One last division to look at. Today an NL West breakdown. I think this will be a very competitive race.
Predicted Order of Finish
1. Los Angeles Dodgers- I like these guys to win it. Great manager in Joe Torre. So much young talent. Manny being Manny, takes the pressure off the young guys to produce. The Dodgers have a potential all-star at almost every position. Loney, Martin, Kemp and Eithier are all young guys who will produce. Don't overlook the resigning of Furcal and Blake as they help round out a very good Dodgers lineup.
The staff is good, but not great. Billingsly is on the verge of stardom and Kuroda will be effective. Youngster Clayton Kershaw has awesome stuff. The bullpen is also very good, as John Broxton becomes the hammer at the back end of the pen. Top to bottom this is a very good team and could win the pennant. Only problem is will Manny be motivated enough to play? If the answer is yes, then this team will be very good.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks- Another team I like a ton. Great young talent everywhere. Justin Upton will the the next star, if he can cut down on the strikeouts. Striking out is a problem for the whole team, as they have a bunch of free swingers. They have a good balance of power and speed though and the on base percentage should improve.
The D'Backs have a very good staff. I put Haren and Webb up against any one-two punch in the game. The Garland signing should work out and they have a good young arm in Scherzer. A big question mark in the bullpen. Can Chad Qualls hold down the closers role effectively? If the answer is yes, it wouldn't surprise me if they won the division.
3. San Francisco Giants- The Giants could be the most improved team in baseball. They will be better offensively with youngsters Ishigawa and Sandoval. Both have some pop and will drive in runs. A couple good on base guys at the top of the order in Renteria and Winn and the G-Men should do fine offensively. Rookie catcher Buster Posey is on a fast track to possibly get called up this season, so they have a chip to possibly deal in Benji Molina.
The pitching staff will be surprisingly good. Reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum anchors a staff with some live arms. Matt Cain and Jonathen Sanchez each will win double digits, while the Randy Johnson signing could pan out. I know he's 75 years old, but he seems to do well on the west coast and he may have one good season left.
4. Colorado Rockies- I don't see much chance with these guys. The staff isn't that good and with Jeff Francis out, they're just isn't a replacement. Ulbado Jimenez will emerge as a staff ace, but other than that, I don't see much hope. Offensively, the Matt Holliday trade netted them some arms, but left a huge hole in the middle of the lineup. Garrett Atkins will fill that for most of the season, but once the Rocks are out of contention, he could be wearing a different uniform after the trade deadline. One youngster to keep an eye on is Dexter Fowler. The Rockies will have to create an everyday job in the outfield for him.
5. San Diego Padres- This team has committed to a youth movement and they have some pieces in place, but they won't be very good. Who knows where the Jake Peavy saga is at this point, but with new ownership in place he may be staying put. My guess is that he gets dealt along with Brian Giles, leaving this team with not much. It's gonna be a long season in San Diego.
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Dodgers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Dodgers. Show all posts
Friday, April 3, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Manny Ramirez- enough already
People like to talk bad about the game of baseball and that sometimes bothers me, but in this case, it gets very hard to defend the game. What's bothering me now is the entire Manny Ramirez contract situation. I am all for a player waiting to sign the best offer, but this is getting ridiculous.
What exactly is going on on "Planet Man-Ram" these days. This guy is a phenomenal offensive player, but maybe all the side show antics have finally scared teams away. Manny continues to turn down a 2 yr/ 45mil offer from the Dodgers.
The problem here is no one else is bidding on Man-Ram. Maybe tanking it for a few months to force a trade really isn't a bargaining chip after all. Manny is seeking a 4yr 100 mil deal and it isn't gonna happen.
If Dodgers GM Ned Colletti ups his offer, then he should flat out be fired. Ned, YOU ARE BIDDING AGAINST YOURSELF. That is so bad for baseball if Manny gets a bigger deal when there is no reason to. Let his ass stay home for a while and then maybe he will want to play ball.
I understand a GM needs to put together the best team he can, and in the Dodgers case that includes signing Manny Ramirez, but you already went all in on him. The Dodgers don't have a backup plan. They held out for Manny and he's all that is left. The Dodgers have good young talent and adding Manny's bat alone could win the NL West, but they have to take a stand. Unless the Giants really get in the mix, the Dodgers are the only option at the moment. There is no way Colletti should cave in and give this clown what he wants.
However, the blame here isn't on Manny or even Colletti for turning this into the drama that it has become. I place this totally on Scott Boras. Boras continues to bleed franchises of money at any occasion he can get. Can you blame him though, if teams continue to give him what he asks. He represents the best of the best in the league and these guys will continue to get their money, and I don't have an issue with that. Every team has had an issue with Boras at one point or another. The Pirates clashed with him over the Pedro Alvarez contract. Many franchises refuse to deal with him, which puts teams at a disadvantage, because of the caliber of player he represents.
I hate to bring up the Bucco's again, but for years, they stayed away from Boras clients in the draft, and they are paying a heavy price for it. Look at the2007 draft, selecting Daniel Moskos instead of Matt Wieters. There are other instances, but the Pirates would be in alot better shape if Boras wasn't involved. That statement, by no means excuses the Pirates management for the many mistakes they've made in the last 15 years, but it did have some influence.
Somebody needs to take a stand against Boras before he helps cripple the game. Ned Colletti can take a stand. Unless the Giants or another team gets involved, don't cave into Boras and Manny. You will only look foolish for outbidding yourself and will ultimately give Scott Boras even more power than he already has.
What exactly is going on on "Planet Man-Ram" these days. This guy is a phenomenal offensive player, but maybe all the side show antics have finally scared teams away. Manny continues to turn down a 2 yr/ 45mil offer from the Dodgers.
The problem here is no one else is bidding on Man-Ram. Maybe tanking it for a few months to force a trade really isn't a bargaining chip after all. Manny is seeking a 4yr 100 mil deal and it isn't gonna happen.
If Dodgers GM Ned Colletti ups his offer, then he should flat out be fired. Ned, YOU ARE BIDDING AGAINST YOURSELF. That is so bad for baseball if Manny gets a bigger deal when there is no reason to. Let his ass stay home for a while and then maybe he will want to play ball.
I understand a GM needs to put together the best team he can, and in the Dodgers case that includes signing Manny Ramirez, but you already went all in on him. The Dodgers don't have a backup plan. They held out for Manny and he's all that is left. The Dodgers have good young talent and adding Manny's bat alone could win the NL West, but they have to take a stand. Unless the Giants really get in the mix, the Dodgers are the only option at the moment. There is no way Colletti should cave in and give this clown what he wants.
However, the blame here isn't on Manny or even Colletti for turning this into the drama that it has become. I place this totally on Scott Boras. Boras continues to bleed franchises of money at any occasion he can get. Can you blame him though, if teams continue to give him what he asks. He represents the best of the best in the league and these guys will continue to get their money, and I don't have an issue with that. Every team has had an issue with Boras at one point or another. The Pirates clashed with him over the Pedro Alvarez contract. Many franchises refuse to deal with him, which puts teams at a disadvantage, because of the caliber of player he represents.
I hate to bring up the Bucco's again, but for years, they stayed away from Boras clients in the draft, and they are paying a heavy price for it. Look at the2007 draft, selecting Daniel Moskos instead of Matt Wieters. There are other instances, but the Pirates would be in alot better shape if Boras wasn't involved. That statement, by no means excuses the Pirates management for the many mistakes they've made in the last 15 years, but it did have some influence.
Somebody needs to take a stand against Boras before he helps cripple the game. Ned Colletti can take a stand. Unless the Giants or another team gets involved, don't cave into Boras and Manny. You will only look foolish for outbidding yourself and will ultimately give Scott Boras even more power than he already has.
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