2010 MLB Preview - Old, Familiar Territory

PROJECTED AL WILD CARD STANDINGS:
(Top five contenders only)

1. Boston Red Sox

2. Chicago White Sox
3. Texas Rangers
4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
5. Tampa Bay Rays


Last season, a good arguement could have been made that the Yankees were the best team in baseball, followed by the Phillies, with the Red Sox in third. With their offseason moves, Boston may have moved in to second. This could be the last time thats true for a while, unless they do something about their declining players and get younger in center. The White Sox, Rangers, and Angels may all put up a fight, but the Red Sox are the clear frony-runner here. The Rays make it in at #5 thanks to feasting on Toronto and Baltimore in their division, while getting beat down by Boston and the Yankees.

2010 MLB Preview - The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

PROJECTED AL EAST STANDINGS:

1. New York Yankees

2. Boston Red Sox
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles


After a start to last season that had them looking like they may be out of the playoffs, the Yankees ended up the only 100 game winner, and won their 27th World Series. They cut out their older position players, traded away the sometimes underacheiving Melky Cabrera, and brought in Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson to fill their spaces. They still have a hole in left, but when you only have one hole on your roster, you're in pretty good shape. The Red Sox made a lot of changes to a team that was good enough for the Wild Card last season. Most of them are solid moves, like signing Marco Scutaro and John Lackey, but I have to question the wisdom of putting a 37-year-old Mike Cameron, with a history of injuries, into the cavernous center field at Fenway. It could be a concern in a late season push. The Rays had their run at a title, and they lost to the Phillies. They may contend this year, but they don't have the overall depth and ability to win in the AL East. The Central or West, maybe, but not the East. The only shakeup in the divison could be at the bottom. Loses of Scutaro and Roy Halladay will really hurt the Jays, and the Orioles have some up and coming players from the minors that could pay off. I'm thinking it won't until next year, but anything can happen.

2010 MLB Preview - No Single Game Playoff This Season!

PROJECTED AL CENTRAL STANDINGS:

1. Minnesota Twins

2. Chicago White Sox
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Cleveland Indians
5. Kansas City Royals


The Twins barely pulled out this division last season, winning a play-in game against the Tigers. This year, they should win it outright, but not by much. Last season's roster is mostly intact, and the players they brought in are more for leadership and role playing, rather than trying to bring in a big name player to push them over the top. It will win them the division, but probably won't get them anywhere in the playoffs. The White Sox are the Central's most improved team. Unfortunately, most of their improvement could easily sink the team. JJ Putz, Andrew Jones, and Omar Vizquel are all risky signings. They keep the Sox in contention, but won't win them any titles. The Tigers continue to try to pretend that the local economy isn't hurting the team. They give up Curtis Granderson, then sign over-the-hill Johnny Damon to replace him. They bring in young, cheap, untested players. This year is probably going to begin a down cycle for the team, so don't expect them in the playoffs the next few years. And at the bottom, the Indians and Royals continue to do what they do best lately: not a whole lot.

2010 MLB Preview - This is Seattle's Year. Really.

PROJECTED AL WEST STANDINGS:

1. Seattle Mariners

2. Texas Rangers
3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
4. Oakland A's


Last season, a lot of people picked the Mariners to win the AL West. A quick glance at their roster would have told anyone with a brain that, while the team had some excellent hitters, they had no pitching. This offseason, they added Cliff Lee as their new ace, and brought in even more speed by signing Chone Figgins from the Angels. The loss of Figgins, as well as losing P John Lackey to the Red Sox, significantly weakens the team, dropping them to third. The Rangers made some decent offseason moves, but none of them add up to a division title. The A's took some risks in their free agent signings, bringing in the likes of Ben Sheets, Justin Duchscherer, and Jack Cust, all hit-or-miss, and I don't see them paying off overall.

2010 MLB Preview - Wild, Wild West

PROJECTED STANDINGS:
(Top five contenders only)

1. San Francisco Giants

2. Atlanta Braves
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Florida Marlins
5. Cincinnati Reds


The NL Central may be the toughest division, but that isn't good for Wild Card possibilities. With all the teams there winning at home, it dilutes the records of the rest of the division. They may all be good teams, but that hurts their chances when put against an equally good team in a weaker division. The Giants and Braves have the best chances of taking the fourth playoff spot, due to their opponents. While the Braves have to face a Marlins team on the rise and the NL's best team, the Phillies, the Giants will be able to take advantage of the falling Dodgers, the lowly Padres, and the not-quite-there-yet Diamondbacks.

2010 MLB Preview - The NL East Still Belongs to the Phillies

PROJECTED STANDINGS:

1. Philadelphia Phillies

2. Atlanta Braves
3. Florida Marlins
4. New York Mets
5. Washington Nationals


The Phillies didn't really do anything to improve this offseason, but they didn't need to. The deal that got them Roy Halladay and sent Cliff Lee to Seattle is pretty much an even trade, and with how weak the East has become, its enough to keep them in first. The Braves and Marlins both made some nice additions in the offseason, but neither did enough to put up much of a fight. The Marlins may be overvalueing their home-grown talent. If they can stay in second place instead of dropping to third, they're probably doing the right things. The Mets probably won't be competetive this year, even if they stay healthy. Without a first baseman, it's kinda hard to beat the back-to-back NL Champions. The Nats picked up Steven Stroudsburgh, and while he may be the future of MLB pitching, he'll start the season in the minors. Even if he was in the majors, he can't pitch every game.

2010 MLB Preview - Central Probably the NL's Toughest

PROJECTED STANDINGS:

1. St Louis Cardinals

2. Chicago Cubs
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Houston Astros
5. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Pittsburgh Pirates


In my opinion, everyone but he Pirates has a shot at winning the NL Central. The reason is partly due to the fact the every team in the division was one game below .500 or better at home last season. That should help make this a close race. The Cards won it last season, and now they have Mark McGwire as hitting coach, Matt Holliday for a full season, and Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter remaining in the rotation. The Cubs didn't hurt their chances coming in, but they didn't help them either. Cutting ties with Milton Bradley was a good move, but bringing in Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady won't exactly put them over the top. The Reds stayed mostly the same. Their big acqusition, Cuban P Aroldis Chapman, has already shown signs of being a problem, leaving a Spring Training game with back stiffness. His control hasn't exactly been perfect, either. Meanwhile, the Astros and Brewers did what small-market teams usually do: sign cheap players nobody else wants and hopes for the best. Both teams have talent, and could be competitive for most of the season, but will fall to nonfactors down the stretch.

2010 MLB Preview - The NL West Gets Weaker

PROJECTED STANDINGS:

1. Colorado Rockies

2. San Francisco Giants
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. San Diego Padres


The Rockies ended last season right on the heals of the Dodgers, and almost pulled out the Division title. In the offseason, they lost Yorvit Torrealba, but added Miguel Olivo to take his place. They largely kept the rest of the team intact. Below them, the Giants added some strong talent to go along with Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and could contend this year. After that, it looks like a car wreck in progress. The Dodgers and Padres are both hamstrung by the divorces of their owners, and neither added much talent in the offseason. The Diamondbacks added youth to a team on the way up. They probably won't do much this season, but could be a spoiler down the stretch and will most likely keep improving every year.

Wednesday Morning News - 12/23/09

Serena Williams has been voted 2009 AP Female Athlete of the Year, her second time winning the award. [TennisEarth.com]

Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh is the 2009 AP College Football Player of the Year, and is the first defensive player to win the award. [LA Times]

Major League Baseball and the World Umpires Association have agreed to a five-year labor deal to keep their umpires working. [Forbes]

The proposed Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight is said to be "in jeopardy" after Pacquiau refused to submit to blood tests within 30 days of the fight. [MLive.com]

Hot Stove Roundup - Blockbuster!

The Trades section is being moved to the front this week because, well, yeah:

Trades:
The big news of the week is, of course, the Lee/Hallady deal. It's a big trade, involving four teams and eight players changing hands. First, a look at who went where:

Tuesday Morning News - 12/15/09

The NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox will be the opening game of the 2010 season, playing at Fenway Park on April 4th. [Yankees.com]

The NFL is planning on holding two games in London next season and already has two teams who have agreed to be the home team. [BBC]

Houston Rockets F Trevor Ariza has been suspended one game for attempting to elbow Toronto's DeMar DeRozan. [Houston Chronicle]

A Belgian court has suspended the one-year anti-doping bans of tennis players Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse, citing administrative errors. [ABC Grandstand Sport]

Hot Stove Roundup - Thoughts on the Winter Meetings

It was a crazy week, as pretty much every team and baseball agent was in Indianapolis for the MLB Winter Meetings:

Free Agency:
This seems like a great year for aging catchers! Hot on the heels of last weeks signing of Gregg Zaun comes the signings of Jason Kendall and Ivan Rodriguez to two-year deals. Both players are going to teams that haven't made the playoffs in years and expect to win. Rodriguez will most likely be a backup for the Nationals, but Kendall is expected to be the regular catcher for the Royals next year. Maybe the Royals are hoping he'll bounce back for them after he had a career low in batting average(.241) and slugging(.305). His 134 games played is also his lowest in 10 years. Well, at least the Royals are trying to do something in free agency for once.

Friday Morning News - 12/11/09

Atlanta Falcons DT Jonathan Babineaux was arrested and charged with marijuana possession after over an once was found on him during a traffic stop. [ESPN]

Barry Bonds's agent Jeff Borris says the sluggers career is over after he has been unable to find a team to sign him since the end of the 2007 season. [MLB.com]

University of Cincinnati head football coach Brian Kelly is leaving the school to take over at Notre Dame. He will not coach Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl. [Chicago Tribune]

Hot Stove Roundup - Free Agency Heating Up

Finally, with Winter Meetings about to start, some moves are being made:

Free Agency:
The big winners this past week were the teams of the NL East. For starters, the Phillies signed C Brian Schneider and Placido Polanco, who is expected to play third next season. The Schneider signing is more about taking away an asset, as he was signed from the Mets. He is expected to back up Carlos Ruiz, but other than their differences in age, their pretty much interchangeable. Neither will give big offensive numbers, but on the Phillies lineup, they don't really have to. The Polanco deal is a much better signing. He is a huge improvement over Pedro Feliz, and has a history in Philly, where he had career high in homers in 2003 and 2004 before being traded mid-season in 2005. His career +.300 batting average and .348 on-base will fit right in the lineup.

Wednesday Morning News - 12/2/09

FSU head football coach Bobby Bowden has announced he will retire following FSU's upcoming bowl appearance. [SI.com]

The Philadelphia Eagles extended the contract of TE Brent Celek. [Delaware Online]

Florida DE Carlos Dunlap has been suspended indefinitely after being arrest for drunk driving. He will miss at least the SEC Championship Game against Alabama. [Palm Beach Post]

Michigan State has suspended eight members of its football team who are believed to have taken part in an assault in campus dormitory. [Detroit News]

Washington Capitals F Alexander Ovechkin has been suspended 2 games for a knee-to-knee hit on Carolina Hurricanes D Tim Gleason. [NY Times Slap Shot]

The NHL has approved the sale of the Montreal Canadiens to the Molson family. [National Post]

Former NY Yankee Tommy Henrich, the first player to hit a walk-off home run in the World Series and the last surviving teammate of Lou Gehrig, has died at the age of 96. [

Tuesday Morning News - 12/1/09

Derek Jeter has been named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. He is the first Yankee to receive the award. [MLB.com]

Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis hass been fired after five season at the school. [Bloomberg]

Danica Patrick has signed a 3-year extension to stay with Andretti Autosports through 2012. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Massachusetts has approved a bill to regulate mixed martial arts in the state. UFC is expected to hold their first event their in the summer of 2010. [MMAFrenzy.com]

The Sunday News - 11/29/09

Week 13 college football upsets: Georgia 30 - No 7 Georgia Tech 24, West Virginia 19 - No 9 Pitt 16, Oklahoma 21 - No 12 Oklahoma State 0, South Carolina 34 - No 18 Clemson 17, NC State 28 - No 24 UNC 27, Mississippi State 41 - No 25 Ole Miss 27 [ESPN]

MLB commisioner Bud Selig plans on stepping down when his contract runs out after the 2012 season. [MLB.com]

Orlando Magic SF Matt Barnes has been fined $20,000 for tossing a ball into the stands after a game against the Miami Heat. Barnes will appeal. [Orlando Sentinel]

Buffalo Sabres F Patrick Kaleta has been suspended 2 games after a hit on Philadelphia Flyers Jared Ross. [USA Today]

Colorado Avalanche F David Jones will mis 4-6 months with a torn ACL. [Denver Post]

Louisville head football coach Steve Kragthorpe has been fired after going 15-21 in three seasons with the school. [Pittsburgh Tribune Review]

Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo broke the schools record for wins by beating Massachusetts, 106-68. It was his 341st win with the program. [MLive.com]

Hot Stove Roundup - Rumors and Signings

Its been a week, and not much has happened in free agency. The high-profile players are still out there, but some needs are being filled:

Free Agency:
The Toronto Blue Jays signed SS Alex Gonzalez to a one-year deal with a club option for 2011. One has to wonder what exactly the Jays plans are with this signing. Compared to Marco Scutaro, their previous SS, Gonzalez is a downgrade. With Scutaro eligible to be a free agent but waiting on an arbitration offer, the Jays may not be expecting to get him back. This would be a huge blow for the organization, as Scutaro is coming off a year where he had career highs in almost every offensive category. The only real advantage Gonzalez has is age, as he is 2 years younger than Scutaro. With Gonzalez now signed and Scutaro expected to play elswhere, the Red Sox and Dodgers look like his most likely landing spots.

Wednesday Morning News - 11/25/09

NL MVP: 1B Albert Pujols(STL) [MLB.com]

Jim Bates has been demoted from defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coach Raheem Morris will take over his play-calling duties. [Miami Herald]

Washington Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray is expected to be named head coach of the University of Memphis football team. [Washington Examiner]

Abe Pollin, owner of the Washington Wizards, has died at the age of 85. [Washington Post]

Tuesday Morning News - 11/24/09

AL MVP: C Joe Mauer(MIN) [MLB.com]

Montreal Canadiens F Geroges Laraque has been suspended 5 games for a knee-to-knee hit on Detroit Red Wings D Niklas Kronwall. [Detroit Free Press]

Lorena Ochoa has won her fourth consecutive LPGA Player of the Year title. [USA Today]

Northeastern University will be ending their football program after 74 years, due to the costs of fielding a competitive team. [Berkshire Eagle]