Aside from Ichiro and Felix Hernandez, there’s not much to see when it comes to the Seattle Mariners. They’re in a real bind because even in a wide-open division, they don’t have enough to compete in the AL West but they also don’t want to trade away their best talent and not have anything to attract fans to the ballpark this season.

But at this point, it might not be a bad idea for GM Jack Zduriencik to get Brian Cashman on the phone.

After missing out on Cliff Lee this winter, the Yankees still need pitching. If A.J. Burnett comes around and Phil Hughes gives the club another quality season, then the Bombers could make do. But this is the Yankees: They don’t want to “make do,” they want to win championships. That’s why they might be willing to sell the farm in order to acquire a piece like King Felix.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports talked about this very topic in one of his latest columns. He writes that Zduriencik might be able to acquire farm names such as Jesus Montero (who was the centerpiece of the Yankees’ offer to the Mariners last summer before Seattle sent him to Texas), Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Ivan Nova, Hector Noesi and Eduardo Nunez. As Rosenthal points out, the M’s wouldn’t be able to acquire all of those players, but considering Hernandez is coming off a Cy Young-winning season, is only 25 and is under team control through 2014, there’s not much Zduriencik couldn’t at least ask for.

But again, would the M’s be willing to part with a player such as Hernandez when it’ll make them weaker now and the Yankees stronger? King Felix may wind up spending the next 10 years beating them in New York and then what was this all for? To acquire some prospects that may or may not turn out?

That said, the M’s need a lot of players and New York could certainly help them in that area. If Seattle were able to acquire five great to very good prospects, they might be able to compete for a championship themselves in the near future. Nothing is guaranteed of course, but what if in one phone call Zduriencik could make his club a serious contender in two or three years? All he has to do is sacrifice a lot right now to possibly acquire a lot more down the road.

If you’re Zduriencik, do you make the call?

Contributors: Anthony Stalter, John Paulsen, Paul Costanzo, Drew Ellis and Mike Farley

You think he’s gone? He’s not gone. He’s never gone!

Brett Favre has duped us before with his retirement talk, so why should we buy what he’s selling now? Lord Favre says 2010 will be his final season, but after spending a couple of months on his ranch next summer, he’ll get the itch to return. And some team will welcome him back. And the media will torture us with their 24-hour Favre watch. And the dreaded cycle of death will continue. So which lucky team will have No. 4 in uniform next season? While we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Favre returning to the Vikings for one more year now that Brad Childress is gone, that’s not a very fun projection. Thus, what about Da Raaaaaaaiders? Huh? Can you see it now? Lord Favre and Al Davis at the podium holding up their pointer fingers and saying, “Just win baby.” No? Ah, you’re no fun.

Carmelo will be a Knickerbocker next year.

Book ‘em, Danno. The writing is on the wall. He hasn’t signed the three-year extension that the Nuggets offered last summer and has reportedly decided that the only team he’ll agree to be traded to is the New York Knicks. This means that if the Nuggets are hoping to get something substantial for him, they’ll have to move him before the February trade deadline. Since there appears to be only one team in the running, the deal isn’t going to be very good. We wouldn’t want to be Nugget fans right now — the rebuilding process is about to begin.

Notre Dame will go to a BCS bowl.

There isn’t a game on Notre Dame’s schedule that isn’t winnable — there are just a few that aren’t losable. If the Irish make the same kind of leap in Year Two with Brian Kelly that Central Michigan and Cincinnati did, 10 wins isn’t out of the question. And whether or not you think it’s fair, if you think all of the BCS bowls will pass on a 10-win Notre Dame team, you’re crazy. They’ll then go on to get blown out by a one-loss SEC team in the Sugar Bowl.

The New Orleans Saints will repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Even though their defense continues to be plagued by inconsistency, the Saints figure things out in the playoffs. They get a free win against the Rams in the Wild Card round of the playoffs and then head to Atlanta for the Divisional Round. The Saints, after purposely losing to the Falcons twice in the regular season when Garrett Hartley was forced to missed chip shot field goals that would have won the games for New Orleans, beat Atlanta on its home turf (the Saints bought into the old adage that it’s difficult to beat a team three times in one season, which is why they lost on purpose to set the Falcons up for defeat). In the NFC Championship Game, Drew Brees outguns Michael Vick in a 63-60 shootout and the Saints head to the Super Bowl to take on none other than Peyton Manning and the Colts (who somehow overcame all of their flaws and won three in a row in the playoffs). Then, as if it were déjà vu, the Saints once again get the better of Peyton and friends to become unlikely world champions. The city of New Orleans doesn’t stop partying until July.

Mariners trade King Felix to the Phillies to form what they call a “Super Rotation.”

Realizing they need a fifth starter to go along with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Roy Hamels, the Phillies trade every last prospect they have in Triple-A to the Mariners for Felix Hernandez. The media in Philadelphia quickly coin the phrase the “Super Rotation” and the Phillies go on to win every one of their games in April by a combined score of 192-5 (Cody Ross hits a solo home run off each of the starting pitchers in two separate series, comprising of the five runs allowed). Upon witnessing the “Super Rotation” for himself, Jeff Van Gundy claims that the Phillies will break the 2001 Mariners’ single-season record for most wins (116)…

…Jeff Van Gundy jinxes the Phillies.

“In fact,” Van Gundy says, “they won’t lose a game all year thanks to the Super Rotation!” Everyone starts buying into the Van Gundy’s prediction when the Phillies win their first seven games in May, too. “Man, that Van Gundy really knows what he’s talking about!” people will say. But shortly thereafter, people realize that Van Gundy does, in fact, know nothing about baseball and shouldn’t be commenting on the sport. Cody Ross comes back to town and single-handily lights up the “Super Rotation” for six home runs and 25 RBI and the Phillies never recover. They struggle to finish .500 and watch as the Nationals pass them in the standings. “How did this happen,” Lee asks. “It was that damn Jeff Van Gundy,” Halladay responds.

Duke will repeat.

Even without star freshman Kyrie Irving, who is out indefinitely with a toe injury, the Blue Devils are still the favorite to win the national championship. Nolan Smith and Seth Curry are more than capable of replacing most of Irving’s production, and while they could really use their star freshman’s playmaking ability, Duke won the title last year without it. Plus, Coach K made that deal with the devil, so there’s that.

The Big East will end in an eight-way tie with all teams at 5-7.

Is that possible? In the Big East, we sure it is, somehow. The BCS representative will be selected by an eight-man competition of the card game War, played by the school’s athletic directors. Rutgers will win the bid on a double-ace war, and the commissioner of the Fiesta Bowl will commit seppuku before the BCS selection show.

The Finals will be a Lakers/Celtics rematch, and the Celtics will pull out the tough win.

The more we look at this Miami Heat team, the more we wonder about their mental toughness. Dwyane Wade is all there, but what about LeBron and Chris Bosh? Are they going to hold up against a Boston Celtics team that seems to have the Ubuntu thing going again? And who is going to stop the Lakers in the West? We smell a rematch, and this time the C’s are going to come out on top when Pau Gasol’s body melts in the wake of Kevin Garnett’s sheer intensity.

Craig James will continue to be employed by ESPN.

And every Thursday and Saturday night, we’ll ask ourselves, “Why?”

Urban Meyer will reunite with Tim Tebow.

After months of searching for a head coach that would want to take on the massive project that is Tim Tebow, the Broncos strike out. Desperate, they reach out to the one man they know would drop trou in order to work with Tebow again: Urban Meyer. Even though his offense would never fly at the pro level, the Broncos hire Meyer anyway and to their surprise, he and Tebow take Denver to the top of the AFC West standings. After a grueling couple weeks of postseason play, the Broncos finally reach the Super Bowl and face Troy Smith and the 49ers. After Ted Ginn Jr. returns the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, the Broncos completely shut down Smith and the Niner offense. Smith completes just 14 passes for 25 yards along with an interception and a fumble, all while being sacked five times. Tebow caps off Denver’s 41-14 victory with a 1-yard touchdown run and him and Meyer embrace each other in total jubilation. After the game Meyer is overheard telling Tebow, “Don’t you ever leave me again.”

The Nationals win the NL Wild Card.

After years of sixth-place finishes in the NL East, Jayson Werth helps the Nats secure a playoff berth after everyone laughed at him for signing with lowly Washington in the offseason. Upon reaching the playoffs, Werth boasts, “Me and my $126 million will be laughing all the way to the postseason suckas!” But Werth and the Nationals don’t stop celebrating through the NLDS and they get swept in Round 1. Embarrassed, Werth says, “I’m embarrassed.” The Nationals fail to recapture the same magic they had in 2011 and Werth is released following the 2012 season when he hits .063 with 11 RBI and one home run in 605 at bats.

Auburn is going to get hammered, on and off the field.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and there’s a ton of smoke coming out of Auburn right now. (Almost more than Iowa.) Cam Newton is leaving, but the sins of his father will cause the NCAA to take action. That process will be expedited by the fact the FBI is involved. Oh, and Newton leaving will force the Tigers into regretting giving Gus Malzahn $1.3 million to stay on as a coordinator. Talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket. A basket that’s about to be smashed.

Josh McDaniels will be coaching Matt Ryan in 2011.

No, Mike Smith isn’t going anywhere – nor should he. McDaniels was a colossal bust in Denver as a head coach but his track record proves that he can run an offense. While the offensive coordinator for the Patriots from 2006 through 2008, New England never finished lower than 11th in total offense with McDaniels at the helm, which included the Pats’ record-setting ’07 season. Even though he had considerably less talent in Denver (thanks to his horrendous personnel moves), the Broncos’ offense still finished 15th in 2009. While he may not get another head coaching job anytime soon, it’s not a stretch to think he’ll resurface again as an offensive coordinator. And if Mike Mularkey winds up parlaying his success in Atlanta into another head coaching gig, the Falcons will need a new offensive coordinator next year. Why not McDaniels? Granted, the Falcons may want to hire someone from within to keep the framework of Mularkey’s offense intact for Matt Ryan. But it’s fun to imagine the possibility of GM Thomas Dimitroff (another former Patriots employee) hiring McDaniels to work with Ryan, Roddy White and Michael Turner next season.

Giants sign all the past World Series MVPs, finish dead last in the NL West.

After Edgar Renteria helped the Giants win their first World Series championship since moving to San Francisco, GM Brian Sabean (who has a major penchant for signing crusty old position players to go along with his young, star-studded pitching staff) gets a great idea to compile a team solely of previous World Series MVPs. He re-signs Renteria to a new three-year, $26 million contract then coaxes Mike Lowell out of retirement with a two-year, $23 million deal (“It was too good of a deal to pass up!” Lowell says) to play third base. Sabean trades catcher Buster Posey to the Padres for second baseman Daivd Eckstein and signs Jermaine Dye, Manny Ramirez and Hideki Matsui (we know he’s already signed with the A’s – stop sucking all the fun out of this and play along) to play the outfield. Needing a catcher, Sabean throws $10 million at 47-year-old Pat Borders to come out of retirement and then fills his bench with Troy Glaus, Scott Brosius and Paul Molitor (now 54). The Giants go on to average 0.5 runs per outing and mange to lose 150 games while shattering records of ineptitude. Worse yet, they’re in major payroll hell because of Sabean, but he’s retained anyway by co-owner Bill Neukom who says, “I saw Sabean’s vision and it was pure. Plus, the man won us a title in 2010 so I can’t get rid of him now!” FireSabeanNow websites reach an all-time high in August.

Rich Rodriguez will keep his job and do well in 2011.

Michigan’s number of returning starters combined with a very, very favorable schedule could equal nine or 10 wins for the Wolverines next year. That would be enough to get Rodriguez a fifth year, and take the heat off him as well. Of course, a 2012 schedule that will start with a complete butt-kicking at the hands of Alabama, a loss at a rejuvenated Notre Dame, and brutal late-season trips to Nebraska and Ohio State will put him right back on the hot seat. And by that time, Jim Harbaugh will be coaching the San Francisco 49ers, and the Wolverines will be arguing over whether or not they should hold onto Rodriguez or go with Tyrone Willingham, who will be coming off of two marginally successful seasons at Maryland.

The Yankees will miss the playoffs in 2011.

After failing to sign Cliff Lee and convincing Andy Pettitte not to retire, the Yankees desperately sign Carl Pavano against all fans’ wishes. He’s a disaster and his suck spreads like wildfire, infecting the rest of the rotation before it finally eats away at the Bombers’ offense. The Yankees miss the playoffs, the Red Sox go on to play in the World Series and the entire city of New York falls dark for 72-straight hours. All because of Carl Pavano.

Oregon will go undefeated again.

The Pac-12 will be less difficult than the Pac-10 was this year, as USC will continue to go downhill, and Stanford could be without Andrew Luck and Jim Harbaugh. The Oregon Duck mascot will also actually replace Lee Corso on Gameday, and nobody will notice.

GSP vs. Silva won’t take place until 2012.

The super-fight between Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva will be announced, but it likely won’t take place until Super Bowl Weekend of 2012. With a successful title defense for GSP in Toronto in April, and one, if not two, successful defenses by Silva prior to the summer, the fight will be planned and St. Pierre will have time to apply the weight he would like and prepare for his greatest test yet. When announced, this fight will be the biggest draw in MMA history and perform record numbers for pay per view television ratings.

Fathers will shop their sons even more – Cecil Newton style.

An overwhelming case of “negligence” will hit the NCAA, especially college football as parents will be free to shop their kid around to schools as long as their child is “unaware” that the activity is taking place. As long as there is no paper trail linking the parent with the actual winner of the sweepstakes, that kid is free to play without any sort of penalty. On a related note, the NCAA will crack down on players giving out or selling their jerseys to anyone, as they will increase the penalty to a full season per-jersey sale.

The NFL strike will turn fantasy football players into fantasy hockey players.

With a potential lockout looming, fantasy football players will have no choice but to turn their attention to fantasy hockey, quickly putting the struggling sport into a golden age in its history. Millions more fans will tune in each night to keep track of their players as they will need a fantasy fix since football will not be played on Sundays. To attempt to capitalize on the move, ESPN will strike a new television deal with the NHL, only to regret it a year later when the NFL returns and ESPN loses millions hand over first.

Jim Harbaugh isn’t going to be at Stanford forever.

Nothing against Stanford, but Harbaugh will land a bigger gig soon enough. Whether it’s Michigan or a position in the pros, he’ll have a new mailing address sometime in the near future. While what he’s done at Stanford is remarkable, the fact that the Cardinal cannot sell out their stadium week to week, or come near selling out their allotment of tickets to a BCS bowl (despite having a well spread out and wealthy alumni base), shows that Stanford just isn’t a top-notch job. Either his alma mater or the NFL will pull him away, and we really can’t blame him if he does decide to leave the West Coast.

Tiger will tap his inner “Office.”

Tiger Woods will win at least one major championship in 2011 and regain the top spot in the world rankings. Upon taking back the top spot he will say during an interview “It feels great to be back on top,” to which a young reporter will be unable to control himself and blurt out “That’s what she said.”

Urban Meyer will act as a consultant to Will Muschamp.

He’ll start by working in the athletic department and giving advice whenever Muschamp asks for it. By summer practice, he’ll be calling Muschamp every five minutes with gameplan ideas. By September, he’ll be sitting in the booth, sparingly using the headset to try and call plays. By October, Meyer will have taken over as the offensive coordinator — in his own mind, anyway, as Muschamp will give him a headset that doesn’t transmit anything, and has a loop of wired-up coaches from NFL Films running through the earphones. In November, Meyer will be on the field, attempting to send players into the game and mimicking Muschamp’s play calls. And finally, in December, Meyer will hi-jack a Muschamp press conference and announce that he is returning as Florida’s coach.

Blake Griffin will win the 2011 ROY.

Since he missed the entire 2009-10 season with a knee injury, Griffin is eligible to win the Rookie of the Year award this season. And with all due respect to John Wall (16.7 ppg, 8.9 apg), Griffin looks like he’s well on his way to winning the award. He’s averaging 20.7 points and 12.3 rebounds, while shooting 51% from the field. And he’s dunking on EVERYBODY. He’s a double-double machine, and even managed to score 44 points against the Knicks in October. Surprisingly, for a guy with his athletic ability, he’s not too adept at blocking shots (0.6 bpg), but that should come with time.

Cowher will replace Coughlin, Gruden will replace Singletary.

After the Giants suffer three fourth-quarter collapses in a row to finish out the 2010 season, the Giants fire Tom Coughlin and immediately throw one-billon dollars at Bill Cowher. After taking weeks to come to a decision, Cowher decides to accept their offer and takes over in the Big Apple. Meanwhile, the 49ers wrap up their evaluation into Mike Singletary and come to the conclusion that yep, the man doesn’t know a thing about being a real-life head coach in the NFL. Knowing they need to develop a quarterback, they hire Jon Gruden and give him complete control of the team. His first move is to sign free agent Jeff Garcia, who tells Gruden he’ll play for free as long as he’s the guaranteed starter. Gruden obliges and immediately the 49ers regret their decision. They also become incensed when Gruden re-hires Singletary to be his linebacker coach, but then settle down once they realize that’s where he should have remained this entire time.

LSU will win the national championship.

For the second straight year, the SEC will play Oregon in the national title game, and this time, it will get the win (yes, we’re predicting an Oregon win this year in the title game). Of course, since Les Miles is involved, this won’t be your average national title game. The Tigers will turn the ball over three times, but still win the game with a fake punt on a third down after taking a delay of game following a timeout.

Learned | Knew | Think

While some enthusiasts will argue otherwise, there’s usually not a lot of change from one year to the next in baseball. Most pundits expect the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, Angels, Cardinals, Twins, Dodgers and Rockies (all eight teams that made the playoffs in 2009) to be good again this year. MLB isn’t like the NFL where teams make unexpected playoff runs every year.

That said, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a couple of sleepers to watch out for in 2010. Below are five clubs that didn’t make the postseason last year that have the best odds (in my estimation) of making the playoffs this season.

1. Chicago White Sox
If you read the 2010 MLB season preview, you’re not surprised to see the White Sox at the top of this list. As long as Jake Peavy stays healthy, Chicago arguably has the best starting rotation one through five in the American League. (Boston fans may argue otherwise, but Boston fans can also shove off…just kidding…although not really.) But the key to the Chi Sox’s success this season lies in their offense. Yes, I’m banking on veterans Carlos Quentin, Alex Rios, Mark Teahen, Paul Konerko and Mark Kotsay to have productive years and yes, that may be asking a lot. But Gordon Beckham looks like a star in the making and the addition of Juan Pierre gives the Sox a solid leadoff hitter. I’m well aware that Chicago could finish third in a three-team race in the AL Central, but their pitching is going to keep them competitive all season and I’m willing to bet that their offense won’t be as bad as many believe.

2. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have all the pieces in place to not only compete for the AL Wild Card, but also unseat the Angels in the AL West. Along with Felix Hernandez, the acquisition of Cliff Lee now gives Seattle the best 1-2 punch in the American League outside of Boston’s Josh Beckett and John Lackey. The problem is that the lineup lacks major punch. Chone Figgins and Ichiro give the M’s quality bats at the top of the order, but can this team score enough runs on a nightly basis? The club has been built on pitching and defense but if they want to make the postseason, the Mariners will have to prove that they can overcome a powerless lineup.

3. Atlanta Braves
Many people view the Braves as favorites to win the NL Wild Card this season – and for good reason. Their starting pitching looks awfully good, especially if Tim Hudson can rebound and Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson don’t regress in their development. But how successful the Braves are this year depends on their offense. Chipper Jones, Troy Glaus and Nate McLouth are the perfect complements to Martin Prado, Brian McCann, Yunel Escobar, Jason Heyward and Melky Cabrera. But Jones, Glaus and McClouth have to stay healthy or else this team is doomed and Heyward has to be productive as a rookie. Is it asking too much for guys like Jones, Glaus and Billy Wagner to rebound? Maybe. But you still have to like the Braves’ chances this year based on their pitching and Heyward’s potential.

4. Tampa Bay Rays
If I didn’t have such a wild hair up my ass about the White Sox’s chances this year and if they didn’t play in such a competitive division, then the Rays would have probably found themselves ranked second or third on this list. But I go back and forth with how I feel about them. One moment I’m ready to crown them AL Wild Card champs and the next I’m convinced they’ll finish no higher than third in the AL East. Their pitching scares me, although I’m well aware that David Price, James Shields, Matt Garza and Jeff Niemann have the ability to keep the Rays competitive all season. I just wish an ace would emerge from the group so I can sleep better at night. The offense is stacked with guys that can hit for average (Carl Crawford, Jason Bartlett, Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria), power (Zobrist, Longoria, Carlos Pena) and speed (Crawford, Bartlett, B.J. Upton), but the key might be whether or not Upton can rebound. If he can and the starting rotation is consistent throughout the year, then I’m back to thinking the Rays are a serious Wild Card contender. If he can’t and the rotation is average, then this club has a ceiling on its success in 2010.

5. Chicago Cubs
Two years ago, the Cubs won 97 games – the second most in baseball behind the Angels and tied with the Rays. Then last year, they infected themselves with Milton Bradley, Geovanny Soto forgot how to play and injuries limited Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano. This year, the Bradley infection has cleared and Soto has vowed to rebound from his sophomore slump. If Ramirez and Soriano can stay healthy, they’ll team up with Derrek Lee to form the makings of a solid offense. The starting pitching is above average too, although Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly have to stay healthy and Carlos Silva can’t be the disaster he was last year. The Cubs have their flaws, but they also have the makings of a solid club and could sneak up on teams this season. They probably won’t unseat the Cardinals in the NL Central, but a NL Wild Card berth is certainly not out of the question.

The Next Five:

6. San Francisco Giants
7. Texas Rangers
8. New York Mets
9. Detroit Tigers
10. Arizona Diamondbacks

I wouldn’t be shocked if any of these five teams made the postseason in their respective leagues, but all five of them have major flaws that they’ll have to overcome. The Giants have great pitching, but GM Brian Sabean has ruined that great pitching by fielding a horrible offense outside of stud Pablo Sandoval. The Rangers have the opposite problem – they can hit, but their pitching is a question mark. The Mets have enough offense, but the organization is cursed (if you don’t believe in curses, have a couple of beers with a Mets fan and see if they can’t change your mind) and their pitching is a joke outside of Johan Santana. The Tigers have two MVP-caliber pieces in Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera, but whether or not the front office is committed to winning is a question that won’t be answered until after the All-Star Break. The Diamondbacks have a promising offense, but it’s also inexperienced and Brandon Webb’s injury is obviously a major concern.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/04/02/five-new-playoff-contenders-for-the-2010-mlb-season/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/03/24/2010-mlb-preview-al-west/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/03/24/2010-mlb-preview-al-west/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:30:58 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=36735

In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

All 2010 MLB Preview Content | AL East Preview | AL Central Preview | AL West Preview | NL East | NL Central | NL West

Next up is the AL West.

1. Los Angeles Angels (6)
When I started to do the prep work for the AL West preview, I filled the top slot with the Angels without even giving it much thought. And why should I have? They’ve won the division six of the last seven years and baseball fans have just grown accustomed to the Halos being in the playoff mix every season. But immediately after I slotted them in the top spot, my stomach started to hurt and no, it wasn’t from the fish I ate last night. (Although hey, fish is still good even when it turns green right?) There’s no doubt that the Angels took a hit this offseason. They lost their ace (John Lackey), their leadoff man (Chone Figgins) and their top power source (Vladimir Guerrero), and usually when a team parts with that much talent, it suffers a setback. But this is why I’m not overly concerned about this club: the additions of Joel Pineiro and Hideki Matsui should pay dividends and if Scott Kazmir could ever stay healthy, he would ease the loss of Lackey. Plus, in Erick Aybar (their new leadoff hitter), Kendry Morales and Torri Hunter, the Halos still have a solid offensive core and their starting pitching is still in good shape with vets like Kazmir, Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders. Times are changing in L.A. and the Mariners and Rangers will push the Halos this season, but in the end they should be right back on top.

2. Seattle Mariners (8)
It’s hard not to get excited about the Mariners’ potential this season. After adding pitcher Cliff Lee in the offseason via a trade with the Phillies, they catapulted themselves into the Wild Card discussion and they should challenge the Angels in the division. But for as giddy as the thought of Lee, Felix Hernandez and Erick Bedard gets Seattle fans, there’s still that nagging offensive issue – as in, the M’s don’t have any. Jack Zduriencik tailor made this club for Safeco, which means pitching and defense are the focal points. But can the Mariners generate enough runs to overtake the Angels? The addition of Chone Figgins at the top of the lineup was great, but can Seattle get by playing small ball with him and Ichiro? At the end of the day, I like the club’s chances to succeed this season, especially with the addition of Lee and the fact that they improved their win total in 2009 by 24 games. But I’m not sure they’ll have enough offense yet to reach the postseason.

3. Texas Rangers (14)
On the surface, it’s tough to tell whether or not the Rangers are improved or not. Their high-powered offense wasn’t up to its usual standards last year because Josh Hamilton missed 73 games due to various injuries. But if Texas can get a full season out of him, then the club should score plenty of runs in 2010. The club lost workhorse Kevin Millwood via free agency but added Rich Harden, who can be dominating when healthy. If youngsters Neftali Feliz and Scott Feldman produce, then there’s no reason to think the Rangers can’t challenge for the Wild Card (or even the division). That said, I trust their pitching as much as I trust the Mariners’ offense, which is to say I don’t. That’s why I don’t have the gumption to write Seattle or Texas into the No. 1 spot in this division. But if Harden, Feliz and Feldman all overachieve, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the Rangers made some noise this season.

4. Oakland A’s (23)
Since when did the AL West get so competitive? Even though the A’s appear to be the weakest club in the division, they could wind up surprising people with their pitching and defense. Unfortunately for them, they don’t have enough offense to stay competitive all season. The combination of Coco Crisp, Jack Cust and Kevin Kouzmanoff isn’t even enough to scare Snuggle, the fabric softener bear, so what makes anyone think that they’re going to scare Cliff Lee, Felix Hernandez or Scott Kazmir? Ben Sheets will make for an interesting storyline to follow (although he’s having a horrid spring) and the bullpen should be outstanding with Andrew Bailey as its headliner, but other than that there’s not much to like about Oakland this season. They may hang with the three teams above in the first half, but eventually they should quietly sink to the bottom of the division.

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Offseason Movement: The M’s will bring back a familiar face this season after signing OF/DH Ken Griffey Jr. The club also made a slew of trades, adding outfielders Franklin Gutierrez (Indians) and Endy Chavez (Mets), as well as pitchers David Aardsma (Red Sox) and Garrett Olson (Cubs). Seattle also signed free agents Tyler Johnson, Tyler Walker and Russell Branyan.

Top Prospect: Greg Halman, OF
Some feel as though infielder Carlos Triunfel is the Mariners’ best long-term prospect and that very well might be the case, but Halman is closer to making an impact at the big league level at this point. Halman has flashed an outstanding array of power and speed and with Seattle not expected to contend this year, he could be a late season call up. Along with Halman and Triunfel, pitcher Phillippe Aumont is another prospect worthy of keeping an eye on.

The Big Question: Can Erik Bedard stay healthy?
The Mariners have some of the best pitching depth in baseball, but they need Bedard to stay healthy. The club traded promising youngster Adam Jones and pitcher George Sherrill for Bedard last offseason and all they got was 15 starts before he suffered major shoulder issues. If he can stay healthy, Bedard and “King” Felix Hernandez form a nice 1-2 punch at the top of a rotation that also features Carlos Silva, Brandon Morrow and Jarrod Washburn. The M’s might be wise to move Bedard back in the rotation at the start to get him more days rest earlier in the season.

Outlook: Don’t get it twisted – this isn’t a bad club. Well, this was a bad club last year, but the pieces are there for a contender down the road. The M’s have one of the better rotations in the AL and if youngsters Yuniesky Betancourt, Brandon Morrow and Franklin Gutierrez start producing right away, Seattle could surprise. But that’s asking a lot of those young players and unfortunately even with players like Ichrio, Griffey and Adrian Beltre, the veterans probably aren’t good enough to carry this team on their own. The bullpen is also a major question mark. New management has brought a little excitement to this club and it probably won’t be long before things start turning around on the field. But inexperience will be the downfall this year and it’s hard envisioning the M’s making a surprise run this season.

Projection: 4th, AL West

All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

There are two general schools of thought when it comes to selecting relief pitchers. Some owners zero in on a stud and are willing to select one in the first couple rounds, while others don’t mind cruising the wavier wire on a regular basis during the season after they waited to address the position late in their draft.

Neither approach is bad, although each has its drawbacks. K-Rod racked up 62 saves last season, but switching clubs and leagues this year leads to some uncertainty, plus outside of saves, his ERA and WHIP numbers have been on the decline for years. If you’re the type that burns a high draft pick on a top reliever and a guy like K-Rod fizzles, you obviously would have cost yourself an opportunity to select a position player that could have given you great value at that spot.

Conversely, if you wait until the later rounds of your draft to address your stopper(s), then you run the risk of playing Russian Roulette with the position throughout the regular season, possibly costing you wins/points in not only saves, but strikeouts, ERA and WHIP as well.

If we could offer some advice, we recommend finding a happy medium between those that make finding a reliever one of their top priorities, and those who avoid it like the dentist. Find that next wave of relievers after names like Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon and Mariano Rivera come off the board. Chances are you’ll get a nice combination of saves, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP without burning a high draft pick on one of the studs.

Below are some closers that won’t cost you a top draft pick, but also ones that shouldn’t come up short in the production department.

Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
Marmol is an incredibly intriguing, yet risky closer prospect. He has all the tools and talent to must 40-plus saves, but he is inexperienced and has some control issues. Still, the closer role is all his after Kerry Wood signed with the Indians in the offseason and if Marmol can take the next step forward in his development, he could be in store for a big season.

Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox
Jenks might scare some owners away this year after having back issues last year. But if he earned 30 saves at less than ideal health and after losing some zip on his fastball, then he’s capable of producing 35-plus saves this season now that he’s healthy again. If he ever matures, he could be one of the better closers in the league.

Kerry Wood, Cleveland Indians
Wood might be the most intriguing closer in fantasy this year after saving 34 games last season for the Cubs. He joins the Indians this year and if the Tribe bounces back, he has the potential to top the 40 mark in saves. He obviously has to stay healthy, however, and must avoid tiring like he did in the second half last season. (He went from having a 2.43 ERA and 0.86 WHIP to 4.57 and 1.45 in the second half.)

Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers
Don’t be scared – Broxton is a stud in the making. The 24-year old has 40-plus save potential and should once again sniff 90 strikeouts, all while keeping his ERA south of 2.80. He has trouble staying consistent at times, but Broxton’s 11.4 strikeouts per 9 innings is nothing to scoff at.

Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
If the Angels give Fuentes as many opportunities for saves as they did K-Rod last year, then the former Rockie could be one of the best bargains in your draft this season. He saved 30 games last year and managed to keep his ERA (2.73) and WHIP (1.10) low. You might be able to put Fuentes down for 35 saves this season, with comparable ERA and WHIP numbers from 2008.

Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
Wilson’s 4.62 ERA and 1.44 WHIP were nasty last year, but his 41 saves make him an awfully intriguing pick. Now that he has a full season under his belt, he should be able to lower his ERA dramatically, although he must be more consistent and cut down on the walks. Even though he pitches for a poor team, the Giants will give Wilson plenty of opportunities for saves as they have the penchant for playing in a ton of tight ballgames.

Below is our official ranking of relief pitchers.

1. Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
2. Joe Nathan, MIN
3. Mariano Rivera, NYY
4. Brad Lidge, PHI
5. Joakim Soria, KC
6. Jose Valverde, HOU
7. Francisco Rodriguez, NYM
8. B.J. Ryan, TOR
9. Carlos Marmol, CHC
10. Bobby Jenks, CWS
11. Jonathan Broxton, LAD
12. Kerry Wood, CLE
13. Francisco Codero, CIN
14. Brian Fuentes, LAA
15. Matt Capps, PIT
16. Brian Wilson, SF
17. Heath Bell, SD
18. Trevor Hoffman, MIL
19. Frank Francisco, TEX
20. Matt Lindstrom, FLA
21. Mike Gonzalez, ATL
22. George Sherrill, OAK
23. Chad Qualls, ARI
24. Huston Street, COL
25. Joey Devine, OAK
26. Troy Percival, TB
27. Joel Hanrahan, WAS
28. Justin Duchscherer, OAK
29. Brad Ziegler, OAK
30. Brandon Lyon, DET
31. Jose Arredondo, LAA
32. Brandon Morrow, SEA
33. Manny Corpas, COL
34. Chris Ray, BAL
35. Chris Perez, STL
36. J.J. Putz, NYM
37. Fernando Rodney, DET
38. Manny Parra, MIL
39. Dan Wheeler, TB
40. Miguel Batista, SEA
41. Kevin Gregg, CHC
42. Takashi Saito, BOS
43. Grant Balfour, TB
44. Hong-Chih Kuo, LAD
45. Rafael Betancourt, CLE

All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

Admit it, you passed on Tim Lincecum last year. You took one look at his 2007 record (7-5), his ball boy-type frame (he only stands 5’11” and is 170-pounds soaking wet) and the fact that he played on a team with one of the worst offenses in baseball and you said, “no thanks.”

But there was one owner (the smart one) in your league that bought into the hype, took a shot and reaped the benefits of Lincecum earning the NL Cy Young Award while going 18-5 with a major league-leading 265 strikeouts and 2.62 ERA.

Don’t feel bad; you weren’t the only fantasy owner last year that just couldn’t pull the trigger on Lincecum. Truth be told, he was a bit of a risk last season given his inexperience and the fact that the Giants weren’t expected to give him much run support. And assuming you’ve played a fair share of fantasy baseball, you’ve probably been burned once or twice in the past by taking a risk on that perfect young sleeper that everyone is gaga for in spring training, yet fizzles once the season starts.

But Lincecum proved last year that you could find diamonds in the rough that can wind up anchoring your pitching staff for the entire season. You have to be willing to take a risk, however, and select one of those potential gems a round or two before they are projected to go.

Below we’ve put together a group of young pitchers that might not become the next Tim Lincecum, but ones that could certainly turn out to be tremendous values once the top 15 arms come off the board. We’re talking about pitchers who haven’t seen their 28th birthday yet (most haven’t even seen their 25th birthday yet), but ones that could post 15-plus wins, 150-plus strikeouts and an ERA south of 3.80.

Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees
Don’t think for a second that you’ll be pulling a fast one on everybody if you take Chamberlain as your second pitcher – everyone already knows about Joba’s potential. But he has struggled thus far in spring training, which means he could drop into your lap as other owners flock to safer pitching choices. Chamberlain has the potential to win 15-plus games, sniff 200 strikeouts and close in on a 3.20 ERA, but he obviously has to cash in on his immense physical talent. If he continues to struggle in spring training, you might land him later than you projected and if you do, he could wind up being the best pitcher on your roster by season’s end.

Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers
Gallardo will scare away plenty of potential owners after only making five starts in 2008, but he has the talent to post 185-plus strikeouts and produce 15-plus wins. If he stays healthy, he should also keep his ERA south of 3.50 and although you’ll land him in the middle rounds, he could project to being a top 25 pitcher. Remember, he had knee issues last year – nothing arm related. The future ace should once again be healthy and he’s definitely worth taking a shot on.

Jon Danks, Chicago White Sox
Danks turned down an opportunity to play in the World Baseball Classic, which should only help the youngster’s fantasy value. Not unlike Matt Cain, Danks needs better run support in order to cash in on his talent, but he has the potential to total 160-plus strikeouts and 15-plus wins. He might not keep his ERA around 3.30 like he did last year, but it won’t go north of 3.90 either. Again, as long as he doesn’t get stiffed in the run support department again this year (which is hard to project), there’s no telling how good this 23-year old stud can be.

Matt Garza, Tampa Bay Rays
Garza only fanned 128 batters in 184 innings last year, but he was a strikeout machine in the minors so hopefully that will eventually transfer to the big leagues. If the Rays don’t take a step back after reaching the Series last year, Garza could notch 14-plus wins and 140-plus strikeouts, all while keeping his ERA south of 3.60. Of all the pitchers we’ve listed, he certainly doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but Garza would be a major value as a No. 2 or No. 3 on your staff.

Scott Baker, Minnesota Twins
Ready to take a shot on a potential stud? Baker is an ace in the making and while he competes in a tough AL Central Division, he could amass 12 to 15 wins and total upwards of 170 strikeouts this season. He probably won’t keep his ERA lower than 3.80, but Baker has increased his K/9 rate every year he’s been in the big leagues and posted an all time low WHIP last season of 1.18.

Ricky Nolasco, Florida Marlins
Nolasco had a breakout year in 2008, posting 15 wins, 186 strikeouts and a 3.52 ERA. Is there a chance he could take a step back this year? Of course, but you have to like taking a shot on a guy who you can select in the mid to late rounds that could potentially be a top 20 pitcher by the end of the year. Thirteen wins, 160 strikeouts and a 3.70 ERA would be a safe projection for Nolasco this season.

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
Much like Joba Chamberlain, you’re not going to sneak Kershaw past anybody on draft day because by now, most owners are well aware of the 20-year old’s potential. But like Lincecum last year, don’t be the guy that passes on Kershaw because you’re worried about his lack of experience and the high risk that comes along with drafting him. Kershaw could easily post 170-plus strikeouts and 12-plus wins, although his ERA will probably near 4.00 and he did post 52 walks in 107.2 innings last year, which is high. Still, he’s worth a long look on draft day.

Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants
Don’t be fooled by his 8-14 record last year; if Cain got any run support, he could easily be as good as teammate Tim Lincecum. Cain posted a 3.76 ERA and compiled 177 strikeouts last year, but since the Giants’ offense clearly has a vendetta against him, his effort only amounted to eight wins. Trust us, he has the potential to amass 12 to 15 victories, even though it would appear that his ceiling is right around 10 wins. If he can get a little run support and cut down on the walks, he could turn out to be a top-25 pitcher that you can wait to select in the middle to late rounds. Another Giants’ starter to keep an eye on during your draft is Jonathan Sanchez.

Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta Braves
Some fantasy pundits are concerned about Jurrjens taking a big jump in pitches and innings last year compared to 2008. Those concerns are valid since he clearly wore down at the end of the season last year, but he decided not to pitch against The Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, which is good because he didn’t throw any extra pitches in March when needs to save his arm for the regular season. His strikeout numbers won’t blow you away (you’ll be lucky if he fans 140 batters this season), but he’ll keep his ERA around 3.70 and should post 11-plus wins, which is certainly decent output for a No. 3 pitcher.

Below is our official ranking of starting pitchers.

1. Johan Santana, NYM
2. Tim Lincecum, SF
3. CC Sabathia, NYY
4. Roy Halladay, TOR
5. Dan Haren, ARI
6. Brandon Webb, ARI
7. Cole Hamels, PHI
8. Jake Peavy, SD
9. John Lackey, LAA
10. Roy Oswalt, HOU
11. Josh Beckett, BOS
12. Cliff Lee, CLE
13. Chad Billingsley, LAD
14. James Shields, TB
15. Scott Kazmir, TB
16. Ricky Nolasco, FLA
17. Francisco Liriano, MIN
18. Felix Hernandez, SEA
19. Rich Harden, CHC
20. Adam Wainwright, STL
21. Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOS
22. Ervin Santana, LAA
23. Edinson Volquez, CIN
24. A.J. Burnett, NYY
25. Joba Chamberlain, NYY
26. Carlos Zambrano, CHC
27. Javier Vazquez, ATL
28. Jon Lester, BOS
29. Justin Verlander, DET
30. Brett Myers, PHI
31. Yovani Gallardo, MIL
32. Zack Greinke, KC
33. Matt Cain, SF
34. Aaron Harang, CIN
35. Ted Lilly, CHC
36. Max Scherzer, ARI
37. David Price, TB
38. Chris Young, SD
39. Josh Johnson, FLA
40. Erik Bedard, SEA
41. Ryan Dempster, CHC
42. Matt Garza, TB
43. Chien-Ming Wang, NYY
44. John Danks, CHW
45. Brandon Morrow, SEA
46. Johnny Cueto, CIN
47. Jered Weaver, LAA
48. Kevin Slowey, MIN
49. Derek Lowe, ATL
50. Scott Baker, MIN
51. Clayton Kershaw, LAD
52. John Maine, NYM
53. Jair Jurrjens, ATL
54. Randy Johnson, SF
55. Fuasto Carmona, CLE
56. Gavin Floyd, CHW
57. Ubaldo Jimenez, COL
58. Jonathan Sanchez, SF
59. Oliver Perez, NYM
60. Justin Duchscherer, OAK
61. Manny parra, MIL
62. Andy Pettitte, NYY
63. Joe Saunders, LAA
64. Gil Meche, KC
65. Chris Carpenter, STL
66. Mike Pelfrey, NYM
67. Hiroki Kuroda, LAD
68. Wandy Rodriguez,
69. Chris Voldstad, FLA
70. Bronson Arroyo, CIN
71. Kenshin Kawakami, ATL
72. Armando Galarraga, DET
73. Jeremy Guthrie, BAL
74. John Smoltz, BOS
75. Paul Maholm, PIT
76. Aaron Cook, COL
77. Joe Blanton, PHI
78. Todd Wellemeyer, STL
79. Rich Hill, BAL
80. Jesse Litsch, TOR
81. Andy Sonnanstine, TB
82. Dave Bush, MIL
83. Edwin Jackson, DET
84. Jeremy Bonderman, DET
85. Nick Blackburn, MIN
86. Mark Buehrle, CHW
87. Tommy Hanson, ATL
88. Neftali Feliz, TEX
89. Brad Penny, BOS
90. Aaron Heilman, SEA
91. Carlos Carrasco, PHI
92. Shawn Hill, WAS
93. Doug Davis, ARI
94. Carl Pavano, CLE
95. Tim Wakefield, BOS
96. John Lannan, WAS
97. Jon Garland, ARI
98. Dontrelle Willis, DET
99. Kyle Lohse, STL
100. Jamie Moyer, PHI
101. Sean Marshall, CHC
102. Braden Looper, MIL
103. Randy Wolf, LAD
104. Anibal Sanchez, FLA
105. David Purcey, TOR