Too early to talk MLB?

[trevn]

I'm not a hater so I'll play along! If you twisted my arm, I'd say the Phillies win the East. My predictions for the playoffs would be Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers, and Mets as the wild card. For the AL it would be Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, and Yankees as the wild card. In a dream world, I'd take my Dodgers to win the World Series in 6 games against the Red Sox. In the real world, I'd guess the Red Sox beat the Mets in 5 games.

 

[trevn]

Red Sox all the way baby - nobody's stoping us!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :smile:

 

[tejasclone]

My cardinals need some pitching help in a bad way. Wainwright or however you spell it is going to be really good in another year or two I think but Mulder will never be as good as he was in Oakland and who knows how durable Carpenter is going to be once he gets back.

Wainwright is a stud and is currently the de facto ace on the staff. He'll continue to have his ups and downs but he did just fine last season. I hope to see him improve.

Mulder is a waste. We got jobbed on that trade with the A's (thanks a lot, Billy Beane). Carpenter will be fine but we won't see him until August or September.

Matt Clement better rediscover his taste for success. Thank God Kip Wells is gone.

 

[Incyte]

Anybody going to spring training this year? I went to Mesa for Cubs spring training and it was AWESOME. Playing golf and watching baseball in 70 degree weather is pretty sweet in March.

 

[mwitt]

I guess I fail to see how the Mets don't win the East big...

Injuries and possible decline in production. They have some older players. Pedro and El Duque will miss time for sure. They definitely should win the East, but that's why they play the games.

 

[mwitt]

If the Cubs don't win the Centeral, they're a joke.

 

[jdoggivjc]

...the Cubs..., they're a joke.

You said it, not me :wink:

 

[mike4cy]

If the Cubs don't win the Centeral, they're a joke.

Sensing jealousy and more jealousy, I am. :skeptical:

 

[cybsball20]

I think the Phillies will pull it out this year. Feliz is one of the best players that nobody has heard of. The Alou, Church, Beltran outfield doesn't scare me, it might of a few years ago, but not anymore. Neither team has a spectacular bullpen but the Phillies get a huge edge there, that tells you how BAD the Mets pen will be. I think the Mets have some major question marks in their rotation though; Is Pedro back? Can El Duque hold up? Is Mayne who they thought he was? Can Perez throw strikes?

The Marlins and Nationals won't be pushovers, the Nats have gotten better and they were close to a .500 team last year. Sure the Marlins got rid of two stars but Willis was dead weight last year and they have brought in a TON of great prospects the last few years and could be pretty dangerous.

 

[tejasclone]

Sensing jealousy and more jealousy, I am. :skeptical:

He's right, though. The Cubs should be able to plow through the Central with ease. I will be delighted if they don't, but they really really should. The Central will be very weak once again. Ripe for the taking.

 

[mwitt]

Sensing jealousy and more jealousy, I am. :skeptical:

Jealous of the Cubs? No...my team has seen a World Series in my lifetime. It's just that winning the NL Central the last few years has been like being awarded the tallest midget.

 

[mike4cy]

There is always a surprise: how crappy the Cards were after winning the WS, the Brewers run last year. Ya just never know, man. But go Cubs anyways.

 

[tejasclone]

I think the Phillies will pull it out this year. Feliz is one of the best players that nobody has heard of. The Alou, Church, Beltran outfield doesn't scare me, it might of a few years ago, but not anymore. Neither team has a spectacular bullpen but the Phillies get a huge edge there, that tells you how BAD the Mets pen will be. I think the Mets have some major question marks in their rotation though; Is Pedro back? Can El Duque hold up? Is Mayne who they thought he was? Can Perez throw strikes?

The Marlins and Nationals won't be pushovers, the Nats have gotten better and they were close to a .500 team last year. Sure the Marlins got rid of two stars but Willis was dead weight last year and they have brought in a TON of great prospects the last few years and could be pretty dangerous.

The thing about the Marlins as a franchise that bugs me is that even though they are usually very competitive even with all their turnover and constant influx of young, unproven players, there are absolutely no fans that show up at their games. It is painful to watch a game in that stadium. There's about 4,000 fans attending each game. Despite that, they're already won 2 World Series.

 

[mike4cy]

Jealous of the Cubs? No...my team has seen a World Series in my lifetime. It's just that winning the NL Central the last few years has been like being awarded the tallest midget.

Oooo BURN, haha.

 

[mwitt]

He's right, though. The Cubs should be able to plow through the Central with ease. I will be delighted if they don't, but they really really should. The Central will be very weak once again. Ripe for the taking.

Ding, ding, ding. Who else in the Central can you actually make the case is a competitor? The Brewers have talent, but as someone alluded to, it's very young talent, and they probably don't have enough depth to last a 162 game season. The Cubs spent $300 million last offseason -- they sure as hell better be able to beat the small market Brewers. If the Cubs add Brian Roberts and especially Joe Nathan, they'll look like a very serious threat -- probably moreso than the Mets.

 

[cybsball20]

The thing about the Marlins as a franchise that bugs me is that even though they are usually very competitive even with all their turnover and constant influx of young, unproven players, there are absolutely no fans that show up at their games. It is painful to watch a game in that stadium. There's about 4,000 fans attending each game. Despite that, they're already won 2 World Series.

IF they are ever able to get a new stadium I think they will draw VERY well. The problem with Dolphins Stadium is that it is LITERALLY in the middle of nowhere, almost an hour from Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. This works for Football because you only go to 8 games, on a weekend, and have all day. With baseball you are talking 82 home games, most of which are at night. If you live in Miami you work untill five, fight south Florida traffic and if you are lucky get home at 6. Now youhave to turn around and drive another hour to a game? It's a setup destined for failure...

 

[isuarch80]

If the Cubs add Brian Roberts and especially Joe Nathan,

Where have you heard his name as a potential get? Because that would be amazingly huge for them. Roberts I like for them for his bat and speed, but Nathan would be awesome to have coming in at the 9th!

 

[CloneFan65]

My predictions for the playoffs would be Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers, and Mets as the wild card.

Dodgers? :no: My D-Backs won the division last year and should be healthy, the rookies have a year under their belts, and with Dan Haren added to the rotation the D-Backs have the best pair of pitchers at the top of their rotation in the National League.

 

[mwitt]

Where have you heard his name as a potential get? Because that would be amazingly huge for them. Roberts I like for them for his bat and speed, but Nathan would be awesome to have coming in at the 9th!

I read it on a message board somewhere. I don't know if it has much merit. For the Twins fans out there, isn't it true that there's a good possibility of Nathan being moved?

You're right though, it would be a huge get for the Cubs. Brian Roberts would be very good for them too. It would allow them to move Soriano down in the lineup where he can be a more productive player for thtem.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I read it on a message board somewhere. I don't know if it has much merit. For the Twins fans out there, isn't it true that there's a good possibility of Nathan being moved?

You're right though, it would be a huge get for the Cubs. Brian Roberts would be very good for them too. It would allow them to move Soriano down in the lineup where he can be a more productive player for thtem.

There is quite the possibility that Nathan is going to get moved, but it'll be towards the trade deadline if:
1. the Twins are out of it (and that's likely)
2. they can't resign him for a reasonable price
3. the can get good value out of trading him.

Being that Nathan's one of the top 5 closers in the game, he's not going to come cheap, so if the Twins are looking to retool for 2010, the year they open their new stadium, yeah, it looks like Nathan could get moved.