Remember that Seinfeld episode when Elaine meets a new group of friends that are exactly like Jerry, George and Kramer, although they’re normal and not deranged?

Yeah, well I feel like Elaine in that “bizarro world” episode when I look at the current standings in Major League Baseball.

You feel like a woman, Anthony?

Well not…uh…ah, shut up.

A quick look at the standings reveals that the Orioles and Indians are in first place, the Red Sox, Tigers and defending World Series champion Giants are in last place, and the Pirates and Royals are in second place. What in the name of Rick Vaughn is going on here?

Well, it’s not “bizarro world” as much as it’s the second week in April. The most overused phrase at this point of the year is “It’s early,” and it is. But that’s not to suggest that a team like Boston doesn’t have some serious issues to work through and Cleveland’s current six-game winning streak is a fluke.

The Red Sox’s current run differential is –31, which is the worst in the league. In their first 10 games, they’ve already given up 69 runs, or 21 fewer then they did through 10 games last year when they started 4-6 and missed the playoffs. For a team that many believed would win the World Series, the BoSox are off to a horrendous start.

On the flip side, the Tribe is 8-2 after dropping its first two games and is getting tremendous efforts from Asdrubal Cabrera, Orlando Cabrera, Travis Hafner and a young pitching staff. It remains to be seen whether or not their starters can continue to eat up innings and pitch well throughout the year, but it’s not a stretch to think that this is the start of a career year for Asdrubal Cabrera or that guys like Justin Masterson and Carlos Carrasco are coming into their own. Who’s to say at this point?

Granted, at this point last year the Blue Jays, A’s and Cardinals were all in first place, and none of them made the playoffs. But every year a team that wasn’t expected to contend does just that and shocks the masses. Nobody thought the Padres would compete in 2010 and if it weren’t for a late-season collapse, they would have made the playoffs.

Yes, it’s early – really early, in fact. But confidence is a scary thing and teams like the Indians are bringing truck loads of it to the park right now. Chances are things will go “back to normal” eventually (Elaine did find herself back with Jerry, George and Kramer), but then again maybe we’ll be trapped in bizarro world for a while longer. (I’m sure Tribe fans wouldn’t mind.)

Raise your hand if you had the Red Sox and Rays going 0-12 to start the year…

…oh, stop it. You don’t count, Yankee Fans.

The Red Sox, a preseason favorite of many pundits, have started off the year losers of six in a row. Their team ERA is 7.13, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Marco Scutaro, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and big money free agent Carl Crawford are all hitting below .200, and Indians starter Mitch Talbot just struck out 13 Boston batters on Wednesday night. (That’s 13, and that’s Mitch Talbot.)

The Rays have also started off 0-6, but they haven’t even held a lead this year. They’ve scored one run in five of their first six games and fans are already booing Manny Ramirez. Ironically, White Sox starter Edwin Jackson also struck out 13 Tampa Bay batters in a 5-1 win on Thursday.

What does this all mean? Maybe something, maybe nothing. Pundits figured that the Rays could struggle with the amount of talent they lost in the offseason, but nobody saw an 0-6 start for Boston. Not after they shelled out big money for Crawford and traded for slugger Adrian Gonzalez. But the reality is that they’ve done nothing right so far.

Of course, we haven’t even reached the middle of April yet. If Boston sweeps two three-game series, they’ll be back to .500 (I took math in college) and this 0-6 start will fade a bit from memory. Besides, you can’t look too deep into what a team does in April – nevertheless the first week in April. Does anyone think the Pirates will continue to play well? No, they’ll eventually fall off. They’re playing well now because everyone expects them to finish dead last in the NL Central and therefore, the pressure is off.

That said, teams like the Red Sox that are expected to make a World Series run have a tendency to press when things aren’t going their way. Boston shouldn’t worry too much about being 0-6 but they obviously can’t wait too long to start winning either.

Following the path of Jayson Werth and other scorned lovers, new Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks sounded off about his former manager and team on Saturday.

From ESPN.com:

“A lot of the stuff with Ozzie [Guillen] and the front office gets old,” the right-hander said of his former manager, according to the Chicago Tribune. “It has been a problem for a long time. It was a problem before last year. It was a problem before last year. … It’s going to be nice for me to see how things are done here.”

Jenks went on to say that he did “like it in Chicago” and that it was a good place for his family. But why make comments about Guillen or the front office? I appreciate when athletes speak their minds and don’t revert to default answers like “no comment,” but maybe Jenks needs a reminder of his early years in baseball.

For those needing a brief history lesson, the Angels drafted Jenks in the fifth round of the 2000 draft and then watched him spend most of his time on the DL because of elbow problems. In 2002, he was suspended for repeatedly bringing alcohol on the team bus of the Halos’ Double-A affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers. By 2004, he was designated for assignment and seemed destined to be a career minor league (or out baseball entirely).

It was GM Kenny Williams and his scouting staff, along with manager Ozzie Guillen (who joined the White Sox in 2004) that gave Jenks new life in Chicago. He repaid them with a couple of solid years and helped them win a World Series in 2005, but none of that wouldn’t have happened had the Chicago front office not taken a flier on him.

Granted, you wouldn’t have to look hard to find someone who agrees with Jenks’ point of view on the ChiSox’s front office and/or Guillen. But maybe Jenks should show a little more humility considering how he arrived in Chicago in the first place.

The most active team this offseason nearly got its hands on the 2010 home run king according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

Rosenthal writes that before the Red Sox signed Carl Crawford, they explored a trade for Jose Bautista. Boston made “multiple” offers for the Blue Jay’s slugger, but in the end Toronto wasn’t willing to pull the trigger.

Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista waits to bat against the Los Angeles Angels in the 2nd inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on August 15, 2010. UPI/Lori Shepler.

Other clubs pursued Bautista as well. The Jays, however, preferred to keep the slugger, who has one year left of arbitration before becoming a free agent.

The Jays are not exploring multiyear deals with Bautista, according to his agent, Bean Stringfellow, who spoke to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.

All of the preliminary trade talk involving Bautista eventually could lead to a move — not with the Red Sox, but another interested club if the Jays fall out of contention by July.

If they do decide to deal him, it won’t be hard for the Jays to find a trade partner for a guy who hit 54 home runs and drove in 124 RBI last season. Perhaps the most interesting part about Bautista’s 2010 season was that he was bothered by a sports hernia which required offseason surgery) since May. Obviously Toronto is leery that it was a fluke year for their outfielder.

Bautista requested $10.5 million and was offered $7.6 million from the Blue Jays in arbitration, so one would think that the two sides would reach an agreement and avoid a hearing. But it’s almost February and no deal has been worked out yet so maybe the two sides are headed for arbitration.

The Yankees and Red Sox have their eyes set on the same catcher reports ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Via his Twitter page, Olney writes that the Yankees are “taking an aggressive approach” in negotiations with Russell Martin, who batted just .248 with five home runs, 48 RBI and 45 runs scored in an injury plagued 2010 season. He wound up with only 331 at bats, which was a career-low for the Dodger backstop.

But while the Bombers may be aggressively pursuing Martin, Olney said Thursday that the Red Sox were still the favorites to land him. The Blue Jays are also in the mix, as is least one other unidentified team according to Rotoworld.com.

The Yankees want to make Jorge Posada their full-time DH, which would open up a spot for Martin behind the plate. If they were to acquire him, Jesus Montero would likely stay at Triple-A in order to gain more seasoning.

Martin’s numbers have steadily declined since 2009. That year, he slumped while hitting only .250 with seven home runs in 143 games, which were the weakest totals in his four-year career. In August last year, he suffered a torn labrum in his right hip while trying to avoid a tag at home plate in a game against the Padres and he missed the rest of the season with the injury.

Seeing as how he’s only 27, he has plenty of time to turn around his career and maybe a change of scenery would do him well. That said, changing leagues is no easy task for a hitter that has played his entire career in the National League.