Major League Baseball`s off-season is well underway and as
per usual we have seen our share of lucrative contract signings. Over the last
month, we`ve seen B.J Upton bolt the Rays to similarly warmer pastures in
Hotlanta. The top pitching commodity on the market was Zack Greinke, and he
ended up choosing the confines of Los Angeles even though it has been reported
that he suffers from a social anxiety disorder and claims discomfort from
pitching in a large metropolis. His
destination of choice has me wondering if all this talk about his large market
trepidation has been over exaggerated as their aren`t many bigger markets then
Hollywood itself. And lastly, but certainly not least, The Angels reeled in
arguably the biggest fish, Josh Hamilton, prying him away from their American
League West divisional foe the Texas Rangers. So who were the big winners and
losers from this offseason? My entry will examine.
Winners:
Toronto Blue Jays- John Farrell leaves. No manager, no positive
outlook. On one gloomy November evening, this all changed with the Jays pulling
off a mega deal with the AAA calibre Miami Marlins. Long term outlook aside,
the Jays acquired proven winners with the likes of Mark Buehrle and borderline
superstars in pitcher Josh Johnson and shortstop Jose Reyes. These deals have
elevated new(old) manager John Gibbons and the Bluebirds to potential elite level status joining
basically every other team in the division who will allow the American league
east to regain it’s reputation as the toughest division in baseball. The deal
will define Anthopoulos’ legacy in Toronto.
Kansas City Royals- The Roy-als with cheese(to steal a line
from an anonymous employee from ‘The Score’ network, the Royals are filled with
young boisterous talent who needed some established veteran leadership to shift
from pretenders to contenders in the AL central. They already had the
foundation in place with young stars, although underperforming stars in Eric
Hosmer and Mike Moustaskas. Maybe the acquisition of James Shields who I
believe is one of the most underrated starters in the bigs, can provide that
reassurance that these youngens are approaching their development the right way
as Shields was involved in a similar project with Tampa a few years back. That,
compounded by the acquisition of Ervin Santana sets up a formidable front line
rotation involving the aforementioned Shields and Santana with Missouri
stalwart Luke Hochevar. In the Central, with every team aside from the Tigers
fighting consistency issues, a surprise 2013 campaign may be in store.
Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels- What’s not to like about a
possible Hamilton-Pujols combination in the middle of the order? This has the
making to be one of the most, if not the most potent duos to ever have it’s
presence graced in Major League Baseball. The Angels were never views as a
serious front runner for Hamilton’s services, but they did an outstanding job
keeping their cards close to their vests and looking back it all makes sense
now when some experts questioned their decision to let now Washington National
Dan Haren walk. An abundance of riches could be viewed as problematic for
manager Mike Scioscia in trying to find ways to keep all of these stars happy.
The Angels also addressed their bottom of the rotation issues by bringing in
Joe Blanton and Tommy Hanson making them one of my offseason winners.
Losers:
Pittsburgh Pirates- For a Pirates ball club that was on the
cusp of contending in 2012 before it’s annual August implosion, the pressure was
on from the fans for General Manager Neal Huntingdon to add the necessary
pieces to field a serious contender this upcoming season. Unless he truly felt
adding someone who can now be considered a journeyman in Russell Martin was the
missing link, the Pirates have done nothing noteworthy to elevate themselves to
respectable status. With the Steelers a perennial powerhouse, and Sid the Kid
in place with the Penguins for the foreseeable future, at what point does the
ownership feel the pressure to field a winning ball team? I’m getting the
impression that this a money making endeavour and winning is becoming second
fiddle. This must be driving mega star Andrew McCutchen bonkers!
Texas Rangers- For a team that prior to the 2012 season had
registered consecutive world series appearances, it is remarkable how inactive
the Rangers have been this winter. Although their name has come up a lot in
rumours concerning top notch free agents, they haven’t been able to lock down
anyone significant. Striking out on Hamilton and Greinke are obviously a blow,
but where are the depth signings? I look at the depth chart as it stands today,
and adding a player, to use an example of Tommy Hanson, would’ve been just what
the doctor ordered. Other than Japanese sensation Yu Darvish, I have ginormous
concerns if the likes of Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando can handle the load
come September-October impact baseball.I’m not ruling out the possibility that
Nolan Ryan and the boys have closed the door on trade possibilities, but with a
lot of trade assets already changing addresses, even that market is thinning
out.
Miami Marllins-To explore this from a less serious angle,yes
the trade with the Blue Jays is a step back for this organization, but what
really makes them a loser from my perspective was the signing of Juan Pierre.
Anyone that knows me will understand my distain for Pierre. A couple of years
back while playing MLB. Com’s Beat the Streak, I was leading the contest and on
the verge and two weeks away(or so I like to think) of becoming a
multi-millionaire. It was Juan Pierre who ended it for me, and for that the
Miami Marlins get a losing grade in my report card.
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