MLB

With the 2010 baseball season finally here, my fourth annual Baseball Preview has arrived. The pictures are a little low on quality in order to be uploaded onto the blogs, so if you want the file in higher quality, comment and ask for it, and I will send it to you. Feel free to comment and please spread the word about my Preview.

The 2010 baseball season is just around the corner, and with regular season baseball comes the most underrated game of the decade – Fantasy Baseball. Fantasy Football has taken the United States by form, but not so much for baseball. Lifetime baseball fans have quickly attached themselves to this addicting game, and as the years go on and tracking capabilities grow stronger, more and more have joined.

There are all sorts of ways to play fantasy baseball. Auction or draft. NL-, AL-only, or mixed .league. Rotisserie or Head-to-Head. Keepers and prospects. No matter which way you play, you have to have a strategy. I’m not going to pretend that I am Matthew Berry, or anyone else in the ESPN fantasy department, but I do have quality advice for anyone and everyone for Fantasy Baseball. I won’t tell you who is the best at each position because you can just look that up on ESPN.com, but I will tell you who to buy low on, avoid, and take a flier on, in the least biased way possible.

There are three key notes for the start of the year, and they will apply to any way your league is set up, whether it be in a draft or auction.

• You can’t win the draft in the first three rounds, but you can lose it.

In the first round, you will be picking from the likes of Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera, and Alex Rodriguez. There aren’t many mistakes you can make early, although I would be very cautious about drafting questionable player like David Wright and Matt Kemp. Some are sold on Kemp (I am not one), but you can’t go wrong with most players early. The problem arises if you draft players like Jose Reyes, Derek Jeter, Justin Upton, and Jacoby Ellsbury in the first three rounds. They will likely do well, but there is a very good chance that Reyes won’t stay healthy, Jeter will play like a 35-year old, and Upton and Ellsbury won’t continue hitting as well as they used to. Go safe early, and take more gambles late because a miss in the 9th and 10th round on Josh Hamilton and Brandon Webb won’t hurt as much as messing up by drafting Kemp and Reyes in rounds 1 and 2.

• Don’t draft players early for small categories like steals and saves.

This year especially, speed will be easy to get and hard to avoid. In the outfield, you don’t have to target speed-power combo players like Grady Sizemore, Carl Crawford, and Curtis Granderson when there are plenty of fast players across the board. Unless you are planning to have an outfield of Adam Lind, Manny Ramirez, Vernon Wells, and Adam Dunn, you will be able to find plenty of steals at the end of the draft. You can grab players like Nate McLouth, Rajai Davis, and Juan Pierre late if you desperately need steals. With that in mind, I would also suggest against drafting speed only players (like Ellsbury) early when you can grab those players later.

As for saves, there are 30 closers and probably 8-12 teams in your league. That adds up to about three closers per team, which is really all you need. Closers will start coming off the board in the 7th to 8th round, and you’ll have to pass up players like Chris Carpenter, Aaron Hill, Derrek Lee, and Ben Zobrist to get a top-of-the-line closer. Mariano Rivera is clearly the best closer with Joe Nathan out, but he is not eight rounds different then Trevor Hoffman and Jose Valverde. Closers won’t drastically affect your ERA, WHIP, wins, or strikeouts, so there is no point in getting the first closer who may only get you 5-10 more saves then another closer several rounds later. There will also be three to five closers who will lose their job and you’ll have the opportunity to pick up their replacement; last year Andrew Bailey, J.P. Howell, and Fernando Rodney did not go into the season as their team’s closer but ended up with a combined 80 saves.

• Wait on starting pitching, you can get a ton of quality late.

Roy Halladay will dominate the National League, and Tim Lincecum will be as dominant as he always is, but there is no use drafting the pair in the first and second rounds. Former Cy Young Award winners are scattered across the draft; Cole Hamels will be around the 10th round, Jake Peavy and John Lackey in the 11th, Roy Oswalt in the 13th, Carlos Zambrano in the 22nd, and Ben Sheets in the 24th. There is going to be quality pitching across the board, so I recommend drafting a very good pitcher somewhat early (even a Chris Carpenter-type) and then go for value with pitchers like Oswalt and Peavy.

Whether you have a drafts or auctions, the same strategies will apply, but in auction you will have more choice as to who you want.  The main difference between the two is that an auction, you can bid on any player you want. There are two main strategies for auctions: Stars and Scrubs and value. In Stars and Scrubs, you go for a lot of top-3 round talent and then fill out the rest of your roster with $1 fill in players. The problem with this strategy is if one of your stars is injured, you are essentially done. With value, you wait to spend your money until what would be the fourth to fifth round, then splurge on six to seven solid players. Last year, I went the value route and ended up with Dan Haren, Matt Holliday, Carl Crawford, Brandon Phillips, Aramis Ramirez, and Derrek Lee. This way, you don’t get killed by injuries, and you have lots of potential.

Position-by-position breakdown:

Catcher:

Catcher is generally going to be a weak spot of your team, so unless you grab Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, or Brian McCann early, you can wait on a catcher, but not expect much production. Most teams do not have players worth owning, and picking between the rest of the catchers will be like a lottery. Russell Martin and Geovanny Soto were All-Stars just two years ago, and they will be going late in drafts – worth a late flyer. Assuming you don’t land one of the top-three, you probably won’t be comfortable with who you have and may be best served with catcher by committee.

Player I Absolutely Love: Joe Mauer
This pick is just too easy. Mr. MVP will play in a full year, unlike last year when he still lead the league in batting. Scouts used to call Matt Wieters “Mauer with power”, but now that phrase won’t worse, since Mauer hit 28 home runs and 96 RBIs. Open-aired Target Field likely won’t help his production as much as the Metrodome did, but he is hitting third in a very good lineup and is clearly the best catcher in the game, although Victor Martinez is an enticing pick.

Best Value: Bengie Molina
As long as you are hitting cleanup in your lineup, you are going to produce. Molina will be hitting 4th, behind Aaron Rowand, Freddy Sanchez, and Pablo Sandoval, so he may not have too many people on base before him, but he will easily end up with 80 RBIs. He has no speed, and certainly won’t help you in batting average, but for $1 he is certainly worth it.

Avoid: Jorge Posada
Posada won’t be playing every day because of his age and ailing knees, but he will get over-drafted because he plays for the Yankees and plays half his game in their stadium. He’ll likely hit about 20 home runs, but sooner or later he will miss a ton of time with injuries, and there isn’t a DH spot to give him a day off in the field, now that the Yanks have Nick Johnson.

Sleeper: Miguel Montero
While ESPN.com has Montero as their fifth best catcher, most people don’t know this young Diamondback and his potential. While playing in less then 80% of the season, Montero hit 16 home runs and held onto a .294 batting average. He is still progressing as a hitter, and Chase Field is one of the best ballparks to hit in.

First Base:

The first and second rounds of the draft are going to be full of powerful first basemen, and it would be smart to grab one of them early, especially if you have a corner infield spot, too. First base generally has your player with the most power, and this is a position you can sacrifice average for other categories. There are six players who will hit high 30s or even into the 40s for home runs, but there is plenty of depth at first – there are 18 fantasy starters who are first base eligible.

Player I Absolutley Love: Ryan Howard
The Phillies’ slugger has perhaps the most power in the entire league. The knock on him has always been his batting average, but you can take a hit at first, especially considering the fact that he averages 50 homers and 143 RBIs in his four full seasons. In addition to that, his batting average is rising; he hit .278 for the year and .302 in the second half. He is coming cheaper then Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Miguel Cabrera, and Mark Teixeira, but is as productive, if not more productive the all of them.

Best Value: Justin Morneau
Morneau, the former MVP, is coming at half the price of Pujols ($17 to $35) and is almost as productive. Even when he missed 33 games (and he is NOT injury prone) he still hit 30 homers and 100 RBIs on the dot. His batting average is high when he is healthy, and he hits right behind Joe Mauer.

Avoid: Playing third base eligible players at first
You can’t go wrong with any of the first eighteen first basemen (although I don’t really like Billy Butler), but the biggest mistake you can make would be to play a third base eligible player at first. Pablo Sandoval, Kevin Youkilis, and Mark Reynolds are top-10 first base eligible players, but their value rockets up when you play them at third because of the scarcity of elite players at the hot corner.

Sleeper: Lance Berkman
Berkman has slid all the way down to 16th, although he is right in front of Derrek Lee and Carlos Peña who could also have great years. The Big Puma hits around 30 home runs for his career and has never hit under 24 home runs. He is well-rounded, too, he hits .300 every season and will steal a handful of bags, too. Berkman is going into his contract year and hits in a great hitters’ ballpark, so expect big things out of Berkman, even though he is on the decline.

Second Base:

Second base used to be the black hole of fantasy baseball – you either poured all of your money to get the best guy, or you took a low caliber player. Now, Chase Utley leads the way going in the top five generally, and there is plenty of quality everywhere you look.

Player I Absolutely Love: Brandon Phillips
I have always been a fan of Brandon Phillips; he hits for power, a solid average, and will steal you 25 bases. For a second baseman, 30 homers and 25 steals is just incredible, and throw in the fact that Phillips is only going in fourth round or for about $18, he is a straight up steal. Phillips hits fourth in a potent young lineup, and is hitting at the Great American Launching Pad.

Best Value: Aaron Hill
Hill was clearly the biggest surprise of last season, he didn’t have a starting job the year before and was coming off a concussion. Hill hit a whopping 36 homers, 108 RBI, and .286. No one outside of Toronto thinks Hill will have close to the season he did before, but there hardly no chance he won’t come close. Without another injury, he is next to guaranteed to get you 25 homers and 80 RBIs, fantastic for just a seventh round pick or $14 dollars.

Avoid: Ian Kinsler
Kinsler is going in the late second and early third round, but his collective stats are not that impressive. His average is very inconsistent, and he hit only .253 last year. That’s just .253, folks. Like I’ve said before, you can’t win your league in the first three rounds, but you can lose it. Kinsler is a big gamble; he never hit more then 20 home runs or 75 steals before last year. Kinsler will be a fine hitter, but not where you have to take him.

Sleeper: Jose Lopez
Lopez is in a small market, and plays a quiet game, so he rarely gets much coverage. But this man can hit. Lopez’ power has been progressing over the last few seasons, and he is now hitting in the middle of the Mariners’ lineup. With Ichiro and Chone Figgins hitting in front of him, he will have plenty of opportunities to knock in runs. Lopez will get third base eligibility a few weeks into the year, so he will add versatility to your rosters, and you can grab him very late in the draft.

Third Base:

Player I Absolutely Love: Evan Longoria
Longoria is just a natural hitter. In a year and three quarters, he has hit 60 home runs and 198 RBI. Longoria’s average is improving quickly as he catches onto opposing pitchers, and his power is still getting better. He won’t give you the steals that David Wright or Chone Figgins will, but he is going to blossom into a 40-120 hitter sooner or later, and I like my chances for this season.

Best Value: Aramis Ramirez
One of the most consistent hitters of the decade, Aramis Ramirez, is also one of the more overlooked ones. Going after unproven, but high upside players like Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, and Pablo Sandoval, Ramirez hits .300, 30 homers, and 100+ RBI. Perhaps he is only going lower because he had a wrist injury last year, but he has never had a history on injuries.

Avoid: David Wright and Chone Figgins

If you learn anything from this, don't draft any Mets

Chone Figgins is essentially a speed only player, someone you take towards the end of the draft just for one category. This year, there is an excess amount of speed, especially in the outfield, so Figgins is one of the more undraftable players considering his position. You are better off going with Gordon Beckham or Miguel Tejada who will at least provide some power and average. As for Wright, his strikeout numbers are rising, he is on a terrible team, and his ballpark is a death trap for hitters. Wright only hit 10 home runs, and you have to pick him in the first round.

Sleeper: Adrian Beltre
Beltre is 30 years old, but he has never hit in a hitter’s ballpark until now that he has reached the batter’s paradise more commonly known as Fenway Park. Beltre consistently hits 25 home runs and should get at least a 5 homer boost now that he is hitting more often in Fenway. Beltre’s batting average won’t kill you and he’ll also give you ten or so steals. The best part about him, though, is that you can grab him for just $9 or in the 12th round.

Shortstop:

Shortstop has become more of a speed position with the development of Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez, and is now centered around young, high-upside talent. High draft picks and international free agents have turned into very good fantasy prospects; just take a look at Troy Tulowitzki, Elvis Andrus, and Alexei Ramirez. The former big three of Reyes, Ramirez, and Jimmy Rollins is now welcoming it’s latest member, Tulo, while Reyes may be leaving top-tier status.

Player I Absolutely Love: Hanley Ramirez
It is easy to say that the number two overall pick will the player I like most, but HanRam can really do it all. The man led the NL in batting, had a career high in RBIs (104) and had a down year with 24 homers and 27 steals! He is incredibly gifted and is only getting better. His strikeout rate is going down and there is nothing you can knock about this young man’s game.

Best Value: Stephen Drew
One year, Stephen Drew will hit 25 home runs and hit .300, and you will be wishing you were the smart guy who drafted him. Maybe this is his year, and you want to spend $10 on Drew and he will come through. He took a step back last year, but he has the potential to be a top-notch fantasy player, and he is in the right ballpark to do so.

Avoid: New York shortstops
Jose Reyes wasn’t fully recovered from his hamstring issue when news broke that he had a thyroid problem and he will miss even more time. Reyes is one of those risky early rounders who you don’t want to ruin your draft by selecting him. He is basically speed only and speed can be easily found in the outfield, so look else where. Derek Jeter could easily be the best shortstop in baseball, but his statistics are wildly uninspiring for the third-best at his position. He had a giant boost last year in power, average, and speed, and at his age of 35, you can’t expect him to continue that.

Sleeper: Orlando Cabrera
O-Cab is not going to be a player you want to depend on to start the whole year, but he will make a great backup, middle infielder, or blind jab pick. He gets you .280-10-75 with 15 steals and 80 runs, but he is also hitting in Cincinnati this year. If you really want to wait on a shortstop in a deep league, Cabrera could be your man.

Outfield:

The outfield is much shallower then usual, but there is plenty of speed. Manny Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano have fallen off the face of the fantasy baseball map, and the top three outfielders on many lists (Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, and Justin Upton) are all 26 or younger. Then next generation of outfielders is here.

Player I Absolutely Love: Grady Sizemore
Yes, Grady is going to be the man this year. He will be moved down from the leadoff spot, reducing his pressure and raising his RBI total. The man has power, speed, and just needs to be a better hitter for average to become one of the top outfielders in the game. Plenty of people are down on him and he will be a risk, but he is worth it all, to me.

Best Value: Carlos Lee and Adam Dunn
You won’t find an outfielder more consistent the Adam Dunn over the past seven season. He hit 46 bombs in 2004, then exactly 40 homers for the next five years, then 38 last season. His power isn’t quite dwindling, he is still going to carry your team’s power for a cheap price, and best of all, his average is improving. Carlos Lee is a surefire .300-30-100 every season, and has finally fallen in price to a measly 5th round pick. For that type of production, Lee is the must have of the draft.

Avoid: Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford
It’s hard for me to say this as they are two of my favorite players, but you need to avoid Ellsbury and Crawford. They are both top two round selections and are pure speed players. You will be passing up the Prince Fielders and Ryan Howards of the world to get these speed demons, but with Juan Pierre and Rajai Davis going late, there is no need to spend your early picks on those players.

Sleeper: Kyle Blanks and Dexter Fowler
As rookies, Blanks and Fowler were very impressive. Blanks only played in 54 games, but his a homer every 14.8 at-bats. He has elite power and will hit behind Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley in the Padres lineup. He has mammoth power potential and is going to get much better as the year goes on. Dexter Fowler reminds me a lot of a more powerful, slightly slower Willy Taveras. Folwer has the potential to become an elite speed player while still adding offensive production. Both hitters will be very late fliers, but will both be All-Stars at some point in their career.

Starting Pitcher:

There is an abnormally large amount of starting pitching available this year, especially late. Starting pitching affect four of the five pitching categories (Wins, ERA, WHIP, and Ks, but not Saves) so they are much more important then relief pitchers. My suggestion is to get one top-notch starter then go for value.

Player I Absolutely Love: Roy Halladay and Felix Hernandez
Roy Halladay was already one of the top three starters in the league when he was pitching in the ultra-competitive AL East. Now, he is in the inferior National League and gets to play the Mets, Marlins, and Nationals very often. He will absolutely dominate, geting well over 20 wins, an ERA in the high 2s, and 200 strikeouts. This man is a workhorse and have his best year to date. King Felix is by no means a slouch, though. He strikes out more hitters and has a much nicer ballpark to pitch in and one of the best defense in the league. Hernandez will be the best pitcher in the AL, while Halladay will be tops in the NL.

Best Value: Roy Oswalt and Jake Peavy
The pair of aces have been very consistent throughout the decade, and had slight slip-ups last year. Peavy was injured and then shipped off the Chicago while Oswalt had his worst ERA of his career and first season without double-digit wins. Even though he is in a much worse pitcher’s park, Peavy had great success in his three starts in Chicago: 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA. Its fairly safe to assume that both can bounce back, and both are top-5 talents when on top of their games.

Avoid: Javier Vazquez
Vazquez had a fantastic year last season in Atlanta, but that is in the past. Vazquez has been dominant in the NL, but as his former manager Ozzie Guillen points out, he is not an AL pitcher. His ERA hovered around the high 4s in the AL with a 52-56 record. With more pressure and the spotlight on him, I don’t see Vazquez reliving his career year now that he has returned to the Big Apple.

Sleeper: Ben Sheets
When healthy (and that is certainly going to be the key) Ben Sheets is as dominant of a pitcher as anyone. He missed the entire 2009 season but really wowed scouts in his throwing session, enough so that Oakland offered him a $10 million deal. His fastball is back in the mid-90s and his curveball leaves even the greatest hitters buckling. For a 22nd round pick, there is no way you can go wrong with Sheets, there is no risk.

Closer:

Personally, I really don’t like closers because they are pretty much the same player who pitches one inning every other game. They will only help you in saves, so there’s not much point to picking Mariano Rivera first when you can get similar players later. That being said, don’t go with Octavio Dotel, Jon Rauch, and Jason Frasor as your closers.

Player I Absolutely Love: Mariano Rivera
Before his elbow injury, the most consistent fantasy closer was Joe Nathan. He is now going to miss most of, if not all of the season. Now, Rivera is easily the most dependable and best overall closer to have. Rivera will go high in the draft, and rightfully so. His ERA is going to be in the low 1s and he will be in the top five saves leaders.

Best Value: Brian Fuentes
Fuentes is one of the worst closers in the game. He exerts no confidence on the mound, he tosses the ball to the plate, and is in no way shape or form dominant. At the same time, he is the Angels’ closer and he will get 50 save opportunities. Francisco Rodriguez saved a major league record 62 games, then went to the Mets and saved only 35. Whoever the Angels’ closer is (and it may be Fernando Rodney by the end of the year) is a must have, especially since his shortcomings won’t highly affect your totals.

Avoid: Heath Bell
A career set-up man, Heath Bell was surprisingly dominant in his first year at closer, but he has many questions for this season. Can he continue his dominance to that level? Doubtful. Will he be a closer at the end of the year? There’s a great chance he will be dealt to a team with a proven closer. Will the Padres give him enough save opportunities to be worth his price tag? Nope.

Sleeper: Neftali Feliz
Frank Francisco and C.J. Wilson don’t form the most formidable closer duo in Texas, and if one is to struggle, Feliz would be the next in line for the ninth inning. He has an electric fastball that reaches 100 and great breaking pitches. Feliz could go forward as a starter, but his success in the ‘pen should convince Texas to keep him in place as the closer-in-waiting.

My last hint for this upcoming fantasy baseball season is to be very active. You can win your leagues by who you pick up, not just if you draft right. Plenty of rookies will get the call, and don’t feel discouraged to drop an aging player for potential, even if it doesn’t pan out. If you have a hunch, go for a trade or pickup because just waiting won’t cut it. When Jason Heyward, Stephen Strasburg, Buster Posey, Carlos Santana, and Desmond Jennings hit the majors, pick them up as soon as possible.

I am no professional at fantasy baseball, but I know what I’m doing and can manage a team to the top three. You may have gotten to the end and asked why you ever read all the way down, so I congratulate you and wish you well. If you have any questions, I highly recommend listening to and reading Matthew Berry, ESPN fantasy expert, and also feel free to ask a question or comment.

Boston Red Sox fans certainly aren’t happy after a first round exit from the playoffs and watching the Yankees win their twenty-seventh World Series. The Sox are aging quickly and they’ve lost their identity from when they won it all in ’04 and ’07. Gone are the characters of year’s past: Pedro, Millar, Johnny Damon, and the man who must go unnamed. Now they are down to Victor Martinez and the fiery Dustin Pedroia. No more Cowboying up for this group of idiots. So how do the Red Sox get back on the winning track? They need a blast from the past.

The Red Sox have a big off-season coming up because they need to make a statement to counter what the Yankees did this year. Given John Lackey and Matt Holliday are no CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, but big moves can still be made. At the Trade Deadline, they inquired on Roy Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, and Felix Hernandez, but now it appears that only Halladay is for the taking. In order to land Doc, they will have to give up their two top pitching prospects Casey Kelly and Clay Buchholz, which is way too much for one year of Roy Halladay. Recently, the Padres said that they weren’t going to move Gonzalez and the Mariners are in no mood to move Hernandez. But there is one trade that Boston needs to make.

If there was one need for the Red Sox in the playoffs and late in the year, it was a power bat in the middle. Over the past year and a half, the Red Sox have been missing “that guy” who will always come up in the clutch. They need a clean up bat that hits above .300 for his career and averages over 30 homers and 100 RBIs per year. A player who, when he comes up late in the game with the bases loaded, puts the Fear of God in the opposition and their fans. A guy who can and will keep the clubhouse loose with his antics. To be more specific, a Latino slugger who has worn the number 24 for most of his career. The player on my mind is Miguel Cabrera, and not Manny Ramirez.

As most people know, Detroit is in the lowest point of the valley that is our current economic recession. Tigers’ ownership would love to cut their payroll, which would include trading high priced players like Curtis Granderson, Magglio Ordoñez, and Cabrera, along with players who are owed a big pay raise, such as Edwin Jackson. Cabrera is owed $126 million over the next six years, so the Tigers would love to get rid of that contract, and the Red Sox could certainly take it. Plus, he is only 26 years old.

Boston probably doesn’t want to go forward with just Martinez, Kevin Youkilis, and David Ortiz in the middle of their order. Cabrera is an elite talent who Theo Epstein should never pass up. Boston’s brass needs to do everything in their power to get Cabrera because if he can be had, they can’t let another contender such as the Angels or Yankees land him and he will make a gigantic impact in the middle of their order. Even if it will cost them a combination of hitting prospects such as Lars Anderson, Ryan Kalish, and Ryan Lavarnway, along with pitchers such as Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and Felix Doubront, the trade needs to be done. Cabrera commands the highest respect from opposing pitchers, when he’s not getting beat up by his wife while drunk. He will be a staple in the middle of the Red Sox’ order for the next six plus years sandwiched between Martinez, Youkilis, and potentially another slugger or two.

After acquiring Cabrera, the next step for the Red Sox will be to fill the gap in left field left by Jason Bay. They currently have a decent option, in Jeremy Hermida, slated to start in left, but not an impressive one all the same. The top free agent options are lead by Matt Holliday and Jason Bay before there is a drop off to the likes of Vladimir Guerrero, Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon, and Rick Ankiel. To me, Bay’s time in Boston is over. He didn’t accept Boston’s $60 million extension offer over the summer, and they didn’t make much of an effort to up his offer. This makes Matt Holliday their number one free agent target of this off-season.

Of course adding a top of the rotation starter like John Lackey would be great, but signing Holliday would be a better use of Boston’s money and draft picks. Holliday is another player who has career averages of nearly 30 home runs and over 100 RBIs and .300 batting average. One knock on the slugger is that he had a very unsuccessful stint in the AL, but the answers to his struggles are that he had very little talent around him in a poor hitter’s ball park and he changed his batting stance for the first five weeks of the season, and when he switched back, he was his old self. Holliday’s agent, Scott Boras, compares his client to Mark Teixeira and wants a deal close to Tex’s 8 year $180 million contract. But most people around baseball believe that he will land a deal around $130-$110 million.

If the Red Sox’s negotiations with Holliday fall short of Boras’ needs, the player they should look at next is, believe it or not Johnny Damon. Damon will provide some speed and power to the Sox’ order and will act as a bridge to prospects Josh Reddick, Kalish, and Ryan Westmoreland. Boston fans will eventually forgive Damon for his “wrong doings”, but in return will likely ask for his beard back. Sure, Damon’s arm isn’t great, but he is great in the lockerroom and a great guy. He still has some speed and some pop. He set a career high in home runs last year and is far from done. He wasn’t offered arbitration by the Yankees, and it’s not like there are teams lined up to sign Damon.

Cabrera is the closest thing resembling a shortstop the Red Sox have had since '04, so why not bring him back?

The next order of business for the Red Sox is short stop. Jed Lowrie hasn’t been what they expected since they called him up because of injuries, in fact, no short stop has been up to snuff since they traded away Nomar Garciaparra at the 2004 Trade Deadline. They have gone through Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Rentaria, Alex Gonzalez, Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie, Nick Green, and Gonzo again. There are no young studs on the free agent market, so they will most likely be signing a veteran to bridge to highly touted prospect Jose Iglesias. but there are solid veterans Miguel Tejada, Marco Scutaro, and Orlando Cabrera. So far, Scutaro has been the most closely linked with the Red Sox, but he is the worst of the three. Scutaro is 34, and until two seasons ago, he had never had more than 455 at bats in a season, hit above .270, double digit homers, 45 RBIs, or 5 steals. He is just a utility man who picked up some slack recently. The Red Sox nearly acquired Miggy two years ago and Cabrera played on the ’04 World Series team. All three shortstops are type A free agents, which if signed will cost their new teams a first round pick, but because of a clause in his contract, the Twins can’t offer him arbitration. This puts the Red Sox in prime position to bring back their former teammate who can don his number 44 no longer worn by Jason Bay.

At this point, The only things left for Boston would be to acquire some pitching depth and bench help. For the pitching depth, and more specifically starting pitching, the Red Sox have recently looked at injury prone veterans like Brad Penny and John Smoltz. Why do that again when the Sox can turn to old friend Pedro Martinez? Ben Sheets and Rich Harden would also be nice aditions, but they have can never stay an entire year healthy. The Red Sox don’t really need to spend big bucks on a starter when they have a rotation of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, and Tim Wakefield. Pedro is a cheap low risk-medium reward option for the Sox that they should consider.

Lastly, for a look at their bench, the Red Sox are pretty deep at the moment. If they sign Holliday and trade for Cabrera, they will have proven starters Jeremy Hermida, Mike Lowell, Jed Lowrie, Jason Varitek, and Casey Kotchman off the bench. If the situation arises that they can move one of them, specifically Lowell and Kotchman, there are several players who would be great replacements. Since back-ups won’t make a major impact, it’s a good idea to take a big swing on a high risk medium reward player, such as Sox legends Kevin Millar and Nomar Garciaparra.  Nomah and Millah are free agents with no compensation required if acquired and. They both can play first and Nomar is more versitile, as he can play just about every position in the infield.

Here is a look at what the Red Sox 2010 man roster should end up looking like:

CF:  Jacoby Ellsbury – $450K
2B:  Dustin Pedroia – $3.5m
C:    Victor Martinez – $7.7m
1B:  Miguel Cabrera – $20m
LF:  Matt Holliday – $18m (est)
3B:  Kevin Youkilis – $9.1m
DH: David Ortiz – $12.5m
RF:  J.D. Drew – $14m
SS:  Orlando Cabrera – $6m (est)

OF: Jeremy Hermida – $3.5m (est)
3B:  Mike Lowell – $12m
SS:  Jed Lowrie – $415K
1B:  Casey Kotchman – $4m (est)
C:    Jason Varitek – $3m

SP: Josh Beckett – $12m
SP: Jon Lester – $3.8m
SP: Daisuke Matsuzaka – $8m
SP: Clay Buchholz – $415K
SP: Tim Wakefield/Pedro Martinez – $3.5m/$2m (est)

CL: Jonathan Papelbon – $10m (est)
RP: Daniel Bard – $400K
RP: Hideki Okajima – $2.5m (est)
RP: Ramon Ramirez – $1.5m (est)
RP: Manny Delcarmen – $1m (est)

Payroll: $169 million

These moves could very well lead the Red Sox to their 9th championship, but they could also lead to a missed playoff appearance. I’m sure Theo Epstein has a plan in mind whether that is mortgaging their future to land Roy Halladay or another stud, or they could sit back and wait for Lowell and Ortiz’ contracts to come off the books. Either way, nearly all sports fans know that the Sox will have a bright future for years to come.

Players will be allowed to sign with their new teams on Friday and trading season has already started, so let’s take a look at the top 10 players who will be wearing a new uniform next season.

1. Roy Halladay – Phillies
Halladay was nearly dealt to Philadelphia at the Trade Deadline, but the Phillies opted for Cliff Lee for a cheaper price. Had they dealt for him last season at the deadline, they probably would have had to give up top pitching and hitting prospects Kyle Drabek and Dominic Brown, along with rookie sensation J.A. Happ. With a few less months of Doc, Philly will only have to give up Drabek and Brown. At best, Drabek could be Halladay, and they won’t need Brown if they have Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, and prospect Michael Taylor.

2. Matt Holliday – Red Sox
Many fans think that the Yankees will be after Holliday, but corner outfielder is not an area of need. They would like to keep the DH position open to give an off-day to Posada or A-Rod every few days, assuming they sign either Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui. Boston needs to muscle up their lineup, especially in the Left Field vacancy, unless they want to go with Jeremy Hermida. They will pony up and sign Holliday for a $110 million contract over 6 years.

3. John Lackey – Mets
The major players for Lackey will be the Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers, all major markets. Lackey should do what Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia did, although they were both traded, and sign with in the NL, which is far inferior to the AL. The Mets will be able to give Lackey the bigger contract, around $90 million for 6 years, and he will be form one of the better 1-2 punches with Johan Santana.

4. Jason Bay – Mariners
After the Red Sox sign Holliday, the major players for Bay will be the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, and Giants. The Giants don’t have the money after giving huge contracts to Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand; the Yankees, again, won’t have the motivation, and the Mets have a poor hitters ballpark. The Mariners think that they can compete next season with a team featuring Felix Hernandez, Ichiro, and now Jason Bay. He will get a slight better deal than Boston offered over the summer at $80 million over 5 years.

For Boston to contend with New York, they'll need to revamp their lineup, starting with Gonzalez

5. Adrian Gonzalez – Boston
New Padres GM, and former Red Sox assistant, Jed Hoyer wants to redo his club to put his mark on the team. After Theo Eptstein, Hoyer knows the Red Sox minor league system the best. He and Theo will be able to to work out a deal, which will be easier since they each know who the other likes. Look for a deal that includes Lars Anderson, Michael Bowden, and another player, either Ryan Kalish or Stolmy Pimentel.

6. Chone Figgins – Angels
At first glance, the Phillies would be a great fit for Chone, but they already have two leadoff quality hitters in Jimmy Rollins and Victorino. The White Sox already said that Figgins was too expensive for their taste, so the Cardinals and Mets are the only other major suitors. Figgins was perhaps the most important hitter in their playoff run, so they really need to bring him back for around$ 4 years/$48 million.

7. Curtis Granderson – Cubs
The Tigers will be cutting costs this off-season, possibly trading Granderson, Miguel Cabrera, and Edwin Jackson. Granderson, who was born just outside of Chicago, would be a perfect fit for the Cubs, who need an outfielder to replace the soon-to-be-departed Milton Bradley. Because Granderson won’t come cheap, the Cubs will have to part with top prospects, in this case, Jeff Samardzija and Josh Vitters. But in the end, we all know what is better than an Anderson, a Granderson.

8. Jose Valverde – Phillies
The main fault of the Phillies this year was their horrific bullpen. Valverde will be able to split time with Brad Lidge at closer, and will likely become the closer later in the season. Valverde will come at a price, though, since the Astros will almost for certain offer him arbitration, meaning the team who signs Valverde will lose their first round pick. He should sign for around $25 million over 3 years.

9. Ben Sheets – Rangers
Sheets will come a ton cheaper than he would have last year, because of his elbow surgery. He will sign for a cheaper price and does not cost his new club a first round pick. Although he is injury prone, Sheets is as dominant as any pitcher when he is on his mark. He nearly signed with the Rangers before surgery last year, so look for him to pick Texas over Boston, New York, and Milwaukee.

10. Aroldis Chapman – Red Sox
Chapman, the Cuban defector, is said to be as talented as Stephen Strasburg, with a fastball measured as high as 102 MPH and a hard slider. He has the build of a slightly lighter CC Sabathia and should excel like CC once he makes the majors. It will take some time before he hits the show, but that shouldn’t be to big of a concern. Boston will edge out the Yankees to sign the big lefty for 6 years/$42 million.

Honorable mention: Dan Uggla to the Dodgers, Erik Bedard to the Orioles, Milton Bradley to the White Sox, Randy Wolf to the Mets, Andy Pettitte to the Yankees, Adrian Beltre to the Phillies, Rich Harden to the Brewers, Johnny Damon to the Cardinals, Orlando Hudson to the Mets, Miguel Tejada to the Athletics, Vladimir Guerrero to the Rangers, Hideki Matsui to the Yankees, Mike Gonzalez to the Nationals, Marco Scutaro to the Reds, Mark DeRosa to the Orioles, Mark Mulder to the Brewers, Melvin Mora to the Cardinals, and Bengie Molina to the Mets.

With the World Series finally over, we can reflect on what was and what wasn’t. These playoffs were a huge success for Major League Baseball, with huge ratings and major-market teams going far. But there were plenty of problems that arose over the past month plus. Whether it was overextended series play, preset schedules, poor umpiring, or the need of instant replay, there are many problems needing to be addressed soon.

If one takes a look at the regular and postseason schedules, one would find a glaring difference. Each team plays 162 regular season games with only 20 off-days over the five months of play. If a team played in the maximum of 19 postseason games, they would play them over 30 days! That is more then half as many off-days as they have in the regular season. Is there really a need to change the sport just for the playoffs? The change of pace allows teams like the Yankees to skip over their fourth and fifth starters so the can pitch their best starters more often, and pitch their closer for two innings. The World Champion should have the best of everything, not just three great starters and a great closer. The Phillies can fly to New York and be ready to play that day, they don’t need an extra day to recoup and rest. If teams can play three weeks with one or no off days, they can certainly play a postseason series with less than four off-days. Baseball in meant to be played every day, not every other. We don’t need to change the game to determine the champion.

On the subject of spread out series, another big issue for MLB is the set schedules. Before the first game of the regular season, the schedule for the rest of the season is set. So even though three out of the four Division Series were sweeps and the last was done in four games. From October 12th to the 15th, between the Division and Championship series, there were only two total games. Over the ALCS and NLCS, there were only two games on the same day only twice, and there were no games on two days. The Phillies had to wait an entire week to play the World Series while the Yankees got to miss three. Couldn’t we have started the Fall Classic the day after the ALCS was finished, or at least the day after that? The Phillies long layoff likely caused the bat of Ryan Howard, which was as hot as possible during the NLCS, to cool off, as he set a postseason record for most strikeouts. In 2006, the Tigers had 6 days off before the World Series, and they lost in five games. In 2007, the Rockies had 8 days off before the World Series, and they were swept. See the pattern?

If a team can’t win a postseason series until the seventh game, they shouldn’t be rewarded with three days off, they should have to play two days later. If they can’t pitch their ace until Game 2 or 3, that’s their fault for not winning the previous series quicker. By waiting out until the scheduled times, we are really hurting the teams who win quickly, doing what they are supposed to do. Some may argue that we will be messing with the loyal fans who bought tickets to specific games and may not be able to make other games. My response is…too bad. The alternative is watching in the comfort of your air conditioned/heated house with nice sofas and no $7 beers and hot dogs. MLB can refund anyone who can’t make the newly scheduled games, and there will be plenty of fans waiting and praying for tickets to playoff baseball.

One of the major subjects of discussion during the playoffs was the poor calls of the umpires. There were five major missed calls through the three rounds of the playoffs that were completely obvious, but no one could change without instant replay. The first of those errors came in Game 2 of the ALDS between the Yankees and Twins when Joe Mauer came up to bat in the top of the 11th inning. Mauer hit a ball down the left field line that bounced about a foot into fair territory before bouncing into the stands. Inexplicably, umpire Phil Cuzzi, who was just a few feet from where the ball landed, called the ball foul. Now, Mauer did eventually hit a single up the middle, but he didn’t score on either of the two singles hit later in the inning, which he would have been able to do had he been on second. Instead of Mark Teixeira hitting a walk-off homer later that inning, the game would have been tied, giving the Twins another chance.

How is Cano safe here? We wouldn't have to worry with instant replay.

The next two major missed calls occurred in Game 4 of the ALCS between the Angels and Yankees. Nick Swisher was on second base when Scott Kazmir picked him off by more than a foot, yet was called safe. Later in the inning when Swisher advanced to third, he tagged up on Johnny Damon’s sacrifice fly. The Angels then appealed that Swisher had left the bag early, and umpire Tim McClelland called him out. In the very next inning, the Yankees had Jorge Posada on third and Robinson Cano on second. Nick Swisher hit a come-backer to Darren Oliver, who threw home catching Posada in a run down. Posada got back to third, but Cano was already there, but neither were on the base. Angels’ catcher Mike Napoli tagged out both runners, who were still off the base, but only Posada was called out. It was so blatantly obvious that both Posada and Cano were safe, but no other umpire stepped up, and they couldn’t use instant replay.  Ultimately, it didn’t make a difference because Swisher was originally out a second and Cano didn’t score, but that allowed the Yankees to get to the top of their order the next inning. Also, how can we let these obvious calls slip through our fingers?

The last pair of blown calls were in the World Series, the biggest stage in the game. In Game 2, there were two different blown double play calls. In the seventh inning, Johnny Damon hit a very low line drive that Ryan Howard caught off a short hop. From where umpire Brian Gorman was standing, he couldn’t see that Howard didn’t catch the ball and called Damon out. Howard proceeded to throw over to second base where Jimmy Rollins tagged out Jorge Posada, who would have been safe on the play. Through instant replay, one can clearly tell that Howard did not catch the ball and instead of the inning being over, the Yankees would have had runners on first and second with one out. The next inning, Chase Utley came up with runners on first and second and grounded into an inning ending double play, but replays showed that Utley was safe by a half step. If he was called safe, Ryan Howard would have had a chance to tie the game or take the lead with runners on the corners. Although he struck out in all four of his at-bats, you still never want to give Ryan Howard a chance to turn a game around.

All of the calls are inexcusable if we have the technology to get these calls correct. The NHL had it right two years when Sean Avery stood in front of the opposing goalie and waved his stick in the goalie’s face. The next day, they outlawed his actions, creating the “Sean Avery Rule.” They didn’t wait a week to see if it would continue, or say that they would set it up next season, or test it during the preseason. They immediately put the new rule in place. That is what baseball needs to do.

Instant replay should be allowed into the game of baseball for foul ball call, home run calls, and base path calls, but not balls and strikes. Balls and strikes are more based on the umpire’s personal preference and it would be a waste of time to challenge a few strike zone calls every inning. People who oppose instant replay say that it will slow down the game. If so, why do we still allow pitchers to take 30 seconds to throw home? Each game, both managers should receive a red flag, similar to the NFL, and may use it on challenges. If they get a call right, they get to keep the flag. But if they challenge a steal in the first inning and they are wrong, the umpires keep the flag. This way, managers will be selective to how many and which plays they challenge, and the pace of the game won’t be slowed too much.

The instant replay rule should be put in place for the regular season next year, and the post-season revisions should be seriously considered. Next post-season is a long ways away, but just ask yourself if we really need to change the entire complection of the sport to determine the champion.

Yankees vs. Phillies

The World Series is here and we certainly have the best team from each league competing. We have the World Champion Phillies and the most prestigious franchise in Baseball in the Yankees. There are plenty of personalities from A-Rod to Pedro Martinez. Both aces are lefty and former Cy Young Award winners from the Indians. The similarities go on, but now, its time to play the Fall Classic.

Catcher: Although Carlos Ruiz (.255, .355, .425) has the better nick-name between the two of them, Chooch, Jorge Posada (.285, .363, .522) is a plenty better hitter. Posada will probably not play when A.J. Burnett is pitching since Jose Molina (.217, .292, .268) is his special catcher. Although he has struggled in the regular season, Chooch has been on fire this series, slugging .500 just better than Posada’s .484. Ruiz is slightly better than Posada in the field, but slightly worse than Molina.

Ryan Howard is the best player in Baseball right now

First Base: Mark Teixeira (.292, .383, .565) and Ryan Howard (.279, .360, .571) have been neck and neck throughout the season, but the key for this series is that Howard is slugging a whopping .742 and Teixeira is only .308. That’s slugging percentage for Tex, not batting average. Tex is much better in the field, but the fact that has been hitting so poorly in only his second postseason lets me give the edge, here, to the Phiting Phils.

Second Base: This season, Robinson Cano (.320, .352, .520) surprisingly hit slightly better than Chase Utley (.282, .397, .508). The opposite happened in the postseason when Cano has an on base percentage of .341 while Utley has one of .439. But in the end, Utley is slightly better in the field and has more power potential and really is slightly better.

Third Base: This just isn’t even close. Alex Rodriguez (.286, .402, .532) has been way better during the regular season than Pedro Feliz (.266, .308, .386) and has not only gotten the playoff monkey off his back, he has thrown it out of the new Yankee Stadium. He is slugging even better than Howard has at .969 and is a threat every time he picks up a bat. The two are also about equal in the field.

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins (.250, .296, .423) had his worst season since 2003 and Derek Jeter (.334, .352, .520) had his best year since 2006. Jeter is also far more clutch at the plate and in the field, despite his poor range. There I said it! Jeter also is slugging .278 better this postseason.

Left Field: Raul Ibañez (.272, .347, .552) was by far the biggest pickup for the Phillies this past offseason, and has been a major upgrade over Pat “the Bat” Burrell. Johnny Damon (.282, .365, .460) has been no slouch either, but is plenty worse in the field. Although Damon has been worse during the regular season, Ibañez has only been slugging .387 while Damon is slugging .408. Neither is great in the field, especially not Damon with his noodle of an arm. This is a toss up, neither team has much of an advantage.

Center Field: Melky Cabrera (.274, .336, .416) has been solid this postseason, but has been awful with runners in scoring position. Shane Victorino (.292, .358, .445), on the other hand, has been on fire in October, slugging .722 and stealing two bases. The Flyin’ Hawaiian is faster, better in the field, and has been more clutch this postseason than the Melk Man.

Right Field: While the batting averages of Jayson Werth (.268, .373, .506) and Nick Swisher (.247, .371, .498) have been relatively close this postseason (.222 to .150 respectively) the major difference has been in their power. Swisher is also slugging .156 and Werth has been beating up on opponents pitching,  slugging .813. Swisher can also be a bonehead on the bases and in the field, so Werth gets the edge here.

Designated Hitter: Hideki Matsui (.274, .367, .509) will only be playing in Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 because he is such a poor fielder, which could really hurt the Yankees’ lineup. He may, also, be benched in Philly due to his .248 slugging percentage, well under half of Johnny Damon’s. Ben Francisco (.278, .317, .526) will play left field while Ibañez shifts to DH against CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte and Matt Stairs (.194, .357, .379) will DH against A.J. Burnett. Matsui is a tad better than both of Philly’s DHs since he hits a lot more and has more power potential.

Bench: When the games are in New York, the Phillies bench will be thin with Stairs or Francisco playing, so the Yankees bench of Brett Gardner (.270, .345, .379) and Jerry Hairston Jr. (.237, .352, .382), Eric Hinske (.226, .316, .512) will get the edge. Paul Bako (.224, .308, .336), Eric Bruntlett (.171, .224, .238), and Greg Dobbs (.247, .296, .383) are the only remaining hitters for Charlie Manuel to hit off the bench, and they are both way over the hill.

Starter 1: In a matchup of former Indian aces, CC Sabathia (19-8 3.37) and Cliff Lee (7-4 3.39) will be anchoring each of their team’s rotations. Lee has had a slightly better ERA than Sabathia, at 0.74 compared to 1.19. They are similar in so many ways, and who ever wins more games between the two aces will win the series.

Starter 2: Pedro Martinez (5-1 3.63) will be taking the mound against a familiar foe in the Yankees. A.J. Burnett (13-9 4.04) has been very shaky for New York, posting a 4.42 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Pedro has looked great in his two starts, but isn’t quite as reliable as he used to be. These two pitchers are also even, but I’ll give the slightest edge to the Bronx Bombers.

Starter 3: Last postseason, Cole Hamels (10-11 4.32) was money for every start. This year, he has an ERA of 6.75 and as not looked like his normal self. Andy Pettitte (14-8 4.18) has been that stopper with an ERA of 2.37. I’m have to like Hamels, though, in this situation, because he can be as dominant as anyone when he’s on, and there is a chance he will.

Starter 4: Joe Blanton (12-8 4.05) will likely be the fourth starter for Philly while New York is going to stick with a three-man rotation. Blanton doesn’t have any over powering stuff, but he can eat up a ton of innings and save the Phillies’ bullpen.

Closer: The Yankees get a big edge here with the greatest clutch pitcher in the playoffs, Mariano Rivera (3-3 1.76). After a horrid regular season, Brad Lidge (0-8 7.21) has been the only closer other than Rivera in this postseason. If Lidge can stay as dominant as he has been in his five appearances, that will give Philadelphia a huge boost.

Set-up 1: Joba Chamberlain (9-9 4.75) has not been able to get out of the fifth inning as a starter this year, so the Yankees moved him back to the bullpen, where he belongs. Ryan Madson (5-5 3.26) has been the bulldog of the Phillies’ bullpen with but owns a 4.50 ERA. Chamberlain has been better with a 2.70 ERA, but can be prone to giving up the long ball. The Yanks are a bit better here, too.

Set-up 2: The rock of the Yankees’ ‘pen this year has been Phil Hughes (8-3 3.03), but he has disappointing this postseason with a 5.79 ERA. Former starters J.A. Happ (12-4 2.93) and Brett Myers (4-3 4.84) will shore up a not so solid bullpen, but they will be able to throw a ton of innings if, say Pedro or Hamels can’t make it out of the fifth. Advantage Philles here.

Coach: The only thing more ridiculous than the blown calls of the umpires has been Joe Girardi decided when to yank pitchers by reading a binder. A good manager, like say Charlie Manuel, won’t take out a pitcher who has made the first two outs easily, say David Robertson. Manuel knows how to poke his players to do well without hurting them, just look at Brad Lidge. Phillies win here.

Key Players: For the Phillies, the key player will be Cole Hamels. If he is right, he is right, and he won’t be beat. Their rotation of Lee, Pedro, and Hamels will all of a sudden look like the AL All-Star rotation. But if he doesn’t show up, their bullpen will be over-worked, and they will lose Game 3, and more importantly Game 7. For the Yankees, their key player is Mark Teixeira. So far, he has hit only .205 while slugging .308. If he hits like he did after the first month of the year, the Yankees could make this series not even close. But if he continues to struggle, especially as he has with runners in scoring position, New York isn’t going anywhere.

Key to the Series: For both teams, the key will be to get the other teams’ starter out as early as possible. If CC Sabathia can only make it through five or less innings, the Yankees will be in huge problems. The same goes for Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and A.J. Burnett. Both teams have great lineups, so the longer each of the starters stay in, the better off their team is. The Phillies have a bit better long relief, so the Yankees need their starters in for at least seven innings even more.

Prediction: Phillies in 6. The Yankees will win Game 1 and 4, and Pedro will win both games, including the clinching one at Yankee Stadium. If Philly wins game one, the series is over. CC is a horse and if the Yanks have to depend on A.J. Burnett on short rest, they are in huge trouble.

Four teams down, three to go. We are now into the championship round of the playoffs and the World Series Champion will be from one of MLB’s biggest three markets: LA, New York, or Philadelphia. Here we go.

ALCS: New York Yankees (1) vs Los Angeles Angels (2)

Both the Yankees and Angels swept their first round opponents, the Angels in a more suprising manner. LA swept the tougher Boston Red Sox while the Yanks swept the floundering Twins. New York and Los Angeles each took 5 games from the season series. Alex Rodriguez has apparently busted his career postseason slope, but will it be enough to stop the crafty Angels?

Catcher: The Yankees have the edge here between two mediocre catchers. Jorge Posada (.285, .363, .522) is worse defensively, but is a bigger offensive threat then Mike Napoli (.272 AVG, .350 OBP, .492 SLG).

Corner Infield: The Yankees are a bit better on the corners. Mark Teixeira (.292, .383, .565) and Alex Rodriguez (.286, .402, .532) have been great during the regular season, and A-Rod finally showed up in the playoffs. Kendry Morales (.306, .355, .569) and Chone Figgins (.298, .395, .393) are no slackers, but they don’t have the firepower that Tex and A-Rod have.

Middle Infield: Again, New York gets the edge here, but this one has the biggest margin. Maicer Izturis (.300, .359, .434) and Erick Aybar (.312, .353, .423) are bottom of the order hitters for the Angels. Robinson Cano (.320, .352, .520) and Derek Jeter (.334, .352, .520) form perhaps the best up the middle combo in the AL.

Outfield/DH: Los Angeles is a bit better here, and mostly because of the addition of former Yankee Bobby Abreu (.293, .390, .435). Juan Rivera (.287, .332, .478), Torii Hunter (.299, .366, .508), and Vladimir Guerrero (.295, .334, .460) complete a very strong hitting Angels outfield that has become much more patient, with the exception of Vladi. For the Yankees, Johnny Damon (.282, .365, .460), Melky Cabrera (.274, .336, .416), Nick Swisher (.247, .371, .498), and Hideki Matsui (.274, .367, .509) have been solid, but that may be partially due to their homer-friendly home stadium.

Bench: The Angels have the edge on the bench with Howie Kendrick (.291, .334, .444) and Gary Matthews Jr. (.250, .336, .361), both of whom could start for several other teams. The Yanks have Brett Gardner (.270, .345, .379), Jerry Hairston Jr. (.237, .352, .382) and Jose Molina (.217, .292, .268).

Starting Pitching: The Halos have an edge in starting pitching. With John Lackey (11-8 3.83 ERA), Jered Weaver (16.8 3.75), Scott Kazmir (10-9 4.89), and Joe Saunders (16-7 4.60), the Angels have a very deep rotation, not to mention Ervin Santana (8-8 5.03) if he’s needed. The Yankees are going with a three-man rotation featuring CC Sabathia (19-8 3.37) and A.J. Burnett (13-9 4.04), both of whom have struggled in the playoffs, along with steady vet Andy Pettitte (14-8 4.18). The Yankees pitchers will on three days rest on most starts.

Relief Pitching: By keeping their three man rotation, they moved low-pitch count Joba Chamberlain (9-9 4.75) to the bullpen, giving the Bronx Bombers the edge. They also have Phil Hughes (8-3 3.03) and the greatest playoff closer Mariano Rivera (3-3 1.76). The Angels have a very shaky bullpen with only Darren Oliver (5-1 2.71), Kevin Jepson (6-4 4.94), and Brian Fuentes (1-5 3.93).

Coaching: The Angels have much better coaching with manager Mike Scioscia and pitching coach Mike Butcher. The Yankees don’t have much going well in the way of managing with Joe Girardi and Tony Peña, both coaches who benefit from a $200 million payroll.

Nick Adenhart is still on their minds

Final Thoughts: You can never underestimate the power of will, and the Angels certainly have it. They still are still getting over the death of fallen teammate Nick Adenhart, and they are trying to win it all for him. It’s as if this is set up for a Disney-esque ending. Also, with a three-man rotation, all the starters will be on three days rest. I already don’t like A.J. Burnett in crunch time, but on three days rest, no thank you.

Prediction: Angels in 7

NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers (1) vs Philadelphia Phillies (2)

In a rematch of last year’s NLCS, the Phillies and Dodgers will fight again for the right to represent the National League in the World Series. The two teams split the season series 4-4. The last two times there was a LCS repeat was Boston/New York in 2003-2004 and St. Louis/Houston in 2004-2005. The good news for the Dodgers is that they split both serieses, so does that mean it will be the Dodgers?

Catcher: Although he had a horrific regular season, Russell Martin (.250, .352, .329) and the Dodgers get the edge over the Phillies. Carlos Ruiz (.255, .355, .425) is a below average catcher, and has an upside about as high as Martin’s low point.

Corner Infield: Philadeplhia has the better corner infielders in MVP Ryan Howard (.279, .360, .571) up-and-down Pedro Feliz (.266, .308, .386). LA’s James Loney (.281, .357, .399) and Casey Blake (.280, .363, .468) are on the rise, but don’t have anywhere as much power as Philly.

Middle Infield: The Phillies win here, too, by far. All-Stars Chase Utley (.282, .397, .508) and Jimmy Rollins (.250, .296, .423) are probably the best double-play combo in the NL. After supplanting Orlando Hudson for the starting second base job, Ronnie Belliard (.277, .325, .451) has been really hot lately and he and Rafael Furcal (.269, .335, .375) are solid.

Outfield: The Dodgers have a great outfield of Manny Ramirez (.290, .418, .531), Matt Kemp (.297, .352, .490), and Andre Ethier (.272, .361, .508). They have a great playoff veteran and two stars rising quickly. The Phillies have Raul Ibañez (.272, .347, .552), who is having a career year, Shane Victorino (.292, .358, .445), and Jayson Werth (.268, .373, .506), who are very good, but not as good as the Dodgers.

Bench: The Dodgers have the deepest bench in the league with forme starters Jim Thome (.249, .372, .493), Orlando Hudson (.283, .357, .417), Juan Pierre (.308, .365, .392), Mark Lorreta (.232, .309, .276), and Brad Ausmus (.293, .343, .368). Philadephia has Ben Francisco (.278, .317, .526), Matt Stairs (.194, .357, .379), Paul Bako (.224, .308, .336), and Greg Dobbs (.247, .296, .383).

Do you really wanna depend on Vicente Padilla for Games 2 and 6?

Starting Pitching: The Phillies have a huge edge here with Cole Hamels (10-11 4.32), Pedro Martinez (5-1 3.63) , Cliff Lee (7-4 3.39), and J.A. Happ (12-4 2.93). They have two former Cy Young Award winners, another ace quality starter, and the potential NL Rookie of the Year. The Dodgers have young Clayton Kershaw (8-8 2.79), Vicente Padilla (4-0 3.20), Hiroki Kuroda (8-7 3.76), and Randy Wolf (11-7 3.23). With Chad Billingsley in the ‘pen, the Dodgers’ rotation does not look solid at all.

Relief Pitching: LA has a better bullpen with All-Stars in Jonathan Broxton (7-1 2.61) George Sherrill (1-0 0.65) Chad Billingsley (12-11 4.03) and lefty specialist Hong-Chih Kuo (2–0 3.00). They are very deep, especially towards the back, and the lefty relievers will really help against the lefty-heavy Phillies lineup. The Phillies are very shaky with no good closer between Brad Lidge (0-8 7.21), Ryan Madson (5-5 3.26), and J.C. Romero (0-0 2.70).

Coaching: Los Angeles has a great playoff coach in Joe Torre, whereas the Phillies’ Charlie Manuel isn’t a great a coach. Coaching won’t be that big in this series, but the Dodgers definately have the edge here.

Final Thoughts: The Dodgers have a lot more lefty pitching that last year, but they don’t have anywhere as good of starting pitching with Vicente Padilla pitching Game 2. If the Phillies can get Brad Lidge to return to close to 2008 form, this series shouldn’t be close. I like the Phillies big bats and twin aces (Lee and Hamels) to show up huge in this series.

Prediction: Phillies in 6

Yes, its that time of year again. The weather is cooling, and playoff baseball is just around the corner. The matchups are set, and the fans of the Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, Phillies, Red Sox, Rockies, Twins, and Yankees are ready for some playoff baseball.

Yankees (1) versus Twins (3)

The Yankees have been the best team in the best division in baseball. The Twins just eeked out a title in the worst division in baseball. After winning their playoff game versus Detroit on Monday night in the 12th inning, so they get the privilege to get trampled by the Yanks. The Yankees are very, very fortunate to not be playing the Tigers, who have a much more potent offense and more pitching firepower. Even saying that, it likely wouldn’t have mattered who New York played since they are 12-1 against the Twins and Tigers, including 7-0 versus Minnesota.

Infield: The Yankees easily have the better infield. In fact, they may have the best infield of the past few decades with MVP candidates Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira along with All-Stars Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano. Jorge Posada is the only low light for the infield, which is great to have as your weak link. The Twins are missing their biggest bat, Justin Morneau, and they haven’t gotten too much offense out of either Nick Punto nor Alexi Casilla. Joe Mauer, who will likely win the AL MVP, and Orlando Cabrera are the only highlights for Minnesota. Michael Cuddyer used to start in right field, but because of Morneau’s injury, Cuddyer will start at first.

Outfield/DH: New York also has the better outfield. I’m not saying that Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher, and Hideki Masui are world beaters, but they have had much greater seasons then were expected and could ride their hot bats into the playoffs. The Twins have a not-so-solid outfield of underacheiving former top-prospects Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez, along with defensive playmaker Denard Span and Jason Kubel.

Bench: The Yankees barely win this category, too. Jerry Hairston is very versatile in the field, Jose Molina is one of the better backup catchers, and Brett Gardner will really help the Bronx Bombers on the basepaths. The Twins, on the other hand, have no decent bat on the bench between Brian Buscher, Mike Redmond, and Brendan Harris.

Starting Pitching: The Yankees also win this category, but with an asterisk. On paper, they have a much better rotation with CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte compared to the Twins’ Brian Duensing, Nick Blackburn, and Carl Pavano. But, and that is a big but, CC Sabathia has a postseason ERA of 7.92 in 5 starts, and A.J. Burnett has never pitched in the postseason, and has pitched poorly in big games.

This guy is going back to pitch in New York

Relief Pitching: The Twins barely have the better bullpen, mainly because of the lack of Yankees depth. Joe Nathan and Mariano Rivera are the two best closers in baseball, Rivera a bit better in the postseason. The Twins have several solid relievers in Jon Rauch, Pat Neshek, Matt Guerrier, Ron Mahay, and Jose Mijares. After Rivera, the Yankees only have Phil Hughes and perhaps Joba Chamerlain, so do you really want to depend of Phil Coke?

Coaching: Minnesota has one of the better coaches,Ron Gardenhire, and management in the game. To take a team with this little fire power on offense and starting pitching is incredible. Joe Girardi is improving as a coach, but his success is largely to do with his $200+ million payroll.

Key Stat: Carl Pavano is pitching for the Twins.

Prediction: Yankees in 3

Phillies (2) versus Rockies (4)

To me this is the easiest series of all four to pick. The Phillies won it all last year and a great playoff 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation. The Rockies don’t have any big names in their rotation or lineup that you would be afraid to pitch to like the Cardinals, Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox do. The  lead the season series 4-2. This is also a matchup of the last two NL Champs, the Phillies won the World Series last year, and the Rockies fell to the Red Sox in 2007.

Infield: Phillies win this one big time. With MVPs like Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard along with All-Star Chase Utley, Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz. The Phillies are stacked here, and this is the biggest difference maker in the series especially with the fact that both stadiums are very hitter friendly. The Rockies have rising stars like Troy Tulowitski, Ian Stewart, and Chris Iannetta along with Clint Barmes and Todd Helton. They aren’t bad as much as unexperienced and young.

Outfield: The Phillies get the edge again with a solid outfield of Raul Ibañez and his record year in homers, speedy Shane Victorino, and emerging slugger Jayson Werth. The Rockies on the other hand, the Rockies are a lot young with talented rookies Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler. Veteran Brad Hawpe is a great power threat and is a quiet leader in Mile High.

Bench: The Rockies actually get the edge here. They have power off the bench from Jason Giambi and Garrett Atkins along with more solid production from Ryan Spilbourghs, Yorvit Torealba, and Seth Smith. The Phillies are okay with former Indians starter Ben Francisco and aging vets Eric Bruntlett, Paul Bako, and Greg Dobbs.

Starting Pitching: The edge, again, goes to the Phillies. They have two aces at the top of their rotation with Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. The back end of the rotation is also solid with innings eater Joe Blanton and either rookie sensation J.A. Happ or veteran Pedro Martinez. The Rockies have no true ace, but career years from young Ubaldo Jimenez and vets Aaron Cook, Jason Marquis, and 16-game winner Jorge De La Rosa.

Relief Pitching: Colorado barely gets the edge here because of the struggles of all the Phillies’ closers. After being perfect last year, Brad Lidge has blown ten saves and set-up man Ryan Madson hasn’t been any better. J.C. Romero and Brett Myers will be solid contributors, but can’t help in the ninth. The Rockies have a solid closer in Huston Street and several more okay relievers like Franklin Morales, Rafael Betancourt, and Joe Beimel.

Coaching: Neither team has a great coach, but the Rockies’ Jim Tracy has turned around a team that was well under .500 early in the year, after replacing Clint Hurdle, and will likely win Manager of the Year Award for that.

Key Stat: The Rockies have only won eight games on the road versus the lefty starters.

Prediction: Phillies in 3

Angels (2) versus Red Sox (4)

Vladimir Guerrero grounds out in Boston

The Angels lead the regular season series 5-4, but the Red Sox have won twelve of the last thirteen postseason games between the two. For whatever reason, the Angels have always dominated Boston in the regular season, but can’t seem to beat the Red Sox when it come to playoff time. Sometimes, it has been injuries to the Angels (which there are no important ones) or running into a hotter Boston team (Los Angeles is actually playing better lately), but the Red Sox just have the Angels number.

Infield: Boston picks up the edge in the infield after trading for Victor Martinez, a great power bat to hit clean up for Boston. The rest of the infield consists of MVP Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, and Alex Gonzalez. For the Angels, the emergence of Kendry Morales as a power threat for the middle of their order has really helped their offense, along with Chone Figgins’ breakout year. Up the middle, the Angels lack a big bat, as Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar are just about only useful to get on base.

Outfield/DH: The edge goes slightly to the Angels here. The addition of Bobby Abreu completes the Angels lineup and has taught them to wait for the right pitch. Conversly, Vladimir Guerrero will swing at anything, but unfortunately for the Red Sox, can hit anything really hard. The rest of the outfield consist of solid veteran Torii Hunter and improving Juan Rivera. The Red Sox aren’t too shabby, either with slugging Jason Bay and David Ortiz and speedy Jacoby Ellsbury. The weak link is J.D. Drew, who has well under performed for his massive $70 million contract.

Bench: The Red Sox get the edge here, too, with solid former starters such as Jason Varitek, Jed Lowrie, Casey Kotchman, and Rocco Baldelli off the bench, not to mention the fastest baseball player ever, Joey Gathright. The Angels also have some solid production off the bench from Maicer Izturis, Jeff Mathis, Gary Matthews Jr., and Reggie Willits, but they aren’t collectively as good.

Starting Pitching: Los Angeles and Boston are equal here, as long as Boston stays healthy. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett have been lights out in the playoffs, and Clay Buchholz and Dice-K have pitched well lately, with the exception of Buchholz’s last two starts. The Angels bolstered their rotation big-time when they added former Ray and Red Sox nemesis Scott Kazmir to an already loaded rotation that features John Lackey, Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders , and maybe Ervin Santana.

Relief Pitching: This is the Angels biggest weak spot and one of the Red Sox’ strengths. Boston’s bullpen is made up entirely of former closers and players who could close on many other teams. Included are Jonathan Papelbon, Billy Wagner, Takashi Saito, Daniel Bard, Hideki Okajima, and the list goes on and on. For the Angels, they are very weak after closer Brian Fuentes, who is one of the more hittable closers in the AL.

Coaching: Both coaches receive a lot less credit then they deserve because of their massive pay rolls, but Mike Scioscia is by far the best coach in the American League. He is a great leader, teacher and strategist. That is no knock on Terry Francona, though, who is also one of the better coaches in the league.

Key Stat: The Red Sox have won 12 of the last 13 game versus the Angels in the playoffs.

Prediction: Red Sox in 4

Dodgers (1) versus Cardinals (3)

This series feature the two best hitters in the majors over the past decade: Albert Pujols and Manny Ramirez. Since the All-Star Break, the Cards and Dodgers have gone in different directions. The Dodgers were the toast of the NL and led their division by seven games and almost lost the division to Colorado and only won it by three games. The Cardinals were struggling to take command of the Central with a three game lead over Milwaukee, until they picked up Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, John Smoltz, and Julio Lugo. St. Louis won the season series 5-2, but don’t look for that to keep the the Dodgers down.

Infield: St. Louis gets the edge here because of the 2009 NL MVP Albert Pujols (What? Who said that?) and Mark DeRosa. The rest of the infield isn’t great with Brendan Ryan and Skip Schumaker, but Pujols is such a difference maker. James Loney is an emerging as a great hitter, but Casey Blake, Rafael Furcal, and Orlando Hudson are all on the decline.

Outfield: Just like the Cardinals win the infield because of Pujols, the Dodgers have the better outfield because of Manny. Not only do the Dodgers have a great playoff hitter in Manny Ramirez, but they have two rising future All-Stars in Andre Either and Matt Kemp. The Dodgers easily have the best outfield out of all the playoff teams. The Cardinals are no slouches either with All-Stars in Matt Holliday and Ryan Ludwick, along with possible Rookie of the Year Colby Rasmus.

Bench: The Dodgers have a loaded bench with former starters they picked up, Ronnie Belliard and Jim Thome, along with more solid contributions from Juan Pierre, Brad Ausmus, and Mark Lorretta. The Cards, on the other hand, only have Rick Ankiel, Julio Lugo, and Troy Glaus, who all have been very underproductive and injured this year.

Ryan Franklin and his beard

Starting Pitching: This is the Cards’ biggest strength and the the Dodgers’ biggest hole. With Cy Young candidates like Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright along with more contributions from Joel Piñeiro and Kyle Lohse. The Dodgers have a very young rotation with Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla, and Chad Billingsley. Unlike St. Louis, LA doesn’t have any ace-type pitchers in their rotation.

Relief Pitching: Neither team is great, but the Dodgers get the slight edge. They are great in the eighth and ninth with All-Stars Jonathan Broxton and Trade Deadline pickup George Sherrill. After that, they only have Ramon Troncoso and Hong-Chih Kuo. St. Louis has All-Star closer Ryan Franklin, but he had a career year that isn’t likely to be repeated. After Franklin and his beard, their next best relievers, Jason Motte and Kyle McClellan are both under 27.

Coaching: The Cardinals win a close call in a matchup of the best NL manager. Joe Torre led the Yankees to four World Series Titles, but that was in New York. Tony La Rusa is the only manager to win a World Series in both leagues, and is a master coach. He and pitching coach Dave Duncan have turned former cast-offs Piñeiro, Lohse, John Smoltz, and many more into All-Star calliber pitchers.

Key Stat: Manny Ramirez hasn’t hit a home run since September 9th.

Prediction: Cardinals in 5

Is Joe Mauer a $200 million man?

When in comes to the top paid MLB players, you start off the list with Alex Rodriguez, four outfielders, two more infielders, and three starting pitchers. What is the only position not in the top ten? The catcher.  There are only three cacthers in the top 100. They are Jorge Posada, number 37, Joe Mauer, number 73, and Ramon Hernandez, number 98. Posada, is the highest paid catcher at $13.1 million, nearly one third of his teammate Alex Rodriguez. That is an extremely low number considering the catchers manage the field and call the pitches. Good, veteran catchers help to develop young pitchers and are the glue for their clubhouse.

Joe Mauer will hit free agency next winter, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension with the Twins before hand. One interesting note is that his agent is Ron Shapiro who also was the agent for Cal Ripken Jr., Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, and Kirby Puckett, all of whom played their whole career in one city. But, again, assuming he does hit the market in the 2010-11 winter, he will easily command the biggest contract out of the group, bigger than Derrek Lee, Derek Jeter, Aramis Ramirez, Josh Beckett, Roy Halladay, and Mariano Rivera.

Joe Mauer will be one of the three finalist for the MVP along with Yankees Derek Jeter and Mark Teixera. And all of this, even after missing the first month of the year. He flirted with hitting .400 for the first half of the year and now hits a lowly .367. He also has become a great power hitter now, more than doubling his previous career high in homers from 13 to 28. He has also set career highs in RBIs and OPS this year, with a week still to go.

Mauer was the number one overall pick in the 2001 MLB draft straight out of high school by his hometown Minnesota Twins, who were heavily criticized by the media for passive over the highly touted, more expensive fire baller out of USC, Mark Prior. Obviously, Mauer has had a way better pro career than Prior, and has helped the Twins prove the rest of Major League Baseball wrong as Mauer has become a top ten player in the league. But how much is this superstar worth?

If you take a look a contracts of similar players, you are looking at a catcher like Jorge Posada. Posada’s last contract was for $52 million over 4 years. In that season, Posada’s OPS was . 068 lower, he had eight less homers, had two more errors, three less RBI, two less steals, and way less leadership. Add on the fact that Posada was 10 years older than Mauer is now, and Mauer will easily make more than Posada’s $13 million.

Three different position players with comparable stats are Hanley Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera, and Mark Teixeira. Ramirez, who is 25, avoided arbitration with the Marlins by signing a six year/$70 million contract. Ramirez has .087 lower OPS, one more homer, 35 less strikeouts, .033 lower fielding percentage, 12 less RBI, 19 more doubles, 47 more steals; all in 21 more games. At age 24, Cabrera signed with the Tigers for $153.3 million over eight years. The year before Cabrera signed the contract, he had a .070 lower OPS, 6 more homers, 26 more RBI, 9 more doubles, 2 less steals, 67 more strike outs, .025 lower fielding percentage, in 24 more games. In the year previous to signing his $180 million/8 year contract, Teixeira had a .069 lower OPS, 5 more homers, 26 more RBI, ten more runs, two less steals, 31 more strikeouts, in 21 more games.

Because of Joe Mauer’s leadership position on his team, he deserves more than the nearly $12 million Ramirez makes and over $19 million Cabrera makes. He has taken the Twins young pitching staff and has turned them into All-Stars. Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins, and Anthony Swarzak are all starters under the age of 27 and have led the Twins pitching staff. The Twins’ lone veteran starter is Carl Pavano, who was acquired in early August.

Mauer is also a great clubhouse guy, and you can never measure the impact of a someone like that. They keep all the other players loose and keeps them together. Players like that are hard to find.

Joe Mauer is due for a huge pay raise in next off-season. That may come from a big market team like the Yankees, Red Sox, or Mets. It may also come from his hometown Twins. Nearly every team will be in the bidding for Mr. Mauer’s services except teams with very good young catchers; the Braves, Orioles, Dodgers, and Giants. In the end, Mauer will probably get a contract from a big market team for around $20 million per year. I predict he will end up with the Mets for a 10 year/$215 million contract, who certainly have the money and need a young catcher. He may or may not end up as a catcher, but he will certainly still be one of the top five players int he league.