2008 Power Rankings- Pre Season MLB

Spring training is right around the corner and I couldn’t be happier. Days pass with little excitement in the sports world. Other than reading the blogs on LSWTF and making adjustments on my fantasy rosters, the work week has been rather dull. Not alot seems to have happened in terms of the waiver wire and trades since last week, but enough to irritate a few members of this fine board. Side note, we did have some fine Caribbean World Series action!! Other than Miguel Tejada becoming the all time Latin League HR king, I didn’t pay much attention to the series it either.

1 (1). Boston Red Sox- They continue to impress me. Just when you think they are finished cleaning up, they sign lefty powerhouse Sean Casey and resign Bobby Keilty. This team has depth as deep as the Atlantic Ocean. But bad news proceeds. Curt Schilling is still hurt and may not be ready for Spring Training. Granted its Spring Training, but Ill bet dollars for donuts he hasn’t touched a baseball since October. Its a good thing they held onto Lester.

2 (2) Detroit Tigers- Their biggest off-season trade wasn’t Willis or Cabrera, it was the departing Johan Santana. They also gave Granderson a very well deserved contract extension.

3 (3) New York Yankees- I really liked their acquisition of Morgan Ensberg. He is a true utility player and this will allow Girardi to rest his infield once in awhile.

4 (4) Chicago Cubs- Seems those Brian Roberts trade rumors have quieted down a bit. Good news for Oriole fan, whether they will admit it or not.

5 (5) LA Dodgers- Seems they are content with their off-season. I don’t blame them, They have solid athletes all over the field.

6 (6) New York Mets- They pulled the trigger and gave Johan exactly what he wanted. A happy Johan equates to a 20 win season Johan.

7 (7) San Diego Padres- Enrique Gonzalez adds depth to an already phenomenal bullpen.

8 (8) Cleveland Indians- The biggest off-season acquisition for the Indians was the departing of Santana. I will continue to stress this. They also added some pitching depth with the signing of Brendan Donnelly

9 (8) LA Angels- How could you let Dallas McPherson go?? Chone isn’t getting any younger (or durable)

10 (10) Arizona Diamondbacks- The DBacks announced that Brandon Lyon is their new closer. Im not quite sure how I feel about it, but he didn’t do half bad as a setup man. Their is a huge difference in those 2 roles though. Time will tell.

11 (11) Chicago Whitesox- I honestly don’t know what else they could do to get any better. Maybe a 5th starter?

12 (12) Colorado Rockies- I like that they brought in Josh Towers. I liked him in Baltimore and in Toronto. He could get a real chance to prove himself this season.

13 (13) Houston Astros- With Ensberg gone, who will be their go-to utility guy?

14 (14) Milwaukee Brewers- Not much action this week

15 (15) Tampa Bay Rays- I really wish I put a bet on the Rays winning it all this season. They signed former ROY Eric Hinskie, which gives them tremendous depth in the infield, if he can stay healthy of course

16 (16) Philadelphia Philly’s- Still scratching my head as to why they wont make an attempt to pick up any starters. I repeat, other than Cole Hammels, who do you have??

17 (17) Washington Nationals- Rumor has it Livan Hernandez wants to come back to Washington. I’m not a fan of him at all but this makes sense. He eats innings as if they were bear-claws. This is what the Nats rotation needs badly, especially those young guys. For the sake of Nats fans everywhere, I hope they can reach an agreement.

18 (18) Atlanta Braves- I’m still trying to figure out what they are trying to do. Holes all over the lineup and bullpen. I’m sorry, Mike Hampton is not going to save this team!

19 (19) Minnesota Twins- At least they have a solid lineup, setup man, and closer. But the starting pitching is all gone. This season could be over before it even starts.

20 (20) Toronto Blue jays- B.J Ryan appears to be healthy, which is great news. Their closer by committee worked well last season, but those guys are better as setup men.

21 (21) Seattle Mariners- Bedard is currently in Seattle taking his physical. About 4 weeks later than he should have been. Cant blame Seattle for this, Baltimore executives have redefined how NOT to manage a ball club.

22 (22) Cincinnati Reds- A minor acquisition in Catcher Paul Bako. At least it addressed a need for depth.

23 (23) San Francisco Giants- I see dark days ahead. We didn’t even make a move on Dallas McPherson and haven’t even considered Tony Clark. Both would be immediate upgrades to what we have, defensively speaking that is.

24 (24) St Louis Cardinals- Juan Gonzalez has been offered a spring training invite. At his peak, I don’t even think he could save this team.

25 (25) Oakland A's- Apparently Chavez is healthy. Ill be impressed if he is playing baseball in May.

26 (26) Pittsburgh Pirates- They have potential to play spoiler come September, but that’s about it

27 (27) Texas Rangers- Their saving grace is the fact that the AL West is beatable.

28 (28) Kansas City Royals- They may win a few more games now that Santana is out of the division.

29 (30) Florida Marlins- Yes, your not the worst anymore. You signed Mr. Extra-base hits himself, Luis "Gonzo" Gonzalez and a young talented 3b in Dallas McPherson. You all know my thoughts on Dallas and what he could be if given a chance. And Gonzo is pretty good also, even as a 4th option in LA last season. Anibal Sanchez says he is healthy, and if he truly is, he will make for an excellent #3 starter. VERY well done Florida.

30 (29) Baltimore Orioles- Daniel Cabrera is your soon to be Ace and as much as I like Adam Jones, he has not proven himself yet.....Get used to last place.

2008 Power Rankings- Pre Season MLB

This is the Thursday edition of the Pre Season MLB Power Rankings. Why so early? Well, the good doctor Gonzo will be in Vegas tomorrow and I, along with other members of this blog, will be to pumped up to even speak of anything other than this trip. Some significant movement in the rankings. Im sure you are all aware of the major trade of the year, and the other trade that never was.

1 (1). Boston Red Sox- No Santana, no worries. They still have the best, pound for pound, pitching rotation, bullpen, and closer in the game. And Ellsbury and Lester remain on the roster. Life is good in Bawston! Did I mention they made a trade for FORMER Giants closer and first round pick, David Aardsma. Well done!

2 (2) Detroit Tigers- Now that Tiger killer, Johan Santana is out of the division, the Tigers become that much better. They are micro-points away from taking the number 1 spot away from Boston. The Tigers have the best lineup in all of baseball and 5 proven starters. Whats holding them back is the inconsistent bullpen and an aging closer Todd Jones.

3 (3) New York Yankees- Biggest loser of the week by far. They had a solid deal in place and still couldnt find a way to snag Santana. But stupidity doesnt mean a loss in rank here. They still keep Cabrera, Joba, and Hughes and that aint bad

4 (4) Chicago Cubs- If they acquire Brian Roberts they could dethrone the Yankees in this PR.

5 (5) LA Dodgers- The Dodgers keep this spot because they still have the best pitching rotation, best bullpen, and best closer by committee in the NL

6 (13) New York Mets- I discussed this the other day, the Mets win BIGTIME because the NL East is stacked with left handed bats. Santana will make them all his drop in productivity and he has proven this during inter-league. He joins a pretty decent staff, which includes John Mainne, Pedro Martinez (when healthy), Oliver Perez, and Orlando Hernandez. Gonzo nailed this earlier, the Mets didnt give up much to pull this trade off. Damaged goods if you will. Also,The Mets have the payroll and a GM nutty enough to give him that 6 year 150 million dollar contract. This move easily puts NY among the NL's best.

7 (6) San Diego Padres- This team has to the tools to compete with LA.....Expect big things in SoCal

8 (7) LA Angels- Nothing new AGAIN. This team is still lacking depth.

9 (8) Cleveland Indians- The Indians are a big winner of the week as well. They are littered with left handed talent and now each and everyone of them will see a spike in productivity. But they still lack pitching depth.

10 (9) Arizona Diamondbacks- Peter Gammons nailed it, the NL West is by far the most competitive division in the league.

11 (10) Chicago Whitesox- Even Moses stopped to take a breather.

12 (11) Colorado Rockies- The only thing holding these guys back is the pitching. Can they repeat what they did in 2007?

13 (12) Houston Astros- The offense will be carrying the burden 4 days out of 5.

14 (14) Milwaukee Brewers- A very well rounded bunch of kids. Key word is kids. I think they will do alot better than people think.

15 (15) Tampa Bay Rays- Until someone gives me a reason why they wont scare teams, I still have them as my sleeper pick. Dont give me the Redsox and Yankees either. They bitch slapped both teams last season.

16 (16) Philadelphia Philly’s- The Phillies get the 2nd place award for moron team of the week. There is a reason we would not sign Pedro Feliz. Now he is your problem. Enjoy that career OBP of .280. Oh, and dont expect Chase or Howard to do much 5 games of the year. Thank you Mets.

17 (17) Washington Nationals- Seems that the time of completion for the new ballpark is on schedule. This makes me happy

18 (18) Atlanta Braves- Braves fans everywhere should be afraid. This team relies on its lefties. Kotsay and Franconia are sure to suffer a few days a year.

19 (11) Minnesota Twins- Yeh, you lose BIGTIME. Instead of an Ellsbury, or a Lester, or a Melky Joba or Hughes, you get Carlos Gomez and JACK SQUAT damaged goods. Good luck in rebuilding. You traded 2 solid pitchers this offseason, which leaves you with Boof and an gimpy Liriano. Oh, and word has it Nathan is on the block. Way to keep the fans happy Twins.

20 (20) Toronto Blue jays- Other than a few bats, I dont expect much noise in Canada this season.

21 (21) Seattle Mariners- How the hell do you fuck this one up. Not only did you put your cards on the table to early, you find out Baltimore didnt even show up for the game. Without Bedard they are a mediocre team at best and whats funny, they know it.

22 (22) Cincinnati Reds- If Dunn can keep his k's under 2 times a game, they could be my NL sleeper pick

23 (23) San Francisco Giants- As I continue to weep. Sabean says the FA signings are complete. I dont know which is worse, empty positions to fill or our young OUTFIELDERS platooning at 3rd and 1st. But hey, at least Nate and Dan can hit. We could easily have the worst infield defense in baseball.

24 (24) St Louis Cardinals- Very little shot to compete. The good news is Carpenter is working out pain free. The bad news is they still have Mulder and Clement to DL.

25 (25) Oakland A's- It will be a long year in the bay area

26 (26) Pittsburgh Pirates- Its quiet time in Pittsburgh

27 (27) Texas Rangers- I expect very little in Alrington this season. Lots of homers on both sides of the field

28 (28) Kansas City Royals- They may win a few more games now that Santana is out of the division.

29 (29) Baltimore Orioles- You all know my thoughts on the O's. No need to rub O's fans noses in thier crap every week

30 (30) Florida Marlins- Yeh. They could shock people during Spring Training.

2008 Power Rankings- Pre Season MLB

The more weeks that I post these MLB Power Rankings, the closer we get to Spring Training. And if memory serves correctly, pitchers and catchers should be arriving within the next week or 2. Most of this weeks action include arbitration settlements and non-roster additions. That being said, a round of applause goes out to Baltimore Oriole's fan, for they FINALLY signed a free agent with some value.

1 (1). Boston Red Sox- It looks like Boston is emerging from Johan Santana purgatory. In all honestly, I dont think the Sawx need another Starter, but it is Johan and he is special. They also signed Danny Kolb, who could very well be the bargain of the year.

2 (2) Detroit Tigers- Now why the Tigers only gave Cabrera a 1 year deal and Willis a long term is beyond me. Once they pony up the extension in July, Miggy will be wealthier beyond his wildest dreams

3 (3) New York Yankees- They are making a wise decision by giving Robinson Cano that long term deal. Its nice to spend that "Roger" money on someone other than Roger.

4 (4) Chicago Cubs- With a solid lineup and pitching, they could easily win the Central. Problem is they are injury prone and Sweet Lou is unstable. Its their division to lose.

5 (5) LA Dodgers- They will be playing an exhibition game in China. How cool is that?? Baseball is doing what the NFL failed to do, and that is sending a rivalry overseas to promote their sport. I have a feeling this will work out beautifully. No knock on the NFL, but i wouldnt even pay to see the Dolphins vs Giants. Now Raiders vs Bronco's in Hooligan land...Sign me up!!

6 (6) San Diego Padres- They signed a solid backup OF in Jody Gerut. I like this move alot.

7 (7) LA Angels- Nothing new AGAIN. This team is still lacking depth.

8 (8) Cleveland Indians- They took this week to sign minor leaguers and non-roster invites.

9 (9) Arizona Diamondbacks- The Orlando Hudson FA rumors have been crushed. The Dbacks did what they should have done months ago and resigned him. Sure its 1 year but he is coming off a major injury.

10 (15) Chicago Whitesox- I know I will get some heat for this one but I did say if they picked up that one key ingredient they will crack the top 10. If Octavio Dotel can stay healthy, they have one of baseballs best setup men. This automatically skyrockets Bobby Jenks value. I truly love this move!!

11 (10) Colorado Rockies- Troy Tulowitzki got a sophomore record 6 year deal. WOW. Apparently they havent learned from the Clint Barnes experiment. I sure hope Troy doesnt fall down the stairs and break his leg trying to haul meat. Yes, Like Clint Barnes did.

12 (11) Minnesota Twins- Twins GM is constantly earning my respect. He is playing hardball the way George did back in the 70's. He knows he can get Bull Market value on his star pitcher. Even the Mets have up'ed their anti and it looks like the 3 way race to the Santana line has re-ignited.

13 (12) Houston Astros- Would you be happy if your #2 pitcher is Woody Williams?? I know I wouldnt.

14 (13) New York Mets- Seems Omar is getting desperate in the Santana race. Lets see if he has what it takes.

15 (14) Milwaukee Brewers- A nice FA acquisition in Abraham Nunez. He can play just about every position. He may not get many at-bats, but those he gets should be solid.

16 (15) Tampa Bay Rays- They pulled the trigger and gave Carlos Pena a sweet 3 year deal. On top of that they are projected to give James Shield a long term deal. You better believe Im putting a bet in Vegas on the Rays to win it all this season. Hell, if the 1999 Rams could turn people into Millionaires, why not the Rays??

17 (17) Philadelphia Philly’s- So Brett Myers is back in the rotation. We shall see how long that lasts.

18 (18) Washington Nationals- Leave it to Washington DC to compete for "moron city of the week" Some assbag decided it would be cute to hang a noose outside of the stadium. Yeh, REALLY STUPID DC..

19 (19) Atlanta Braves- Seems Braves brass is still getting high on that Kotsay deal. Seeing how they havent done anything since. But I have a feeling they make some noise in Spring Training.

20 (21) Toronto Blue jays- They picked up Rod Barajas. Another kick in the face for Philly fan, but then again, they are used to it. This move gives the Jays great depth at Catcher. They could alternate without the lineup suffering in production. Very well done.

21 (20) Seattle Mariners- Those Bedard rumors are flying as crazy as a Kennedy (to soon??). So much that MLB posted this as a feature article. This could help Seattle in more ways than 1. If they pull the trigger, watch them move up fast!

22 (23) Cincinnati Reds- They continue to impress me. They snagged hard throwing lefty Jeremy Affeldt from the Rockies bullpen. A necessary move.

23 (22) San Francisco Giants- We managed to settle arbitration on Brad Hennessey. He is more important to our bullpen than I give credit for. He may not be our closer anymore, hell, even a setup man, but he can pitch 3-4 innings if need be. But even Im not blind to see that we need more help in the pen.

24 (24) St Louis Cardinals- Only in St Louis will the team throw a kegger for re-signing a mediocre player. I completely forgot that Yadier Molina was a Cardinal until the press went nuts about his new 4 year deal. Way to go champ!!

25 (25) Oakland A's- Even Billy Beane himself said this could be a long year. At least Joe Blanton resigned for another year. Which means one thing; trade bait in July.

26 (26) Pittsburgh Pirates- They made some great moves this past week, not enough to move them up in the PR but close. Jaret Wright, Casey Fossom, and Hector Corrasco. Even if 1 of these guys pans out they will have a competitive rotation.

27 (27) Texas Rangers- Sammy Sosa says he will not resign. I honestly dont think anyone will miss him.

28 (28) Kansas City Royals- Im not sure what to think of that Brett Tomko signing. I guess he is good for about 6 wins at best.

29 (29) Baltimore Orioles- *Drum roll please*...............Lance Cormier is now a member of YOUR Baltimore Orioles. I make a big deal out of this for 2 reasons. They finally signed a free agent AND he is pretty damn good. He is an instant shot in the arm for a crap filled bullpen. Cormier and Walker have the potential to be the best tag team setup guys in baseball. The question now is will they get an opportunity to prove their armor??

30 (30) Florida Marlins- Why do I have this sneaky suspicion that Sammy Sosa will wind up here???

Power Rankings- Pre Season MLB

Ah life is good right now. The weather Gods spared us from a Vermont-Like snow storm, Shanes bachelor party in Las Vegas is right around the corner, and of course, lots of action in the world of baseball. Some odd trades, some good trades, and even a rumor about a former 2-time MVP making his way back into baseball. For those of you who are unaware of that shocking news, well then, I encourage you to read on, commercial and spin free.

1 (1). Boston Red Sox- Not a whole lot of action going on, however, their good news came at the expense of the NY Yankees. Hank seems to have taken the Yankees out of the Santana straw hat. Perhaps good news for folks in Queens.

2 (2) Detroit Tigers- They locked up Marcus Thames for another year and gave Nate Robertson a 3 year extension. That solidifies that already potent outfield and gives Boston a reason to worry.

3 (3) New York Yankees- Hank was on his knees and blew it again. We all know he is not his father, but come on, try to act like it. George would have pulled the trigger weeks ago.

4 (5) Chicago Cubs- I dont know if signing free agent SP Jon Lieber was worth a bump here or not. But what I do know is that he was the last Cub pitcher to win 20 games. They did good here by addressing the need for quality SP's

5 (4) LA Dodgers- The controversy at 3rd base is really the only thing making headlines. Apparently Adam LaRouche has done THAT well over the break. Nomar may ride the pine opening day.

6 (6) San Diego Padres- Its been nothing but a party town the past few weeks. Im pulling for ya Charger fan.

7 (7) LA Angels- Nothing new. I still think this team is lacking depth.

8 (8) Cleveland Indians- I still think this team needs a reliable 3rd SP. I dont see Paul Byrd putting up 2007 stats.

9 (9) Arizona Diamondbacks- It seems highly unlikely that Livan will re-sign. I love the Webb/Haren combo, but who do they have pitching the rear? I love Owings but he has a history if injury problems. Livan may not be great but he is an innings eater.

10 (10) Colorado Rockies- A very complete team. I dont expect much more action from this team at least until Spring Training

11 (11) Minnesota Twins- All signs are looking good that they will be a serious competitor at least until July 31. After that, Im afraid its rebuilding time. You better pray that Johan pitches like the Cy Young winner he is.

12 (12) Houston Astros- They failed to resign Jason Jennings. I know he missed most of 2007 but he still was the closest thing to a number 2 I can see in this rotation. BUT, you still have a potent lineup. Everything in Texas is bigger, that includes opposing batters HR's and extra base hits.

13 (13) New York Mets- They have their own Santana deal on the table. Luckily Omar Minaya is not stupid and refuses to include Jose Reyes in a trade. On a side note, Ricky is a first ballot HOFer for 2009. This should hopefully grab Carlos Beltran's attention.

14 (15) Milwaukee Brewers- Mark Cameron gives you only a slight bump. He is 35 years old and will miss the first month of baseball due to steroids. He is a good pick-up but not for this team. This forces Ryan Braum into the OF, which to me, doesnt seem to make sense. But hell, If Robin Yount could do it, so can Braum?? Yes, I made the comparison.

15 (16) Chicago Whitesox- This team isnt a middle of the road team, but I still think they are missing something. One more key ingredient and they will crack to top 10.

16 (17) Tampa Bay Rays- They continue make efforts to improve. They acquired Manny Aybar from the Braves. I dont need to tell you how big this is. They finally have infield depth!

17 (14) Philadelphia Philly’s- You lost a solid SP and that is why you lose this week.

18 (18) Washington Nationals- Im scratching my head as to why the Nats didnt give Chad Cordero a long term deal. But at least they settled that arbitration snafu. Pay the man! Washington drools over this kid in the 9th inning.

19 (20) Atlanta Braves- They actually did something. Mark Kotsay will now assume the CF duties. On paper I love this deal, but in reality he is still recovering from back surgery. Atlanta expects, hell, demands a CF be flawless. This is alot of weight on the metal rod in Kotsays back. But he is a proven lead off hitter, its a shame they had to give up so much to acquire him.

*On a side note- The Braves announced they will move their AAA affiliate out of Richmond in 2008. This is sad news; I remember going to Richmond Braves games all the time and having a great time. Oh well.

20 (19) Seattle Mariners- I know why they are hesitant to trade for Erik Bedard. They know that Adam Jones is THAT good of an OF prospect. I would think about that trade alittle longer also Mariners GM

21 (21) Toronto Blue jays- They trade one All-star, recovering from a serious injury, World Series winning, and disgruntle 3rd baseman for another one and acquired Scott Rolan. I would have made the same deal but im afraid this move doesnt make you any better. But I agree, it had to be done.

22 (22) San Francisco Giants- Those Pedro Feliz rumors are going crazy again. I think I speak for all Giants fans when I say "Sabean, WTF". He may hit 20 home runs but he is overall not very good, and for 5-7 million per year?? Please!! Do us a favor, bring in Dallas!! The good news is that we released our non-roster invitees list and that gives me some pleasure.

23 (23) Cincinnati Reds- If man-beast Brandon Phillips plays as well as he did last season, they will quickly move up in the rankings.

24 (24) St Louis Cardinals- I think Glaus will give the Cards a few extra home runs this season, however, the Defense will suffer. Ok, here is the shocker news I mentioned in the previous headline. It appears the Cardinals will give JUAN GONZALEZ, yes, "Juan Gone" an invitation to spring training. I dont know about you but this dropped my jaw. He was named in just about every steroid book and report and when he did drop the juice he was mediocre at best. But the Cardinals are not stupid. They saw what Sammy Sosa did in Texas and they drooled. 30 Home run potential for the league minimum?? That a deal you cannot pass up. But until the deal is made, this rank is where you will stay. Oh, and count your blessings that he makes the team. Word has it that Juan Encarnacion will miss the entire 2008 season due to an injury from last season. Yeh, the foul ball in the eye thing.

25 (25) Oakland A's- The loss of Mark Kotsay will hurt this lineup in a way that the Ultimate Warrior hurt Hulk Hogan in Wrestle mania (Yes, a wrestling reference). But there is good news. They acquired a damn good reliever in Joey Devine. They also found a replacement CF in Emil Brown. Brown had good years but he has had bad ones as well. They keep this spot mainly because Kotsay missed half of 2007 and still managed to compete.

26 (26) Pittsburgh Pirates- What are you waiting for??

27 (27) Texas Rangers- Jason Jennings will help this rotation, but not enough to make a huge impact.

28 (28) Kansas City Royals- Mr. 2-time no-hitter 38 year old, fomrmer ROY Hideo Nomo is back!!! He may have an inflated ERA but I do believe he can help that young pitching rotation.

29 (29) Baltimore Orioles- The good news is that they still have Bedard and Roberts. The bad news is that they are still on the trading block. The details of the Roberts deal to Chicago are pathetic and disgraceful, but I do like whats on the table for the Bedard deal. Anything less of Adam Jones would be a complete failure. But then again, this is Baltimore. Failure is the Orioles motto.

30 (30) Florida Marlins- Give them 3 years, they could easily crack the top 5.

The Greatest Rotation Ever?

With news that the Johan Santana talks between the Red Sox and Twins are heating up, the big question comes to my mind. If Santana is added to the Red Sox, would that make this pitching rotation the greatest pitching rotation ever assembled?

You would have baseball's best lefty, best righty, best Asian import, best knuckleballer, and best youth with potential. Oh, and you also have a pitcher who helped win two world series, one in which he earned MVP honors and the other had a bloody sock involved. Just imagine this lineup for a few seconds.

Josh Beckett
Johan Santana
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Clay Buchholz
Curt Schilling
and Tim Wakefield

Hell, you could easily do a six man rotation and not really hurt. Hell, your pitchers would have an extra day or two rest, which is almost always welcome, especially to save their arms. You could alternate between some, or maybe move a few into the bullpen, but I think I would do a six man rotation.

Oh, and by the way you have Papelbon as your closer, and Okajima as your middle reliever. Add all these factors to the already sick batting line up, and I don't know if you'll see a better team on paper in our lifetimes. So I ask to you, if they do get Santana, is this the best rotation ever and is this the best baseball team on paper that you've ever seen?