While nothing beats the opening weekend in football, I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the start of a new baseball season. With a sense of a new beginning, the opening week of baseball brings hope and excitement to fans across the country.

Then you realize that you’re favorite team is the Pirates, Royals or Nationals and all that hope gets crushed. It’s an ugly realization, but it is what it is.

As baseball is set to kick off a new season, here are 10 things to keep an eye on this week.

1. Roy Halladay makes his Philles debut
Fans will have to wait until next weekend to see Halladay make his Philadelphia debut, but they probably won’t have to wait long to see him dominate in red and white. Halladay will start against the Nationals on Opening Day and then at Houston five days later, which means he gets tune ups against two of the weaker teams in the National League. He shouldn’t have any issues making the early-season transition to the NL – outside of hitting, of course. Unless he succumbs to the pressure of pitching in Philadelphia, Halladay will likely have plenty of success throughout the entire season.

2. Jason Heyward’s MLB debut
The top position player prospect in baseball will enter the 2010 season as the Braves’ starting right fielder. The former 2007 first round pick hit .323 with 17 homers and 63 RBI between three stops in the minor leagues last season and might be the difference between the Braves finishing in the middle of the pack in the National League, or securing a postseason berth. Heyward doesn’t have one breakout skill, but he’s a five-tool player who takes a patient approach to the plate and exhibits good bat speed. He’s also a solid defender, with above-average speed and can play multiple outfield positions. If Heyward turns out to be the real deal, then so too will the Braves.

3. Can Jon Rauch fill Joe Nathan’s shoes?
After Nathan decided to have Tommy John surgery and therefore miss the entire 2010 season, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said that the club would employ a closer-by-committee situation with their bullpen. But Gardenhire quickly went back on that decision, instead choosing to go with Rauch as his full-time closer. The question now becomes: Will Rauch be the same reliable pitcher he was last year in Minnesota or the one that struggled in Arizona in the first half? Rauch isn’t the long-term solution, but he doesn’t have to be either. He just has to be dependable this season to help bridge the gap until Nathan returns to full health in 2011.

4. Will Scott Kazmir miss more than one start?
After losing ace John Lackey to Boston in the offseason, the Angels’ starting rotation took a major hit. But with a full season of Scott Kazmir (who was acquired in a midseason trade last year with the Rays), the Halos felt confident that the top of their rotation would be fine. That of course, was before Kazmir landed on the DL with a strained hamstring. Manager Mike Scioscia said he isn’t concerned about Kazmir’s health, but considering the 26-year-old pitcher makes it a yearly habit of checking in with the disabled list at least once, the Angels have to be at least a little worried. Matt Palmer pitched very well for the Halos last season, but he’s certainly not the top of the rotation guy that Kazmir is. If Kaz is out for more than a start, the defending AL West champs could start out of the gates slow.

5. Has Jorge Posada lost his ability to handle the Yankees’ pitching staff?
Last season, reports emerged that Posada was at odds with pitcher A.J. Burnett about pitch selections and now, those same concerns may be rearing their ugly head again. In Sunday night’s 9-7 loss to the Red Sox, Posada appeared to be crossed up by Damaso Marte on a passed ball late in the game. There also seemed to be confusion about pitch selection on a Dustin Pedroia home run earlier in the contest. This situation might blow over quickly, but given Posada’s issues with Burnett last year, it’s possible that the Yankees have a developing problem on their hands.

6. Will Joba Chamberlain win the Yankees’ setup job?
When Chamberlain lost out to Phil Hughes to become the Yankees’ fifth starter, everyone assumed that the talented, hard-throwing reliever would be a lock to setup closer Mariano Rivera. But manager Joe Girardi said over the weekend that “No one has really claimed that spot,” meaning Chamberlain has to earn it. He’s in the mix with Damaso Marte, Chan Ho Park and Dave Robertson and after a shaky eighth inning in the Yankees’ 9-7 loss to the Red Sox on Sunday night, Joba isn’t off to a great start. Given how conservatively managed he’s been throughout the past two years, there’s a real possibility that he could wind up a bust. The Yankees need to decide what his role is going to be, or more drama could be on the horizon.

7. Can John Bowker supply the Giants with the power they desperately need?
After deciding not to renew Randy Winn’s contract over the offseason, the Giants entered spring training fully expecting Nate Schierholtz to emerge as their everyday right fielder. But after Bowker hit six home runs and drove in 23 runs this spring, they had no choice but to stick Schierholtz back on the bench and give the 26-year-old former Long Beach State outfielder the starting nod. The question now is whether or not he can finally produce at the big league level. The Giants gave him 326 at bats in 2008 and although he hit 10 home runs, he batted just .255 and showed zero plate discipline. He improved his patience in the minors last year and after turning in a great spring, the Giants are excited to add his bat. That said, he’ll be kept on a short leash because Schierholtz offers better defense and more speed. If Bowker can’t produce early, he’ll find himself regulated to role duties or worse, back in the minors.

8. What will become of Jack Cust?
In one of the more shocking moves this spring, the A’s decided to designate DH Jack Cust for assignment. The news is particularly surprising given that Oakland has little to no power and Cust averaged 28 homers over the last three seasons. Another issue is that starting center fielder Coco Crisp has to start the season on the DL with a broken pinkie, so it’s a little perplexing that the A’s felt as though Cust wasn’t among the top 25 players on the roster. The club now has 10 days to trade or release Cust, or send him outright to the minors. Recent comments made by Cust suggest that he’d rather set himself on fire then return to Oakland, but will he actually pass up on $2.65 million by not accepting a minor league deal? His fate should be determined soon.

9. Who will emerge as the Rangers starting catcher?
The Rangers have an interesting dilemma on their hands: Do they start Jarrod Saltamacchia behind the dish, or go with Taylor Teagarden? Saltamacchia, a switch hitter who hit .280 this spring, has the better bat but Tegarden is the better defender. Texas will rotate the two players at the start of the year, but will they eventually need one of the two to step up as the full-time catcher? The Rangers are a serious contender in the AL West this season and will need one of their two young backstops to step up, or if they stay in a rotation, they’ll need both players to play at a high level all season.

10. How will Mike Leake fare in his big league debut?
In a surprise move, the Reds announced over the weekend that Mike Leake had won the fifth spot in the rotation and will make his big league debut against the Cubs later this week. Granted, he was one of the most polished pitchers in the 2009 draft, but he has never pitched once in the minor leagues, so his inexperience is freighting. Still, he has a wide variety of pitches and has very good command, so he could make a seamless transition from Arizona State to the Reds. If he does, Cincinnati has an underrated starting five that could help the club emerge as a postseason sleeper this season.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/04/05/mlb-opening-week-10-things-to-watch/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.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

The Los Angeles Angels gave their starting rotation a boost on Friday night, acquiring Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir for third baseman Matt Sweeney, left-hander Alex Torres and a player to be named later.

While Kazmir has been solid in his last three starts, his velocity is down and he’s always an injury risk. Still, this move gives the Halos much-needed depth in their starting rotation and they also net a pitcher who has plenty of experience against the Yankees and Red Sox. (Two teams the Angels could face in the postseason.)

For the Rays, Kazmir never panned out to be the ace the club thought he would become when they acquired him from the Mets earlier this decade. Injuries have limited his effectiveness, although he still owns a career ERA of 3.92. He’s also the club’s career leader in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.

Overall, Tampa gets significant salary reliever in the trade by shedding most of the three-year, $28.5 million extension Kazmir signed in May of last year.

They also get a solid strikeout prospect in Torres, who can pitch for the groundout and has been largely overlooked in the Halos’ organization. Sweeney has 25-30 home run potential, but an ankle injury cost him virtually his entire ’08 season and he’ll have to work his way up from High-A ball.

Pennant races this season are not quite as exciting as last season, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have a few good races in September. The power rankings this week have not changed much, but the Rockies and Rangers swapped places. The Rays, who were on the cusp of cracking the Top 10, traded Scott Kazmir to the Angels yesterday, making us all scratch our heads and wonder if they are conceding the race.

1. New York Yankees (80-48)—The first team to 80 victories is officially in cruise control. The question is, can they carry it over into the postseason? Because we all know how you-know-who performs in October.

2. Los Angeles Angels (76-51)—If newly acquired Scott Kazmir stays healthy, this scrappy Angels team could be wearing new jewelry. Then again, October has been none to kind to them recently as well.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (75-55)—The Cardinals now have a 9 game lead on the woe-as-me Cubs. The good franchises always add the right parts when they are in a pennant race, and Matt Holliday and John Smoltz are those guys for the Redbirds.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (74-52)—The Phils may have given the slightest ray of hope to the Marlins and Braves, but then they remembered that they were the world champs.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers (76-53)—Their lead over the Rockies shrunk to 2 games this past week. It’s now back to 4, but this NL West race is not going to be a landslide as everyone thought. In fact, it’s now a 3-team race.

6. Boston Red Sox (74-54)—Don’t think the Sox can’t still catch the Yankees. If not, they should be able to hang on to the wild card, and adding Billy Wagner certainly doesn’t hurt their chances.

7. Colorado Rockies (72-57)—The wild card is not what these Rockies have in mind, and they just keep right on winning and closing the gap.

8. Texas Rangers (71-56)—Slipping in the power rankings and slipping in their quest for a wild card berth.

9. San Francisco Giants (70-59)—Got a big lift from Lincecum last night against the Rockies, but Giants need to sweep this weekend if they want to remain in contention.

10. Detroit Tigers (68-59)—T-men hanging tough, but watch out for the surging Twins, is all I’m sayin’.

- ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that the Angels have interest in Rays’ starter Scott Kazmir, although its unclear at this point if this could be a precursor to a trade for Tampa, who apparently has their eyes on Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.

- Sticking with the Angels theme, owner Arte Moreno tells the L.A. Times that he remains interested in landing one of the top arms on the market, which includes Halladay and Lee. Apparently he’s also willing to pay a hefty price to acquire one of the big names.

- Speaking of Lee, ESPN’s Jayson Stark says he is available, but it appears that the Indians would have to be overwhelmed by a deal. Stark is also reporting that the Reds will listen to offers for starter Bronson Arroyo.

- According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Twins are interested in Oakland shortstop Orlando Cabrera and reliever Michael Wuertz.

- The Padres are making Heath Bell available.

- SI.com’s Jon Heyman is reporting that the Rays are kicking the tires on possibly acquiring Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez.

- Brian Anderson has asked the White Sox to trade him according to MLB.com.

According to a report by Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com, the Indians are apparently considering trading ace Cliff Lee to the Rays for a couple of minor league prospects. Who those prospects are, however, seem to be the sticking point in Tampa pulling the trigger.

The article reports that Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro is asking for multiple high-end prospects in return for Lee, and that Shapiro specifically has his eyes set on Class AAA Durham pitcher Wade Davis. But the Rays value Davis, who is 8-6 with a 3.22 ERA in the minors this season and has a fastball that reaches 95 mph.

Along with Davis, we’re also hearing rumblings that the Tribe want 22-year-old outfield prospect Desmond Jennings as part of the package for Lee. Much like some of the other outfielders (i.e. Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton) that have come up through Tampa’s farm system, Jennings is big, strong and incredibly fast, but he’s raw and he would need some more polishing in the minors before eventually making his major league debut.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Rays and Indians can come together on a trade for Lee and what the eventual compensation would be. Considering Scott Kazmir’s performance/injury troubles this season, Lee would be a tremendous addition to their rotation and could help close the gap between them and the Yankees and Red Sox.

Whether it’s that reliever that always seems to blow tight games in late innings, that batter that leaves runners on the bases, or that starter that walks seven batters an inning, every team has at least one player that as a fan, you’d rather set your eyelids on fire than watch trot onto the field for just one more inning.

I’ve compiled a list of 10 infuriating, punch-a-hole-through-your-wall MLB players to watch. Granted, this list is by no means all-inclusive (and I implore you the reader to list the guys that drive you nuts in the comments section). But these are the 10 that seem to make my blood boil on a consistent basis, whether they’re playing for my favorite team or not.

Julio Lugo, OF, Red Sox
I would lose the respect of all Boston fans if I didn’t have Lugo’s name on this list. It’s not only that Lugo can’t field and flails at pitches like a schoolgirl trying to swat away a bee on the playground, but also that he’s being paid $9 million a year to look so bad. He has zero range defensively and he also has a knack for turning double plays at a snail’s pace. Granted, he’s been delegated a backup behind Nick Green at short, but just the mere idea that Lugo is still on the roster must make BoSox fans want to toss their last meal. Whenever the BoSox do decide to get rid of him, Boston fans might try to make that day an official holiday.

The Cubs’ outfield collection of Alfonso Soriano, Milton Bradley and Kosuke Fukudome
Nothing says overpaid and overrated like the Cubs’ outfield. Whether you love brutal defense, swing-at-everything offense, or just plain stupidity, the Cubs’ outfield collection of Soriano, Bradley and Fukudome have it all. Soriano can’t judge fly balls and even when he does, he’s always prone to making an error with his unnecessary hop, skip and a jump catch. Bradley has turned out to be one of the worst offseason signings of the year while failing to produce at the dish, fighting with manager Lou Piniella and forgetting how many outs there are in an inning. Fukudome is fine defensively, but his mini-tornado batting approach is almost laughable to watch sometimes. Whenever the trio is in the outfield at the same time, you’d swear you’re at the circus instead of the “Friendly Confines.”

Chris Duncan, OF, Cardinals
Despite currently owning the best record in the NL Central, the Cardinals actually have a couple of players that fans wouldn’t mind taking on a tour of the Arch, only to leave them at the top with no way down. Reliever Dennys Reyes is one of those players, Joe Thurston is another, but Duncan takes the cake. Not only is he brutal both offensively and defensively, but he also continues to bat in front of superstar Albert Pujols and not produce. Pitchers give him hittable pitches on a nightly basis knowing that Pujols is behind him, yet the best Duncan can do is produce a sub-.250 batting average and a paltry five home runs. Couple that with his brutal defense and it’s amazing that he still has a starting job. (Although he can thank a rash of injuries for that.)

Edgar Renteria, SS, Giants
At least twice this year I read that Renteria was a solid offseason signing for the Giants by two different media outlets. If by solid they meant that the Giants once again overpaid for a free agent, then yes, Renteria was a solid signing. Watching him trying to go to his left on a ball hit up the middle is like watching an insect trying to scramble to get out of water after you flushed it down your toilet. Unless the ball is hit right at him, he can’t move and God help the first baseman when he tries to rush a throw. He’s still okay with the bat at times, but Bruce Bochy refused to move him out of the two-hole for most of the first half despite Renteria’s willingness to suck. At No. 6 or No. 7 in the lineup, he’s serviceable. At No. 2, he’s maddening.

Melvin Mora, 3B, Orioles
Whether it’s at the dish, in the field or on the base paths, Mora seemingly makes a bone-headed play at least once a game. He’s 37 years old, his production is almost non-existent and he doesn’t have much of a future in Baltimore past next year. Yet he continues to take up space in the middle of the O’s lineup because manager Dave Trembley refuses to play youngsters over the vets. It’s bad enough that Baltimore fans have to succumb to watching their team lose on a regular basis. But to also make them watch old, crusty vets lose is just downright cruel.

Johnny Damon, OF, Yankees
Don’t get it twisted – Damon is a fine offensive player. I have no idea how he can still hit over 12 home runs almost every year despite his age, but he does and he’s been a very good offensive player for the Bombers. But his chicken wing has always been an issue and Yankee fans must cringe every time a ball his hit into left field. He used to be able to make up for his little league arm with his speed, but he’s definitely lost a step over the years and he has trouble making adjustments on balls hit over his head. The Yankees will take his offensive production, but they’d probably be better off with a scarecrow set up in left field.

Scott Kazmir, SP, Rays
Granted, Kazmir is starting to slowly turn things around since coming off the DL a couple weeks ago. But he’s got to be one of the most frustrating supposed-aces in baseball and what’s maddening is that he has outstanding stuff. But he can’t stay healthy and he’s way too inconsistent to be counted on as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. If he were a No. 3 or No. 4 starter being paid No. 3 or No. 4 money, fans could deal with his ups and downs. But he’s Tampa’s highest paid pitcher (fourth highest player behind Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena and the equally-frustrating Pat Burrell) and his ERA is almost 7.00 this season.

Magglio Ordonez, OF, Tigers
This is obviously in correlation to this year, because Maggs has been outstanding for the Tigers since he was acquired from Chicago in 2005. He’s supposed to be a significant bat in Detroit’s lineup, yet he’s batting just .266 with four home runs and 28 RBI. Worse yet, he’s still collecting a massive paycheck (he’s the currently the Tigers’ highest paid player) and he’s frightening to watch in the outfield. Maybe he’ll bounce back and I’ll have to eat my words but until then, he has to be driving Detroit fans nuts right now, even with the Tigers in first place.

Russell Martin, C, Dodgers
What the frack happened to this kid? Once one of the most promising catchers in all of baseball, Martin is hitting just. 248 this season with one dinger. At 26, he still has a ton of potential and maybe with Manny Ramirez back in the Dodgers’ lineup he’ll turn it around in the second half. But once a promising player with a decent amount of pop, Martin now he hits like Chone Figgins without the high average.

Bob Howry, RP, Giants
I went to a Giants-Cardinals game in St. Louis recently and wound up making small talk with a Red Bird’s fan next to me. The game eventually went into the tenth tied 1-1 and San Fran had two relievers warming up in the pen: Brian Wilson and Bob Howry. I turned to my new Cardinals friend and said, “If Bruce Bochy puts Wilson in we’re looking at more baseball. If he puts the black angel of death in, you’ll be sucking down a cold one enjoying a Cards’ victory in no time.” Lo and behold, Bochy put Howry in and against his first batter, he gave up a walk off to St. Louis centerfielder Colby Rasmus. Granted, Pablo Sandoval dropped a pop up in foul territory during the at bat and the umpire squeezed him on a pitch that would have struck Rasmus out, but nobody is better at blowing late inning games than Howry. Cub fans, you know what I’m talking about.

Those are my ten…which players infuriate you the most?