some pitches to hit now I can see him hitting .285 to .300 with 15-25 Hr's and 75-90 RBI this year.
1st base - Nick Swisher - he is a rah rah guy that came back to Ohio as he played his college ball at Ohio State and is a good clubhouse guy he should hit 20 to 30 Hr's and knock in 85-100 Rbi's this year
2nd base - Jason Kipnis - He has a good glove at 2nd base and can hit 15 Hr's and 65 RBI but tailed off last year and needs to raise his batting average up but good young player and should get better this year.
Shortstop - Asdrubal Cabrera - I think he is a headcase but hearing Francona is working with him this year but he had a bad year last year and needs to turn it around as the shortstops they have in the minors will be here and he will be gone.
3rd base - Lonnie Chisenhall / Mark Reynolds - This is Chisenhall's job to lose as he is expected to have a good year this year i think he is a huge ? mark but we will see what happens here.
DH - Mark Reynolds / Jason Giambi - This is Reynolds spot with a Giambi sighting here in there I think this is a big improvement over that big stiff Hafner they had but this will be like the wind turbines they have at Progressive Field as there will be alot of wiffs but should get some nice production from them.
Outfielders
Michael Brantley - This guy has a nice glove and can hit the baseball and now wont be asked to carry the ball club like last year and expect close to .300 with 15 Hr's and 70 Rbi's
Michael Bourn - This guy has a nice glove covers alot of ground and should lead off for this team I think he should have a great year with alot of SB which this team has lacked in the past few years.
Drew Stubbs - I think this guy strikes out alot and not good in the outfield IMO but we will see what happens with him as Im not high on him
The starting pitching is they key to this team like with every time in baseball with the 5 starters being
Masterson - He has good stuff but gets careless sometimes and i think he bounces back this year I think 13 -16 wins for him
Jimenez - Here is the key to the season for me as this guy had great stuff in Colorado but since he has been here in Cleveland its been all mental and cant locate his pitches. If somehow they worked with him and get his mind back to locate his pitches watch out for this team if not could be another long year here in Cleveland.
Meyers - McAlister - Carrasco -Bauer - Kazmir - Dice K - These are the 6 guys that are battling for the rotation as I think Kasmir has a great chance to make this team and if he can come back and pitch like he did in TB watch out .
Bullpen is the strength of this team with Pestano in the 8th inning and Perez being the closer. Perez has had some some issues this Spring but I think he will be ok this season.
Overall this team IMO is way better than last year and should be better record wise from last season but like I said pitching is the key for them to contend this year my heart says this team could make this a enjoyable season but my head says maybe not so fast.I think they can be just above .500 and say 83-79 but they have the Tigers and Royals to contend with but with some luck who knows what might happen here but Francona is a good manager and these guys will play hard for him and to me the have a fighters chance and thats all you can ask for.
Ownership has been going thru some rough times the last few years as this team has looked like a Triple A farm club and than ownership tries to pick up some over the hill guys like Johnny Damon and Derrick Lowe thinking that would help but it backfired in their face.The minor league system is very weak right now except at the shortstop position as some guys will be ready for 2014 or 2015 season so the Dolan ownership which owned STO decided to sell the station to Fox Sports to generate money to rebuild the ball club and decided on going out and spend money on some free agents this year in Nick Swisher,Michael Bourn,Drew Stubbs,and Mark Reynolds to strenghen their weak lineup they had the last few years.So here is what this team should look like this year in the field:
C - Carlos Santana - He complains alot in the clubhouse I heard but with the new additions this year in the lineup I see him having a good year with some pitches to hit now I can see him hitting .285 to .300 with 15-25 Hr's and 75-90 RBI this year.
1st base - Nick Swisher - he is a rah rah guy that came back to Ohio as he played his college ball at Ohio State and is a good clubhouse guy he should hit 20 to 30 Hr's and knock in 85-100 Rbi's this year
2nd base - Jason Kipnis - He has a good glove at 2nd base and can hit 15 Hr's and 65 RBI but tailed off last year and needs to raise his batting average up but good young player and should get better this year.
Shortstop - Asdrubal Cabrera - I think he is a headcase but hearing Francona is working with him this year but he had a bad year last year and needs to turn it around as the shortstops they have in the minors will be here and he will be gone.
3rd base - Lonnie Chisenhall / Mark Reynolds - This is Chisenhall's job to lose as he is expected to have a good year this year i think he is a huge ? mark but we will see what happens here.
DH - Mark Reynolds / Jason Giambi - This is Reynolds spot with a Giambi sighting here in there I think this is a big improvement over that big stiff Hafner they had but this will be like the wind turbines they have at Progressive Field as there will be alot of wiffs but should get some nice production from them.
Outfielders
Michael Brantley - This guy has a nice glove and can hit the baseball and now wont be asked to carry the ball club like last year and expect close to .300 with 15 Hr's and 70 Rbi's
Michael Bourn - This guy has a nice glove covers alot of ground and should lead off for this team I think he should have a great year with alot of SB which this team has lacked in the past few years.
Drew Stubbs - I think this guy strikes out alot and not good in the outfield IMO but we will see what happens with him as Im not high on him
The starting pitching is they key to this team like with every time in baseball with the 5 starters being
Masterson - He has good stuff but gets careless sometimes and i think he bounces back this year I think 13 -16 wins for him
Jimenez - Here is the key to the season for me as this guy had great stuff in Colorado but since he has been here in Cleveland its been all mental and cant locate his pitches. If somehow they worked with him and get his mind back to locate his pitches watch out for this team if not could be another long year here in Cleveland.
Meyers - McAlister - Carrasco -Bauer - Kazmir - Dice K - These are the 6 guys that are battling for the rotation as I think Kasmir has a great chance to make this team and if he can come back and pitch like he did in TB watch out .
Bullpen is the strength of this team with Pestano in the 8th inning and Perez being the closer. Perez has had some some issues this Spring but I think he will be ok this season.
Overall this team IMO is way better than last year and should be better record wise from last season but like I said pitching is the key for them to contend this year my heart says this team could make this a enjoyable season but my head says maybe not so fast.I think they can be just above .500 and say 83-79 but they have the Tigers and Royals to contend with but with some luck who knows what might happen here but Francona is a good manager and these guys will play hard for him and to me the have a fighters chance and thats all you can ask for.
Might as well add my Astros one, since I wrote in-depth about them in the Astros Win Total thread. Here is that post copied and pasted, with a little additional info:
Houston Astros
Unfortunately, the general public has no clue about the Astros, so I have a feeling a lot of "those" people are going to be on the under of their win total, which is an atrocity. Most people "haven't heard" of a lot of their players because they don't know baseball and just simply go with the generic public perception. Well, here's why you shouldn't just settle for that.
There wasn't a single person who broke down their pitching last year more than I did. And as I continually repeated throughout the season in my daily 600-1,200 word articles, their pitching is incredibly underrated. I won't go on my usual ridiculously long spiel about how good Bud Norris and Lucas Harrell are (Which is something most people would be aware of if they actually watched the games), but yeah, two guys I've followed as close as anyone over the past couple of years (Actually, Norris since 2009 when he debuted) - beat writers included - and they are immensely talented. Jordan Lyles is an interesting study to me because he can be so up-and-down. In other words, this guy looks like a world-class pitcher in the beginning of games (Splendid first-4-innings ERA, if I remember correctly), before completely unraveling as his start goes on. HOWEVER, that is an issue, I feel, that is very correctable, meaning he's someone that can still put it all together and become a solid mid-rotation pitcher. With him, a lot of it is mental, but now having a full year of experience under his belt, perhaps his sophomore season is when he begins to address that pressing issue.
As for the rest of their staff, it's very serviceable. They signed Erik Bedard, a former ace who showed flashes of it last season with Pittsburgh. Philip Humber is someone I believe can still be a pretty good pitcher, and displayed that in stretches last year. Perhaps above all, and this might be the most surprising, I REALLY like Alex White. He was once a highly-regarded prospect (Much like Humber and Harrell, interestingly, back in their old days as much-touted youngsters), and he really hasn't pitched bad thus far in his time in the big leagues. In fact, pitching in Colorado last year, he looked relatively good, even in that shitty situation (Pitching at Coors; And with a 75-pitch count. UGH, what a horrendous managerial philosophy that was). But yeah, I've always liked Alex White and I still think he can be something significant. Furthermore, what about Brad Peacock? Watched him a couple of times at the tail-end of 2011 starting for the Nationals and he showed potential. Perhaps he's ready enough for the club to bring him up early on, which could enable him to post an attainable-for-him low-4's ERA, which would do wonders for Houston. He's got a fine future ahead of him.
So there you go. That's SEVEN starters who all bring something to the table; one with ace-quality stuff if you've seen him pitch at the top of his game (Bud Norris), another who can be a legitimate No. 2 or No. 3 starter and is still developing (Lucas Harrell), and a lot of these other moving parts that are more than capable of carving out their own niche. You can only admit this: Their starting pitching is not bad AT ALL, and a lot of times, that's all you need: quality starting pitching. Seven fine-or-better starting pitchers! (Just realized I didn't mention John Ely, who showed me something in his 2010 tenure with the Dodgers. Maybe he gets a shot at some point? I can definitely see him contributing in some way).
Their bullpen is a huge question mark, I'll say that. Even the "big name" they brought in, Jose Veras, is a suspect option at closing because he's never really done it before as a full-timer. That's a huge variable and certainly something that can backfire. But he does have a nice track record working late in games so hopefully that translates. As for the rest of their bullpen? Highly questionable. Only a couple of decent names with potential (Rhiner Cruz, Xavier Cedeno) or decent options who have been acceptable in the past (Wesley Wright)
Offensively, their lineup isn't necessarily good right now, but it's not like it's awful or without potential. First, let me say this: Trading away Jed Lowrie hurts them significantly on offense, as he showed the tools, when healthy, of becoming one of those Alex Rodriguez/Brandon Phillips-type offensive players in the middle of the infield. But again, that's when healthy, and throughout his young career, he's had a hard time staying on the field. But he's not with them anymore so time to focus on who is...
At least one of the guys they brought in, Chris Carter, can be a monster in the heart of the order, as he has freakish power. I love Carter's potential and think it will be an interesting proposition if he bats ahead of the newly-acquired Carlos Pena, which may ensure that Carter sees excellent pitches at first (Since, relative to Pena, Carter is an unknown, but he's a sleeper of mine coming into the season). Brett Wallace, meanwhile, was finally proving last year that he's an everyday player and could put up an interesting statline in the middle of the order, and the same could be said for the always-underrated Justin Maxwell (Who is also a good leader in the clubhouse), not to mention Jason Castro (A former top prospect catcher who was starting to come on) and JD Martinez (Who has the tools to be a complete outfielder). And of course, you have all-star Jose Altuve, who is one of the better second basemen in the game. Furthermore, there are guys that can break out, such as former top prospect Fernando Martinez. As for depth, I do like Tyler Greene and Matt Dominguez in their roles. Dominguez can ultimately end up doing what Chris Johnson did at third base, or more.
So yeah, if they were in another division, this team is probably easily Over 60 Wins. In this division, it'll be tough, but at the very least, they can be competitive. And therefore, that could be enough. But there are also other variables, like an unknown bullpen and having a first-year manager, which is the case with Bo Porter.
Houston Astros
Unfortunately, the general public has no clue about the Astros, so I have a feeling a lot of "those" people are going to be on the under of their win total, which is an atrocity. Most people "haven't heard" of a lot of their players because they don't know baseball and just simply go with the generic public perception. Well, here's why you shouldn't just settle for that.
There wasn't a single person who broke down their pitching last year more than I did. And as I continually repeated throughout the season in my daily 600-1,200 word articles, their pitching is incredibly underrated. I won't go on my usual ridiculously long spiel about how good Bud Norris and Lucas Harrell are (Which is something most people would be aware of if they actually watched the games), but yeah, two guys I've followed as close as anyone over the past couple of years (Actually, Norris since 2009 when he debuted) - beat writers included - and they are immensely talented. Jordan Lyles is an interesting study to me because he can be so up-and-down. In other words, this guy looks like a world-class pitcher in the beginning of games (Splendid first-4-innings ERA, if I remember correctly), before completely unraveling as his start goes on. HOWEVER, that is an issue, I feel, that is very correctable, meaning he's someone that can still put it all together and become a solid mid-rotation pitcher. With him, a lot of it is mental, but now having a full year of experience under his belt, perhaps his sophomore season is when he begins to address that pressing issue.
As for the rest of their staff, it's very serviceable. They signed Erik Bedard, a former ace who showed flashes of it last season with Pittsburgh. Philip Humber is someone I believe can still be a pretty good pitcher, and displayed that in stretches last year. Perhaps above all, and this might be the most surprising, I REALLY like Alex White. He was once a highly-regarded prospect (Much like Humber and Harrell, interestingly, back in their old days as much-touted youngsters), and he really hasn't pitched bad thus far in his time in the big leagues. In fact, pitching in Colorado last year, he looked relatively good, even in that shitty situation (Pitching at Coors; And with a 75-pitch count. UGH, what a horrendous managerial philosophy that was). But yeah, I've always liked Alex White and I still think he can be something significant. Furthermore, what about Brad Peacock? Watched him a couple of times at the tail-end of 2011 starting for the Nationals and he showed potential. Perhaps he's ready enough for the club to bring him up early on, which could enable him to post an attainable-for-him low-4's ERA, which would do wonders for Houston. He's got a fine future ahead of him.
So there you go. That's SEVEN starters who all bring something to the table; one with ace-quality stuff if you've seen him pitch at the top of his game (Bud Norris), another who can be a legitimate No. 2 or No. 3 starter and is still developing (Lucas Harrell), and a lot of these other moving parts that are more than capable of carving out their own niche. You can only admit this: Their starting pitching is not bad AT ALL, and a lot of times, that's all you need: quality starting pitching. Seven fine-or-better starting pitchers! (Just realized I didn't mention John Ely, who showed me something in his 2010 tenure with the Dodgers. Maybe he gets a shot at some point? I can definitely see him contributing in some way).
Their bullpen is a huge question mark, I'll say that. Even the "big name" they brought in, Jose Veras, is a suspect option at closing because he's never really done it before as a full-timer. That's a huge variable and certainly something that can backfire. But he does have a nice track record working late in games so hopefully that translates. As for the rest of their bullpen? Highly questionable. Only a couple of decent names with potential (Rhiner Cruz, Xavier Cedeno) or decent options who have been acceptable in the past (Wesley Wright)
Offensively, their lineup isn't necessarily good right now, but it's not like it's awful or without potential. First, let me say this: Trading away Jed Lowrie hurts them significantly on offense, as he showed the tools, when healthy, of becoming one of those Alex Rodriguez/Brandon Phillips-type offensive players in the middle of the infield. But again, that's when healthy, and throughout his young career, he's had a hard time staying on the field. But he's not with them anymore so time to focus on who is...
At least one of the guys they brought in, Chris Carter, can be a monster in the heart of the order, as he has freakish power. I love Carter's potential and think it will be an interesting proposition if he bats ahead of the newly-acquired Carlos Pena, which may ensure that Carter sees excellent pitches at first (Since, relative to Pena, Carter is an unknown, but he's a sleeper of mine coming into the season). Brett Wallace, meanwhile, was finally proving last year that he's an everyday player and could put up an interesting statline in the middle of the order, and the same could be said for the always-underrated Justin Maxwell (Who is also a good leader in the clubhouse), not to mention Jason Castro (A former top prospect catcher who was starting to come on) and JD Martinez (Who has the tools to be a complete outfielder). And of course, you have all-star Jose Altuve, who is one of the better second basemen in the game. Furthermore, there are guys that can break out, such as former top prospect Fernando Martinez. As for depth, I do like Tyler Greene and Matt Dominguez in their roles. Dominguez can ultimately end up doing what Chris Johnson did at third base, or more.
So yeah, if they were in another division, this team is probably easily Over 60 Wins. In this division, it'll be tough, but at the very least, they can be competitive. And therefore, that could be enough. But there are also other variables, like an unknown bullpen and having a first-year manager, which is the case with Bo Porter.
New York Mets Preview.
I hat to forecast doom and gloom , but i just dont see much sunshine in the Mets forecast this year.
IF (and that's a big If) Johan Santana (who's scheduled to earn 25 mil this year) can stay healthy , the Mets rotation doesn't look too bad on paper with Shaun Marcum joining Jonathon Niese , Dillon Gee , and young power hurler Matt Harvey. ... But , can Santana stay healthy ?
Then of course the Mets have David Wright one of the best players in the game , but outside of that i just dont see much to be excited about.
Projected Lineup
1B : Ike Davis .... A pure power hitter who had 32 homers and 90 rbi last year. Weak against lefites though.
2B: Daniel Murphy .... a decent hitiing 2nd baseman , .291 ba last year with 61 runs scored.
ss : Ruben Tejada ... didnt see much playing time last year , will likely be the leadoff hitter so he needs to make things happen.
3B : David Wright ... should be counted on to hit .300 , have 20+ homers , and near 100 rbi.
C : John Buck / Travis d'Arnaud ....d'Arnaud is the catcher of the future for the mets , but i expect capable veteran John Buck to see most of the playing time in the early going , then he may become trade bait later in the season.
LF : Lucas Duda ... a capable bat handler , but only hit .239 last year and was slumping most of the 2nd half.
CF : Kirk Nieuwenhuis ... coming off his rookie season he needs to really pick it up against lefties where he was very weak last year.
RF: Mike Baxter ... only had 179 ab last year , not real sure what to expect.
- Projected starting rotation-
Johan Santana : B/C of how his contract was structured he's due a little over 25 million this year. ... JOY !
Jonothan Niese : He won 13 games last year and had his career low era at 3.40.
Shaun Marcum : Could be a nice fit to the rotation with his off speed prowess.
Matt Harvey : The Mets hope Harvey is the future "ace" of the franchise , a power pitcher that should fit well going either before or after Marcum.
Dillon Gee .... missed a large chunk of last year with a blood clot , certainly not the worst #5 man in the league.
... The good news for the Mets is that they're in the same division as the Marlins so they probably won't be the celler dweller , but i cant see much other hope.
I project 4th place in the NL east with 70-75 wins.
lol , i always forget the pig pens. ... Frank Francisco should have closer duties , he did save 20 last year despite an era of over 5. Bobby Parnell should handle the bulk of the set-up duties.
I hat to forecast doom and gloom , but i just dont see much sunshine in the Mets forecast this year.
IF (and that's a big If) Johan Santana (who's scheduled to earn 25 mil this year) can stay healthy , the Mets rotation doesn't look too bad on paper with Shaun Marcum joining Jonathon Niese , Dillon Gee , and young power hurler Matt Harvey. ... But , can Santana stay healthy ?
Then of course the Mets have David Wright one of the best players in the game , but outside of that i just dont see much to be excited about.
Projected Lineup
1B : Ike Davis .... A pure power hitter who had 32 homers and 90 rbi last year. Weak against lefites though.
2B: Daniel Murphy .... a decent hitiing 2nd baseman , .291 ba last year with 61 runs scored.
ss : Ruben Tejada ... didnt see much playing time last year , will likely be the leadoff hitter so he needs to make things happen.
3B : David Wright ... should be counted on to hit .300 , have 20+ homers , and near 100 rbi.
C : John Buck / Travis d'Arnaud ....d'Arnaud is the catcher of the future for the mets , but i expect capable veteran John Buck to see most of the playing time in the early going , then he may become trade bait later in the season.
LF : Lucas Duda ... a capable bat handler , but only hit .239 last year and was slumping most of the 2nd half.
CF : Kirk Nieuwenhuis ... coming off his rookie season he needs to really pick it up against lefties where he was very weak last year.
RF: Mike Baxter ... only had 179 ab last year , not real sure what to expect.
- Projected starting rotation-
Johan Santana : B/C of how his contract was structured he's due a little over 25 million this year. ... JOY !
Jonothan Niese : He won 13 games last year and had his career low era at 3.40.
Shaun Marcum : Could be a nice fit to the rotation with his off speed prowess.
Matt Harvey : The Mets hope Harvey is the future "ace" of the franchise , a power pitcher that should fit well going either before or after Marcum.
Dillon Gee .... missed a large chunk of last year with a blood clot , certainly not the worst #5 man in the league.
... The good news for the Mets is that they're in the same division as the Marlins so they probably won't be the celler dweller , but i cant see much other hope.
I project 4th place in the NL east with 70-75 wins.
lol , i always forget the pig pens. ... Frank Francisco should have closer duties , he did save 20 last year despite an era of over 5. Bobby Parnell should handle the bulk of the set-up duties.
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Nice writeups on Mets and Stros. Astros payroll will be just over $20m. They are just going to be an awful team. I can't imagine playing the angels, rangers, seattle, and oakland is going to do them any favors either. I'm not taking under 60, but I will do my best to not watch an astros game if at all possible.
