Erik Bedard joins the Red Sox

 

At today’s trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox acquired left hander Erik Bedard from the Seattle Mariners in a three team deal. When healthy, Bedard is one of the most dominant pitchers in the MLB. A high strikeout pitcher, Bedard is going to be a solid back of the rotation guy for the American League East leading Red Sox down the stretch. In 2011 Bedard is 4-7 with a 3.45 ERA in 16 starts with Seattle. Bedard’s a risk, but one Theo Epstein and the Red Sox were willing to make.

 

Darren

AL first half stars

With the All Star break just a couple days away, we’re going to take a look at the American League’s first half stars:

 

Coming into the season one of the biggest acquistions in the last decade was Adrian Gonzalez going to the Boston Red Sox and he was probably the most watched coming in. Well he has been better than advertised. Gonzalez is currently leading with a .355 avg and 77 RBI while hitting 17 home runs. Definately an MVP contendor, Gonzalez has great numbers in the first half and shows no signs of slowing down in the second half.

Joey Bautista a.k.a Joey Bats of the Toronto Blue Jays, has been better than last seasons 54 homer breakout. Joey Bats has smacked 29 home runs (Leading the Majors), hit .330 trailing only Gonzalez, and has an OPS of 1.150. Bautista is on a tear and has every pitcher worried about seeing him in the batters box. Bautista will continue to smash homers and be an MVP contendor at the end of the year.

 

 

Justin Verlander… What can be said about this guy? Verlander has been thorwing unhittable pitch after unhittable pitch all season long so far for the Detroit Tigers. Verlander has an 11-4 record, a 2.26 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 138 K’s and 4 complete games, including his second career no-hitter. In June alone, Verlander went 6-0 with a 0.92 ERA with a 54:6 K:BB ratio. Definately a Cy Young contendor, Verlander will more than likely continue to dominate the rest of the year and we’ll be talking about him in the MVP race.

 

These three were the biggest stars in the American League for the first half and all are going to continue captivating fans all over the world. Look for all three to be in the MVP race at season’s end.

 

Darren

2011 AL Cy Young prediction

In 2011 there will be many contendors for the American League Cy Young Award. Reigning winner, Seattle’s Felix Hernandez, will definately be looking to go back to back along with guys like Justin Verlander, C.C Sabathia, David Price and the one man who I believe will reign supreme over them all… The Boston Red Sox lefty Jon Lester. Over the past three years, Lester has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the Major Leagues, posting a 50-23 record, 3.28 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and striking out 225 batters in back to back seasons. Lester is primed to take that next step from frontline pitcher to ace and in my opinion will win this years award.

 Lester keeps the ball in the park and racks up the punch outs all while winning big games for his squad. The main area of concern is Lester’s walk total from last year (83). This was a factor of Lester doind too much to ensure an out instead of just going for the out. Being a young pitcher that is something that will pop up in power pitchers but Lester has worked this offseason at being even more aggressive to hitters, a scary thought for guys standing in the batters box. It will hopefully be another great season for pitching but I believe Lester is the main man to watch as he is my pick for the award in 2011.

Darren

Adrian Gonzalez headed to Boston

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5882356

Early Saturday morning, the San Diego Padres agreed in principle to deal star First Baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox for four prospects, including Carlos Beltran’s cousin Reymond Fuentes. This move makes alot of sense for both sides. The Padres are coming off a suprise playoff contending season but knew Gonzalez probably wouldn’t sign long term, and the Red Sox, who missed the playoffs, needed a boost in their lineup. The move for Gonzalez will put All-Star Kevin Youkilis at 3rd, while all but closing the door on resigning Adrian Beltre. Now having Gonzalez, Youkilis and Pedroia all in the lineup and infield, it gives a significant boost to a squad determined to get back atop the AL East. If they can make a move to sign Carl Crawford, then Boston will be the favorites to not only win the AL East, but win the World Series next season.

Darren

Ken Griffey Jr retires

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5244661

One of the greatest baseball players of all-time, “The Kid” Ken Griffey Jr. retired after 22 Major League seasons, spent with the Seattle Mariners, Cincinatti Reds and Chicago White Sox. Juniour Griffey amassed 630 career home runs, the 1997 American League MVP award, 10 Gold Glove awards (1990-1999) and the biggest “What if?” question in that being, “What if Griffey never got hurt?” Griffey was arguably the most dangerous hitter of this era and the most unluckiest. A sure first ballot Hall of Famer, Griffey should be a unanimous choice and will go in having done everything in the game except for winning a ring. Thanks for the memories Junior.

Darren

My American League picks

First off i’m going to start off with the AL East due to the fact my favorite team resides there. This year will look alot different with fresh faces, but the same with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees battling it out for the top spot. For the Red Sox, it will be not only a case of getting back to the top of the division, but also getting new and familiar faces mixed back in the picture. With Victor Martinez in his first full season with the team, and newcomers Marco Scutaro, Mike Cameron, and Jeremy Hermida, the team will look to offset the loss of Left Fielder Jason Bay (to the Mets). For the Yankees, the losses off Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, they will look to Curtis Granderson to pick up the slack. The other teams in the division, the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Rays, they will put up valiant efforts but in the end I believe only the Rays will come within 6 games of the two giants of the division. I believe the Red Sox come out on top for the main reason being pitching depth. With Josh Beckett and Jon Lester already entrenched in as Cy Young candidates, the Red Sox added John Lackey to the mix (a #1 on many other teams) and have young stud Clay Buchholz as well in the rotation. Top that off with either Tim Wakefield or Dice-K and you have a lethal rotation, not to add Papelbon, Ramirez, Bard and Delcarmen in the bullpen. The Yankees do have Javier Vazquez, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, but, questions with Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain I believe make the gap between the teams an extreme one.

In the AL Central, my original choice, the Minnesota Twins, lost closer Joe Nathan to injury and therefore lost in my opinion their biggest advantage over the competition. I think each team inproved in the offseason, even the lowly Royals and Indians, and this race will be a close and exciting one. The White Sox will have perennial Cy Young candidate Jake Peavy for the whole year, as well as 30-30 threat Alex Rios. The Tigers added Johnny Damon, and are shaping up to add an ace without making a transaction as Dontrelle Willis has looked outstanding this Spring. The Twins did add vets Jim Thome and Orlando Hudson and should will be in the race, but i’m goin with the Tigers to win the AL Central based on their explosive offense as well as what could be a top 5 pitching staff, especially if Dontrelle returns to form.

Finally, in the AL West, the perennial favorites, the Angels, took big hits in the offseason and didn’t seem to counter them with big moves. Losing Chone Figgins to the rival Seattle Mariners, John Lackey to Boston, Vlad Guerrero to the rival Rangers, and also lost a couple non major parts. They did add Hideki Matsui who could turn out to be a bargain, but I don’t think they did enough to keep their status as the favorites. Now the Seattle Mariners on the other hand did. By adding Chone Figgins, the Mariners have the fastest 1-2 punch in the Major Leagues. Ichiro and Figgins can both steal 50 bases and hit .300 which will be huge for guys like newly added Milton Bradley, Ken Griffey Jr and Jose Lopez. The Mariners have a well rounded lineup and will look to jump out early on teams to win ballgames. With a deadly combo of Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee atop their rotation, this team has the favorites tag entering the 2010 season. The Rangers will be competing for the AL West crown as well. With the addition on 35 yr old Guerrero, the team gets an aging star who can still hit for power and someone who is patient enough to hit in the middle on the lineup with Josh Hmailton, Nelson Cruz and Michael Young. The biggest question with the Rangers, as always, is the pitching staff. Rich Harden was a nice addition, but will he give them more than 20-22 starts? Will CJ Wilson be able to adjust into being a solid starter? For those reason I believe they will once again falter late in the season and come up short in their efforts to win the AL West. I have the Mariners winning in a tight race.

My Picks look as such: AL West: Seattle Mariners AL Central: Detroit Tigers AL East: Boston Red Sox AL Wild Card: Yankees over Twins

Darren

Tigers All-Star 1B Cabrera has put the alcohol down

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2010/news/story?id=4956736

All-Star 1B Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers has been known to smack fastballs out the park,play solid defense, help lead the team to victories and drink alot of alcohol. Wait, WHAT? Something didnt fit in there. Oh but did it ever fit in for Cabrera. A known drinker, Cabrera had an awkward twist to the end of his 2009 season. Hours before his team was to face the Twins in a 163rd game to decide the AL Central champ, Cabrera was arrested for after having an argument with his wife and was drunk, with a blood alcohol level of 0.26, three times the legal limit. Then not even a full day later, Cabrera went 0-4 and stranded six runners in a loss to the Twins, ending his and his teammates seasons simultaneously. Now preparing for the 2010 MLB season, Cabrera has made it known to the media,his teammates and fans that he no longer drinks alcohol. This is a huge step forward for the All-Star, as now he’ll have nothing holding him back. Cabrera has posted a career .311 avg with 209 home runs in six season in the league. This year look for “Miggy C” to take it to another level and compete for a Triple Crown the way another All-Star first baseman does annualy (cough,cough,Albert Pujols). I project a line of .330/40/130 for Cabrera in a monster season, possibly MVP season, because he feels he has something to prove.

Darren

AL Rookie of the Year preview

In the American League there have been many rookies who have posted up solid numbers so far. Some have been hyped more than ohers (i.e Wieters over Bailey), but, just like baseball itself random things happen. Now we’ll take a look at some of the Rookie of the Year candidates in the American League.

Matt Wieters-C,Baltimore: The most hyped rookie coming into the season, Wieters hasnt lived up to his expectations yet. In 45 games Wieters has a line of .269 avg .316 OBP .375 SLG .691 OPS 3 HR 14 RBI 31:11 K:BB in 160 AB. Wieters will be in the hunt but with his lack of power at the moment its hard to see him winning the award.

Elvis Andrus-SS,Texas: Now many people will disagree with Andrus being included but in my opinion he is a top 5 candidate. He is only hitting .269 with 4 HR and 19RBI in 288 AB, but he has 20 SB and has helped solidify the Texas middle infield. He wont win the award due to his lack of offensive numbers but still Andrus is a top 5 candidate in my opinion and quite a few others.

Gordon Beckham-3B, White Sox: In my opinion the leading candidate for the award, Beckham has benn nothing but solid since an early slump. He has the most RBI for an AL rookie and has a line of .316 AVG .376 OBP .503 SLG .879 OPS 6 HR 38 RBI 4 SB in 187 AB. I think Beckham will end up winning the award but theres still alot of baseball left.

Andrew Bailey-P, Oakland A’s: Probably the biggest suprise rookie this season, Bailey came out of nowhere to grab the closer role in Oakland and has been very good. In 46 games, Bailey has tossed 61 innings with a 4-3 record,14/18 saves/save opportunity 2.21 ERA 1.02 WHIP 69:22 K:BB. Bailey might not win due to Oakland being pathetic but Bailey has had a solid season.

Ricky Romero-P, Blue Jays: After not posting stellar numbers in the minors, Ricky Romero has jumped in the Toronto rotation and been very solid for them. In 17 starts Romero has thrown 109.2 innings and has a line of 10-4 3.53 ERA 1.38 WHIP 87:42 K:BB. Romero does have a high WHIP but even if its lowered its still hard to see him finish higher than 2nd in the voting.

Darren

MLB All-Star Predictions

As many of you know the All-Star break is coming up and voting ends tomorrow for the MLB All-Star game. No longer is the game a glorified exhibition game as it now determines home-field advantage for the World Series. We have compiled our list of players we think will make the team as well as have another blog coming after the rosters are picked to talk about snubs and who should/shouldnt be starting.

Starting with the American League we begin with the Catcher position. This year there are a couple of guys swingin the bat well but I believe Joe Mauer will be the starter. Currently in 1st by over 1.4 million votes (over Jason Varitek), Mauer is very deserving of  starting as he has contributed in all areas for the Twins.

At 1st Base its a little more interesting. Kevin Youkilis and Mark Teixeira are the top vote getters but you could make a case for both Miguel Cabrera and Justin Morneau. I think Youkilis gets the nod for the start as he has been more consistent this season, while Tex has been up and down.

At 2nd its a four man race when, in reality, it should be a three man race (no offense to Robinson Cano fans). Ian Kinsler is tops in votes and started out on a tear, and Dustin Pedroia has been solid, but Aaron Hill should be 1st in votes, not 4th. This is one case where I would argue that fan voting is ridiculous. Aaron Hill has the best numbers and deserves to be starting but, due to playing in Canada, he will get relegated to a “backup” role. I think Pedroia will get voted in as the starter because of the Fenway following.

Not much to really say about Shortstop this year. Derek Jeter in recent years hasnt deserved to be there, but with him and Jason Bartlett being the only two that have made big contributions, and Bartlett missing a couple weeks, I think Jeter actually earns the starting spot he will receive.

At 3rd we have Evan Longoria torching the competition in votes, as he should be. He has had a solid season up to this point and deserves to be starting. As big of an ARod fan as I am, I in no way shape or form think he belongs #2 in votes. Inge and Lowell both belong above him, and if ARod gets in the All-Star game, I think he should sit it out.

In the outfield the usual suspect is in the top three in votes, #2 to be exact…Ichiro Suzuki. Will this guy ever slow down? I’d say no. He’s the best hitter in the game since Tony Gwynn and the best fielder since a prime Ken Griffey Jr. Once again he will be starting and he belongs there. Jason Bay is first in votes and he belongs there as well. My prediction for the 3rd outfielder is Torii Hunter who is currently in 4th in votes behind another one of my favs Josh Hamilton. Hamilton is a great player but he has had a down year and been injured a little too frequent. Hunter has had a solid year and deserves to man center in the All-Star Game.

Now on to the National League. First of at catcher we have Yadier Molina leading the way over Brian McCann. I think Molina will hold on and be the starter even though I would argue that his older brother Bengie belongs there.

At 1st there isnt much too say.Albert Pujols is the most dangerous hitter in baseball and has a HUGE lead in votes. He most definately will be starting at first and will stay there.

2nd base there is a big lead for Chase Utley and I believe he will stay there. He’s had a solid season so far and is deserving of the nod.

A position that I would’ve thought there would be a closer race, 3rd base isnt as close as I thought it’d be. David Wright has about a 700k lead over Chipper Jones and Ryan Zimmerman. Im a big fan of Wright but I think Zimmerman has had a better year so far. Wright will be the starter at 3rd and Zimmerman should make it as a reserve.

Hanley Ramirez is the leading vote getter at shortstop and he should be. He’s been solid for the Fish Sticks and has been the most consistent shortstop in the NL. I think he’ll hold off a run from Rollins (who has been irrelevant this yr) and get the starting nod.

In the outfield its been a mess. 3 of the top 4 have either been hurt or slumping. Ibanez definately deserves to start despite the injury as his season has been magnificent. Beltran on the other hand? No. Soriano has been slumping all season and shouldnt be 4th in votes. I think the top 3 vote getters will be Ibanez,Braun and Soriano. An All Star outfield for sure, but not really an “All-Star” outfield.

Darren