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By Jimmy, 3/31/2010 9:41 am

Okay.  It has become painfully apparent that I’m not going to be able to preview every MLB team before the season begins, so I’ve decided to skip ahead to the two most relevant teams (from our perspective).  Once I finish the Red Sox, I’ll post the season predictions, power rankings, etc.

Western MA native Happy Jack Chesbro holds the "modern day" record for wins in a season (41 in 1904).

I don’t recall most of the details, but I vaguely remember the Yankees being pretty good last year.  This wasn’t much of a surprise, given the amount of talent they acquired during an unprecedented spending spree over the winter.  First baseman Mark Teixeira earned every penny of his gigantic salary in year 1, C.C. Sabathia was consistently good, and A.J. Burnett performed basically as expected.  These acquisitions put NY over the top in 2009.  Let’s take a look at how 2010 Yanquis are shaping up:

Arrivals: Curtis Granderson (CF), Nick Johnson (1B), Javier Vasquez (P), Chan Ho Park (P), Randy Winn (OF), Marcus Thames (OF)

Departures: Johnny Damon (OF), Hideki Matsui (DH), Chien-Ming Wang (P), Jose Molina (C)

Projected Starting Lineup:

Projected Bench:

There’s really not too many weaknesses to pick apart here.  Some guys are getting old, but their production hasn’t slowed down to the point that you’d expect a major regression in 2010.  Posada, in particular, is a concern, but the Yankees’ minor league system is hemorrhaging catching prospects.  The left side of the infield is shaky defensively, but both the SS and the 3B make up for it at the plate.  The three headed monster in LF will be a step back from Johnny Damon’s 2009 production, but the acquisition of Curtis Granderson (who should enjoy the little league RF porch) will make up for Damon’s loss.

Projected pitching staff:

Javier Vasquez is interesting. You could make an argument that he owes much of his success to weaker National League competition. However, even during some of his lackluster seasons in the AL, he’s had strong peripherals (and did manage to have one excellent year with the White Sox). My everlasting image of Vasquez is him giving up soul-shattering HRs to Johnny Damon in the unprecedented choke-job that was the 2004 ALCS, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and project him to be a pretty good #2 starter in 2010.

One minor weakness might be middle-relief and rotation depth.  Now that Joba Chamberlain is once again a 1-2 inning pitcher, he won’t be called upon to step in if a long-man or 6th starter is needed.  Those responsibilities will fall upon Sergio Mitre and Chan-Ho Park, neither of whom inspires much confidence at this stage of their careers.  Still, the rest of the staff is strong.  I’m especially bullish on Phil Hughes and David Robertson, two guys who could break out this season.

In full disclosure, I harbor a primal hatred for this team. So, if you notice any wacky ratings, feel free to chime in and tell me where I may be off. I’ve gone over it twice, and I think I’ve been fair. It’s not much of a shock that they have the highest score out of the teams I’ve previewed thus far.

2010 team score: 7.72

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By Jimmy, 3/30/2010 9:19 am

Here is what we know thus far:

The question marks will be populated by some combination of J.D. Drew (L), Mike Cameron (R), and Adrian Beltre (R).  I’d actually put them in that order, since J.D. is offensively superior to the other two, and Beltre is the weakest hitter in the lineup.

Some might raise a concern over stacking two key left-handed hitters side by side, thereby exposing the tandem to a left-handed pitching substitution in the late innings.  Personally, I think this concern is completely overblown by most observers.  While Drew isn’t the same hitter against lefties as he is righties, he’s not exactly Trot Nixon either; the right fielder hit .272/.381/.482 against left-handed pitching in 2009.  Ortiz is more of a concern against lefties, but Drew’s presence should at least give Ortiz something to hit in most situations.

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By Jimmy, 3/29/2010 9:11 am

The Sox recently acquired yet another potential backup infielder in Kevin Frandsen, a 27-year old who hit .295/.352/.438 for the Giants AAA team last season.  Frandsen is similar to Tug Hulett in a few ways: both are roughly the same age, and both have had moderate offensive success as infielders in AAA while not being able to carry that success over to the MLB level as of yet.  Just for kicks, here are both players’ PECOTA projections stacked up against Bill Hall, who has a roster spot just about locked up at this point:

The projection engine at Baseball Prospectus seems to like Frandsen a bit more than the other two backup infielders currently looking to make the major league squad (for what it’s worth).  One thing that Frandsen has over the other two guys: he’s played a lot of SS recently: 67 games in 2009 between San Francisco and AAA Fresno.

Other notes:

• Apparently, the Red Sox are making a stand in the Josh Beckett negotiations, refusing to go beyond four years.  I think that’s the right move, since Beckett hasn’t exactly been the Greek God of Health and Consistency during his time here.  Maybe you throw in an incentive based option year at the end of the four guaranteed years.  All the same, I wish this type of stuff wouldn’t get leaked, since we don’t need Beckett’s camp “losing face”.  Beckett has a temper.  I once witnessed a child approach him for an autograph, and he responded by stabbing the kid with a hunting knife and dousing him with deer urine.  I could only imagine what he’ll do to Theo Epstein if these talks get tense.
• Speaking of Beckett, he will be the Opening Day starter on Sunday night.  He’ll be followed by Lester, Lackey, and Wakefield.  Buchholz will jump into the rotation  after Beckett’s second start.  I suppose this makes Buchholz the de facto “5th starter” which may not bode well for him during his final option year.
• A Red Sox-Yankees Opening Day at 8 pm is really just an asinine idea.  Since there appears to be some sort of language in the official MLB rule book which states that every Sox-Yanks game must be at least 3.5 hours long, this game has sleep deprivation written all over it.  You don’t really need to entice viwers to watch the first game of the season.  Why not save thel whole rivalry opener for mid May, when the luster begins to wear off.  Add to this the fact that Sunday is a travel holiday for some of us in the Northeast, and the ESPN/MLB cabal deserves a public flogging for this one.

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By Jimmy, 3/24/2010 9:05 am

The team's old nickname was changed in 2007. Bland focus group marketing 1, creativity & marine biology 0...

Since God has decided to punish the state of Massachusetts for our progressive beliefs by pounding us mercilessly with rain and flooding, I’ll go ahead and preview a warm weather team: the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Rays, of course, are division rivals of the Red Sox, and we’ll be seeing a lot (maybe too much) of this team over the course of the summer.

Arrivals: Kelly Shoppach (C), Hank Blalock (CIF), Rafael Soriano (RP)
Departures: Greg Zaun (C), Gabe Gross (RF), Troy Percival (RP), Jason Isringhausen (RP)

Projected 2010 Starting Lineup:

Projected 2010 Bench:

If Blalock doesn’t make the club (he’s signed to a minor league deal), infielder Sean Rodriguez will most likely be taking his spot.  The Rays are probably better off with Zobrist in RF and either Rodriguez or Brignac starting at 2B, but from what I’m seeing, a Joyce/Kapler platoon is the most likely scenario to begin the season.

The Rays starting lineup certainly looks formidable on paper.  After grading the first three players, I asked myself If I was overdoing it a bit, and I don’t really think I did.  A handful of their regulars are among the best in the game at their positions (most notably Longoria), and aside from perhaps RF, there really isn’t an offensive weak spot to pick apart.

Pitching coming next…

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By Jimmy, 3/23/2010 5:49 am

I don’t think I need to mention the caveat that spring training performances have very little correlation with the regular season.  Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Josh Beckett, and Clay Buchholz all have spring ERAs over 5.00, and I’m not about to make any sort of prediction based on that.  With that out of the way, one can’t help but notice John Lackey, who has not issued a walk in four spring starts (his most recent coming against Red Sox minor leaguers).  Lackey hopes to make two more starts this spring.

Other notes

• Joe Mauer, the MVP catcher who very recently acquired heaps of wealth (on the same day that America officially became socialist! bwahahahah!), sends his well wishes to Victor Martinez as the Red Sox catcher seeks his own contract extension.  Aw, isn’t that thoughtful of him.  Hey Joe.  Do me a favor, buddy?  Kindly shut up.  You should be at the Maybach dealership or ordering a manatee liver omelet from the Naples Capital Grille, not talking to the press.
• Josh Beckett explains that he prefers throwing to Varitek due to the captain’s tendency to study hitters’ scouting reports and build a game plan based on that.  I don’t know.  To me, it seems like Varitek could do that sort of thing from the bench, and communicate his advice to Martinez.
• Minor league catcher Mark Wagner, a fringe prospect at this point, accomplished a rare feat for a backstop in yesterday’s exhibition against the Rays: he hit two triples in one game.
• Joe Posnanski, a guy who should be bookmarked by every baseball fan, recently made his Top 50 prospect list.  Two Red Sox prospects made the list.
• Rays preview is on the way

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By Jimmy, 3/21/2010 6:22 pm

In the 1920's, baseball outlawed the spit ball. A handful of pitchers were "grandfathered in", and allowed to continue to throw the pitch. Hall of Famer Burleigh Grimes was one of them.

Today is my first day back from Fort Myers, and thus it’s been a day of catching up on DVR’d television, unpacking and giving the sniff-test to crumpled clothes, and checking work e-mails to get a vague sense of how shitty my Monday will be.  Anyway, I’ll be going fast and furious with the team previews, which realistically will spill over into the first week or two of the regular season.  On to “Them Bums”:

Arrivals: Jamey Carroll (2B), Nick Green (Hard-Nosed Gamer)
Departures: Randy Wolf (SP), Jim Thome (1B), Brian Giles (OF)

After winning 95 games, the Dodgers had a rather disappointing offseason, losing veteran starter Randy Wolf to free agency and not doing a whole lot to make up for that loss.  Granted, the team does have some young talent that could improve from 2010, but this lackadaisical winter could prove fatal in a division where several other teams have improved.

Projected 2010 Starting Lineup:

Projected 2010 Bench:

The Dodgers might have the best offensive outfield in baseball, but they appear to have some serious defensive holes in various spots on the field, most notably our old buddy in left field.  Regardless, I’m a big Matt Kemp fan, and at the end of this season, we may be talking about him in the same way we talk about guys like Hanley Ramirez (i.e., as one of the best all-around players in the game).

Projected 2010 Pitching Staff:

That #5 starter slot is wide open at this point.  I’m penciling in Elbert, since he has much more upside than the likes of knuckleballer Charlie Haeger or Eric Stults (not to be confused with the guy from Mask).  Both the rotation and bullpen show a lot of promise, but lord help the Dodgers if someone like Russ Ortiz is counted on to fill in for a significant portion the innings Randy Wolf’s departure will free up.

The Dodgers might regress a bit from 2009, but they did win more games than anyone else in the league last season, so they should still be tough to beat.

Team Score: 7.37

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By Jimmy, 3/18/2010 10:46 am

If you came to this spring training ritual game hoping to get a glimpse of some of Boston’s new and expensive toys, you really couldn’t ask for a better day.  The offseason front-office strategy centered around pitching and defense, and that certainly manifested itself in the annual St. Patty’s Day extravaganza.

• The guy on center stage was the newly acquired right-hander, John Lackey.  Lackey has a certain goofball “Baby Huey” demeanor about him when he’s giving interviews and such.  But when he steps onto the mound, that image is flipped upside down.  He appears to be a very intelligent, surgical type of pitcher.  Despite having the body of an NFL tight end, Lackey does not rely on gas to overpower hitters.  Instead, he uses pinpoint command and benefits greatly from having a good defense behind him.  He’s not the type of guy who will walk someone in a key spot (in fact, he has not walked anyone this spring).  To beat him, a hitter will need to be aggressive.
• Adrian Beltre demonstrated the reason why the Sox acquired him, by throwing out old friend Alex Cora on an awkward ball that ricocheted off of Lackey’s ankle (he’s fine).  Beltre swooped in, barehanded the ball, and submarined a perfect throw to Youkilis for the out.
• New SS Marco Scutaro, a guy from whom the Sox hope to get steady defensive play along with some decent offensive contributions (something they have not had from a shortstop since 2004), turned a nice double play with Dustin Pedroia in the first inning, earning an appreciative fist-pump from Lackey.

Other notes:

• Fans hoping to wish farewell to (or heckle?) Jason Bay were disappointed, as the All-Star outfielder was held out of action.  I was especially bummed-out, since I had my soapbox all ready for the fans in attendance who planned on booing him.  It’s a rare occasion where I get to display righteous indignation.  How dare the Mets take that away from me.
• Lots of Mets fans in attendance in Fort Myers yesterday, and they were definitely enjoying their team’s “victory”.  Might as well savor those wins now.  Once April arrives, the fun is over in Queens.
• I caught a foul ball off of the bat of Gary Matthews Jr., and immediately I start getting yelled at from the surrounding blue-hairs: “Give it to a kiiiiiid!  Give it to a kiiiiid!”  What assholes.  Listen you miserable geezers, I am a kid.  I will appreciate this ball 100x more than some drooling toddler.  Regardless, not wanting to be descended upon by an army of melanoma zombies, I gave the ball to the nearest 3-year-old.  Fortunately, his mom (a MILF) gave it back.
• My one thought regarding Ron Washington’s cocaine use: so what?  A) He’s not a player, and B) It isn’t a performance enhancing drug.  I don’t remember anywhere near this type of backlash when the news of Tony LaRussa’s DUI broke.  Washington’s “crime” is victimless.  If the Rangers are cool with it, let’s all move on.  Besides, Washington was a player in the early 80′s.  Those guys were pretty much contractually obligated to snort as much blow as their nostrils could handle.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka could see some game action on Sunday.

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By Jimmy, 3/17/2010 9:28 am

Successful Brain Surgery – Ryan Westmoreland’s procedure was successful, but there appears to be much of an uphill climb awaiting him.

Good Morning, Sweet Prince – Perhaps no other player in the Red Sox organization has had their stock rise higher than left-handed pitcher Felix Doubront. “Prince Felix”, 22, might be on some organizational top ten lists by the time April arrives.

Apology Accepted, Admiral Piett – During the flight down here, I managed to snap a photo of a cloud that looked suspeciously like an Imperial Star Destroyer.  Luckily, it did not open fire on our aircraft (an Airbus a320, severely outgunned).

Visiting Krista’s Husband – I’m off to see our new starter in action this afternoon.  See you in a few.

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By Jimmy, 3/16/2010 9:53 am

A New First Baseman – Mike Lowell, having recently returned from an injury, was playing a position he has not one played in a MLB regular season game: 1B.  From what I could tell, there didn’t seem to be very much awkwardness for him at the position.

Big Day for DH – After going 1-21 in the first two weeks of spring training, David Ortiz had an impressive 2 for 2 game, including a bomb over the right field fence on a 3-1 pitch.  Ortiz is confident he’ll see an improvement over 2009.

WTF is That? – If you’ve never heard of a “cavernous malformation of the brain” before, chances are you expected the worst after reading that Red Sox top prospect Ryan Westmoreland was diagnosed with one.  Here’s a nice thorough write-up on the condition, including the risks and probable recovery period, from Ryan’s hometown paper.  The surgery will happen today in Phoenix.

No Gyroballs Yet – Daisuke Matsuzaka’s bullpen session was once again pushed back to today (tentatively).  It’s becoming increasingly more likely that you will see Tim Wakefield in the rotation to begin the year.

Travel Tip - If you’re in southwest Florida, do be sure to avoid any “Italian restaurants” they may have down there.  Especially if they plan on closing in 45 minutes.  One in particular basically incapacitated me for 24 hours.  Be smart…stick to grouper.

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By Jimmy, 3/12/2010 10:39 am

Smartest Fans in Baseball? -  I’ve made a recent habit of poking fun at Jason Bay here and there, but I have to ask: how big of a douche does one need to be to actually boo him during a spring training game?  The Bay divorce was, given the circumstances, shockingly amicable.  The team never really offered him a serious contract in the offseason, so there is really nothing to be angry about from a fan’s perspective.  To the jackasses heckling Bay yesterday, please do me this favor: go to the edge of the water at Fort Myers Beach, and try swimming to Galveston, Texas.  I promise, it’s not as hard as it looks.  The Red Sox Nation herd needs a serious culling.

Ryan Pimps the Local Guy – Bob Ryan churns out a puff piece centering on the one Boston native actually on the Red Sox, Manny Delcarmen.  Delcarmen moved into the same doghouse as Daisuke Matsuzaka when it was revealed that he was silently pitching with injuries last season.  While this was certainly a dumb thing for him to do, we can’t ignore that there is a double standard at play.  The whole tough-guy mentality inherent in all major sports discourages athletes from talking about injuries, especially from the point of view of casual fans.  At the same time, staying silent will incur the wrath of management.  It’s really a no-win situation.

Florida Incurs God’s Wrath – According to this satellite image, the entire state of Florida is being sacked and plundered by an army of smurfs this morning.  Because of this, scheduled baseball games will likely be canceled.

Dewey’s House On Location - I’ll be flying into Fort Myers tomorrow morning, with a laptop.  Hopefully, the situation mentioned above will be settled by then, and the elements will be favorable for outdoor sporting events.

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By Jimmy, 3/11/2010 8:43 am

Just too predictable:  Yawn.  You could see this Dan Shaughnessy column coming from a mile away as soon as yesterday’s ceremony began.  Writers hold grudges like elderly Sicilian widows.  I stopped reading at the headline.

E tu, McAdam?: Less predictable was the usually rational Sean McAdam flying off the handle just minutes after the harmless show of gratitude ended, dubbing it the moment at which the franchise “jumped the shark”.  Really?  After all the dog-and-pony shows we’ve witnessed during the past decade or so, this one is the straw that breaks the camel’s back?  It seems like Nomar rubbed some newspaper guys the wrong way, simple as that.

Talking turkey: It appears that contract talks with Josh Beckett are progressing smoothly, with the end of spring training set as a target date for an agreement.

Unlikely power source: Yesterday’s most notable in-game moment was Jacoby Ellsbury jacking 2 HRs.  It’s not out of the realm of possibilities that he adds some modest pull power to his game as he enters his prime.  He’ll never be Carlos Beltran, but he might approach 20 HRs in a season.

I, robot: The Sox face ex-teammate Jason Bay in game action for the first time this afternoon.  Also in that Mets lineup is another ex Red Sox player, one known for his mental proficiencies…

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By Jimmy, 3/10/2010 10:19 am

We’ve all heard the rumors regarding his imminent transition from the field into the TV studio, and the writing has been on the wall for the injury-plagued player for quite some time.  But, the words still pack a bit of a punch when you actually see them in print.

Nomar Garciaparra, arguably the greatest shortstop in Red Sox history, will announce his retirement this morning.

During 1999 and 2000, Garciaparra was simply one the most fun players to watch in the entire league, with his explosive bat and his penchant for making highlight-reel caliber plays deep in the left side of the infield.  How good was he really during this time frame?

Here Nomar’s two best years as measured by Wins Above Replacement Player, stacked against the two best years from Derek Jeter, a sure-fire Hall of Fame shortstop from the same era:

Unfortunately, Nomar’s  inability to stay on the field for a prolonged period of time after age 30 led to his ultimate downfall from a superstar to a sympathetic icon of hard luck and untapped potential.

Still, he made his mark on the game, and (along with a certain pitcher) was a primary cause of the Red Sox fan frenzy that developed in the late 90′s/early 00′s and still exists today.  Without his half-season of contibution in 2004, the Sox probably do not win their first World Championship in 86 years.

Update: Nomar will sign a one-day contract with the Boston Red Sox today, so he can retire as a member of the team with which he experienced his most profound moments of greatness.  This, of course, opens up the possibility that you will see #5 retired above right-field at Fenway Park in the future.

In my opinion, if #6 is there, I don’t see how you can not have #5 there as well.

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By Jimmy, 3/8/2010 9:57 am

• It appears that the Spring Training Hype Machine has found it’s annual beneficiary in the form of 20-year-old Casey Kelly.  Kelly has pitched impressively against Northeastern University and the Baltimore Orioles (basically the AL East equivalent of Northeastern University), and the puff pieces are flying off the press.
• Knucleballer Charlie Zink, a guy who toiled in the Red Sox minor league system for 8 years while only making one rather disastrous MLB appearance during that time frame, is scheduled to pitch against the Sox for his new team this afternoon.
• What is it about the first warm Saturday of the year that makes everyone act like a drooling half-wit?  While running a simple errand that should have taken all of 10 minutes, I nearly ran over about 12 pedestrians / cyclists.  “Weee, it’s warm outside!  I am at one with nature!  I can ignore the laws of traffic and physics!  I am immune to blunt force trauma!  Weeee!”
• According to this blurb in the Globe, contract talks between the team and Josh Beckett are off to a pleasant start.  Beckett seems like a volatile individual who might start kicking over furniture and brandishing a high-powered hunting rifle if someone says the wrong thing during negotiations, so this one bears close watching.
• Dice-K should be ready to pitch around March 18th.  I’ll actually be in Fort Myers next week, so, there is a chance I will get to see him in action.  If so, I’ll be sure to take one of my  insanely poor-quality photos from about 400 yards away, and post it here for all to enjoy.
• Lack of sleep and work-related stress has me feeling like one of Ben Roethlisberger’s victims lately, so, I apologize for the delay in the team previews.  They will continue today or tomorrow.

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By Jimmy, 3/4/2010 10:44 am

He seems so happy (and sane) here. It's like looking at a photo of a young Senator Palpatine, before the Sith got their claws in him.

For those of you in the New England / Tri-State area who are contemplating a 3-day baseball road trip, I highly recommend making the trek out to Detroit, and following that up with stops in Cleveland and Pittsburgh (in that order).  All three stadiums are great places to watch a game, much more comfortable than the pygmy swamp gulag I have become accustomed to.

Anyway, If I were some sort of god or mystical being with unlimited powers, I would hover over Detroit and play a real life game of Sim City.  You know the drill: demolish abandoned buildings here, build parks there, implement wind power, ensure that there is adequate coverage with evenly-dispersed police stations.  Maybe I’d build a statue of myself.  Hey, nothing Stalin-esque, maybe just a 20-footer in the center of town, so people could pay their proper respects.  I don’t think that would be asking too much.

On to the baseball team.

Arrivals: LF Johnny Damon, SP Max Scherzer, RP Jose Valverde, RP Daniel Schlereth, CF Austin Jackson, RP Phil Coke, SS Adam Everett

Departures: CF Curtis Granderson, SP Edwin Jackson, RP Fernando Rodney, 1B Aubrey Huff, 2B Placido Polanco, RP Brandon Lyon

As you can see, there have been a ton of changes in Detroit, with perhaps more key-player turnover than any team in the league this offseason.  Most of the changes stem from the Granderson trade.  While that trade appears to be a very good move from a long-term standpoint, the impact on the 2010 team is something of a question mark.  See below.

Projected 2010 starting lineup:

Austin Jackson is the major wild card in this lineup, as he will be making his much-anticipated MLB debut this spring.  He was good, but not great, in AAA last season, hitting .300/.354/.405 while playing competent CF defense.  Jackson can run well, but his power never really developed like Yankee fans hoped it would.  Now that he’s 23-years-old, I think we pretty much know what to expect from him.

Aside from another rookie, Scott Sizemore, the rest of the lineup should be familiar to most observers.  The offense appears to be heavily concentrated in the middle of the order, with one elite slugger and a handful of decent hitters to support him, but there are few guys here that shouldn’t be counted on for too much production in 2010.

To be continued (pitching)

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By Jimmy, 3/3/2010 10:24 am

A living, breathing symbol of the incompetence of HoF voters.

A few years ago, I briefly had a roommate from Cincinnati.  Nice girl.  Redhead.  Anyway, one Saturday afternoon she asks me if I would like to try a “Cincinnati Chili”.  Now, I had never heard of Cincinnati Chili at that point, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if it was a type of dish or one of those things you find on urbandictionary.com.  Either way, my answer was the same: yes.

Let’s just say, I was not a fan at all.  Midwesterners do a lot of things right (BBQ, hot dogs, agriculture, etc.) but they should not be allowed to mess around with pasta.

On to the original professional baseball team, the Red Legs:

Arrivals: 2B Aaron Miles, SS Orlando Cabrera, P Aroldis Chapman
Departures: RP Ramon Ramirez, CF Willy Taveras

Projected 2010 Lineup:

Projected 2010 Bench:

I can’t help but laugh at some of these player profiles you read online.  Yeah, I realize I’m not exactly Red Smith myself, but please tell me if this profile on Drew Stubbs is not completely ludicrous:

“With Stubbs having the inside track to become the full time center fielder, he could make for a nice late-round surprise come Draft Day. His performance in just a brief stint last season showed that he had the power of a Hanley Ramirez and has the ability to be a speedier version of Nate Mclouth (sic).”

The first sentence?  Sure, fine. he’ll probably start.  The second sentence is just completely off the wall.  Nothing Stubbs has done in the minors or majors indicates that he will ever hit as well as Nate McLouth, and the idea that he could even dream of approaching Hanley’s power (career .531 SLG%) is hilarious.

The top of this lineup is fine, and the bottom should hold their own (even if Stubbs fails to hit like Hanley Ramirez) in a division that is not as strong as it once was.

Projected 2010 Rotation:

The Reds actually have a fairly deep core of starting pitchers, if you consider staff ace Edinson Volquez, who will return at some point after the All-Star break, and Cuban flamethrower Aroldis Chapman, who will probably begin his career in the minors but will not be denied for long.  The 5th spot is up for grabs; consider Owings a default entry, as he is one of the more experienced guys competing for that job.

Projected 2010 Bullpen:

The bullpen is far from decided at this point. Maloney and Lincoln will both be vying for that 5th rotation spot, but neither one is a guarantee to make the staff.  Herrera, Rhodes, and Masset all were excellent in 2009 with microscopic ERAs, but none of them are really dominant relievers, and should probably bet on regressing to the mean this season.

Overall, Cincinnati has a solid young team with plenty of guys who could break out.  If lightning strikes in the right spots, I could see them becoming a Cindarella contender in the NL Central.

Team score: 6.71

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By Jimmy, 3/2/2010 10:09 am

Disclose injuries you will – Daisuke Matsuzaka was visited by his old mentor, a Japanese pitching coach named Tsuyoshi Yoda.  Yoda told reporters that Matsuzaka does indeed appear to be in better shape than he was in the WBC at this time last year.  He then walked over the beach and lifted a sunken tarpon boat out of the water with his mind.

Speaking of Japanese pitchers – If the Red Sox ownership group really wants to open up new “revenue streams”, they will sign this pitcher to a minor league deal.  I don’t believe we have seen the combination of baseball marketing with cartoon kitten merchandising yet, so…get it done, Theo.

Disrespecting his elders – After looking at the roster page for Northeastern’s baseball team, I’m realizing that quite a few of the hitters Casey Kelly will be facing tomorrow are actually older than him.  The Huskies’ bats have been quite explosive, scoring 33 runs in the 4 games they’ve played, but how many pitchers have they faced with pinpoint command of a mid-90′s fastball?  Should be interesting.

No more steroids or HGH, so… – The great ones will always find new and creative ways to stay two steps ahead of MLB’s testing policies.  Calf’s blood!  Well done, Vamp-Rod.

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By Jimmy,

A few weeks ago, I gave a brief rundown on the guys who will be fighting for a spot in the back end of the Red Sox bullpen this spring, including their projections:

We can now add Casey Fien to the mix, a 26-year-old righty who was claimed off waivers after the Detroit Tigers cut him loose, a move that was necessary to make room for some guy named (maybe you’ve heard of him) Johnny Damon. In any event, Fien was impressive as a reliever in AAA Toledo last year, striking out 10.2 hitters per 9 innings, without allowing many walks or home runs.

Fien’s Marcel FIP projection is 4.59, putting him right in the middle of the group listed above.  Expect him to get a long look in spring training.

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By Jimmy, 3/1/2010 10:53 am

The Red Sox lineups have been announced for the annual “Embarrass the Lace-Curtain College Mofos” event in Ft. Myers on Wednesday.

The starters for the double-header will be:

The more interesting lineup from my perspective is the one facing the Huskies, with notable prospects starting at 1B, CF, and P.

If you’re wondering who Darnell McDonald is, he’s a 31-year-old outfielder who has spent most of the past 9 years in AAA.

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By Jimmy,

Cameron gimpy – Newly acquired center fielder Mike Cameron is experiencing some tightness and will probably not participate in the team’s annual “Academic Beat Down” against Northeastern and Boston College.  From the Globe’s description, it seems like your typical minor soreness, the only red flag being Cameron’s age (37).

Bay fires more parting shots – Nothing vicious, just some critique of the way the medical issues were handled by the Red Sox.  Really, the whole thing is playing out like Damon’s departure, only more Canadian (reserved / polite).  On a side note, I wonder if Bay’s programming allowed him to crack a smile when his country won the gold medal in hockey?  Nah, he probably experienced a syntax error.

Gotta love contract years – Josh Beckett: “I would say that I’m more prepared now than I was four years ago”.  Barring injuries, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the 29-year-old isn’t one of the top 15 starters in the American League this year.

An undead Providence Gray – Those of you who are into Twitter need to be following Old Hoss Radbourn.  The single season win record-holder and Hall of Famer has risen from the grave, and brings his 19th century perspective to us in 140-character nuggets of folksy wisdom.  Really hilarious stuff.

Coming up: the 2010 Cincinnati Reds team preview