2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions

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I like him...but there's just too many problems to fix for it to be only one off season to help. I think he could be a second half guy and put up decent numbers. There's just too many things up in the air in that lineup for me. Plus, as @AlBooBoo5 pointed out, Yost juggles way too much.
 
can't see anybody taking uggla contract unless it's a year left (not sure) 
 
On paper, the Royals have improved their talent from their 86 win season while the Indians have done virtually nothing except add another platoon bat and the Tigers have gotten a little bit worse in my opinion. The game isn't played on paper though, but I can see them winning that division. If not they'll be fighting for a Wild Card spot again.
 
Mr Marcus said:
 
can't see anybody taking uggla contract unless it's a year left (not sure) 
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Uggla has two more years on his contract at $13 mil each year I think. And it's gonna be hard for Atlanta to get rid of him unless they agree to pay 75%+ of his contract. 
 
Something close to 2012 numbers is satisfactory. He's never hit for average. Power swing. Similar to Trumbo in some ways offensively.
 
Crazy how the Braves never really spend money, but when they do it's on Dan Uggla and BJ Upton :lol I'm not complaining though, I can't believe how hard BJ fell off last year though.
 
madj55 said:
On paper, the Royals have improved their talent from their 86 win season while the Indians have done virtually nothing except add another platoon bat and the Tigers have gotten a little bit worse in my opinion. The game isn't played on paper though, but I can see them winning that division. If not they'll be fighting for a Wild Card spot again.
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I definitely get all that.

But I can't count on a rotation with just Shields. Vargas, Davis, Guthrie & Duffy are all 4's and 5's to me. Maybe Duffy takes that next step this year. Control is the last thing to come back after TJS but he never had it to begin with TBH.

ChampCruThik said:
Something close to 2012 numbers is satisfactory. He's never hit for average. Power swing. Similar to Trumbo in some ways offensively.
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And Trumbo is just really not worth much offensively to me :lol those 20 HR's are going to come at a huge price with Moose. He's always been the type to be on one extreme or the other when it comes to making adjustments in his game or when he's in a cold spell. He doesn't make contact enough for to have that kinda faith in him I think. IMO, he's best suited as a platoon guy.
 
I don't like the Vargas signing for the Royals, major overpay. Do ya'll think they'll try to retain Ervin if the price is right and he's still out there?
 
BTW, anyone see Tim Kurkjian's bold predictions for 2014 on ESPN this morning?

Homie has Bryce Harper winning the Triple Crown and the Nats winning the World Series :lol that's way more than bold, that's outrageous
 
I somewhat agree with Tim Kurkjian. I'm picking the Nats to win the WS assuming Matt Williams is the right manager for the club. If all clicks like a well oiled machine. The rotation is lethal. Just a matter of creating enough offense. Would make sense for Bryce Harper to backpack.

Slim to none in terms of Santana returning to KC. They already paid Vargas and Santana wants close to $20M-per.
 
Top 10 teams in the majors
December, 31, 2013

As 2013 becomes 2014, here's a look at the top 10 teams in MLB.

1. Detroit Tigers

Some of the teams that employ advanced metrics determined at the end of the last regular season that the Tigers were the best team in the American League -- by far. This, in spite of a bullpen that repeatedly went through changes at closer, and in spite of what was widely regarded as the worst defense in the majors. The Tigers won the AL Central for the third straight year, and again they couldn't win the World Series, losing to Boston in the ALCS. And since the end of the season, Detroit GM David Dombrowski has gone about the business of plugging the holes.

He allowed Jhonny Peralta to depart, cementing Jose Iglesias' spot at shortstop. He traded Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler, a change that will upgrade the Tigers' defense, because Miguel Cabrera now moves to the position he should play: first base. With Rajai Davis taking over in left field as part of a platoon with Andy Dirks, Detroit should now have a really good outfield, as well as more team speed.

And Dombrowski also added arguably the best available closer, Joe Nathan, who posted a 1.39 ERA in 2013. Some teams have concerns that Nathan, who turns 40 in 2014, will lose his stuff in the next couple of years. But the Tigers are more of a win-now team than any other in baseball, with a team designed not only to make the postseason, but to take the final step for owner Mike Ilitch and win the World Series. The Tigers have the ability to make that happen next season, with their dominant rotation, their shored-up bullpen and defense, and their more functional lineup -- under the guise of new manager Brad Ausmus.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

They haven't really made a big move yet this winter, re-signing Juan Uribe, Brian Wilson and J.P. Howell, and pinning down Dan Haren on a one-year deal. But even if they don't land another pitcher -- Masahiro Tanaka, Matt Garza or David Price -- they'll have an excellent pitching staff, and of course, the money and the motivation to get better and address holes during the regular season. One GM said that when you consider building a championship team, you have to factor in an additional 5 to 10 percent: The amount of money you can take on to fill needs that develop through injury and unexpected performance lapses. The Dodgers certainly have that.

If the Dodgers play the Tigers in the World Series, it'll be a match of the two teams currently placing the highest value on winning a championship.

They have Yasiel Puig, too, whose talent is as scary as his driving – which is why the Dodgers talked to him after his latest incident. The Dodgers are holding their breath over Puig, writes Bill Plaschke.

3. St. Louis Cardinals

They have the best collection of power pitching in baseball, with Michael Wacha, Trevor Rosenthal, Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez and others, on a staff led by Adam Wainwright. The offense could be as good as it was last year if Jhonny Peralta hits the way the Cardinals believe he will and Matt Adams and Kolten Wong transition into effective regular players.

4. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox's front office drew upon lessons learned from the past and maintained their discipline in the offseason, not feeling the need to try to top the magic that Boston accomplished in 2013.

They haven't surrendered any draft picks, they haven't boxed themselves in with long-term deals; payroll flexibility continues to be management's mantra. However, the cost of doing business this way will come to bear during the regular season if Boston's lineup safety nets do not materialize next summer.

If Jackie Bradley Jr. doesn't develop into a serviceable big leaguer quickly, they'll have a hole in center field and in the leadoff spot. If Xander Bogaerts doesn't realize stardom quickly -- and the expectation of rival evaluators is that he has a chance to make a rapid ascent, like a Manny Machado -- then Boston's infield will have problems. The Red Sox have a major unknown before them: Clay Buchholz was among the game's best pitchers in the first half of the season, and missed most of the second half due to injury, and Boston really has no idea what production he will provide.

But the bet here is that as part of Boston's new-found discipline, the front office is prepared to maintain a steady, big-picture course, rather than pursue a frenzied (and perhaps a little irrational) chase in trying to win the World Series again -- in the first 3 1/2 months of the season, at least. If the Red Sox are well-positioned again in July and have holes, that would be the time for them to be aggressive.

5. Oakland Athletics

In some respects, Oakland's back-to-back division championships with a payroll of half of its main competitors is more impressive than a World Series win would be for most other teams. This is the dance Oakland must do, and the Athletics should again have a strong team, with a deep pitching staff (including one of the most dominant bullpens in baseball) and a lineup filled with walks and home runs.

It will be crucial for them that Josh Donaldson and Jed Lowrie continue to be lineup anchors, because the Athletics aren't really structured to absorb regression in these two key players. It would help a lot if Yoenis Cespedes had a bounce-back season.

6. Texas Rangers

They needed offensive help and merely added two players who ranked among the top 40 in OPS in 2013 in Shin-Soo Choo and Prince Fielder. Choo will help the top of the lineup, Fielder will help the middle. Rival evaluators say that while Jurickson Profar is not close to making an instant impact at the level of a Bryce Harper or a Mike Trout, he could become a really good player, and he could take a major step forward after feeling his way around big league pitching in 2013.

The Rangers' pitching should be strong, although they have major X factors in Matt Harrison, who is coming back from back trouble, and Neftali Feliz, who will try to return to his role as closer.

The Rangers owners OK'd the Fielder and Choo deals, as Drew Davison writes.

7. Atlanta Braves

Their budget lines are all but immovable, and as the Braves' impressive young players have begun to climb into their arbitration years, Atlanta had some tough decisions to make this winter, allowing Brian McCann and Tim Hudson to walk away. But the Braves have three high-end position players in first baseman Freddie Freeman, shortstop Andrelton Simmons and right fielder Jason Heyward, as well as the game's best closer (Craig Kimbrel) and what should be a good rotation. There are three major questions on this roster:

1. What will the team's highest-paid player, B.J. Upton, provide after hitting .184 last season?
2. Will Dan Uggla bounce back after batting .179 and being left off the postseason roster?
3. Will Justin Upton be as good as he was early in the year, or just an average player, as he was in the middle of the season?

8. Washington Nationals

They were heavy favorites to make the postseason last year and never really challenged the Braves for the division title after Atlanta started strongly. The Nats' lineup was strangely ineffective, with the coaching staff greatly concerned about what they perceived to be a passive approach from too many hitters, and injuries hurt them in key spots.

So Washington GM Mike Rizzo made one of the best trades of the winter in dealing for Detroit's Doug Fister, added outfield depth by signing Nate McLouth and bolstered the bullpen by dealing for Jerry Blevins. The issue that could nag them is the relative health of some of their primary players, who have extensive injury histories.

9. Kansas City Royals

The Royals have been building for the season to come for many years, and after taking a step forward last season, they will try to break through and make the playoffs, as the Pirates did last year. Their bullpen is among the very best, and so is their defense, and their lineup should be improved by the addition of Norichika Aoki and Omar Infante. The major issue for the Royals -- besides playing in the same division as the Tigers and Indians -- is the question of who will make up for the production of Ervin Santana.

It may still be possible that the answer to that is Santana himself, if his diminished free-agent market compels him to try to work out a deal with the Royals, who would be open to this if it's on their terms.

If Santana does come back, the Royals may well have their most complete team since the 1985 version that won the World Series.

10. Pittsburgh Pirates

They broke through to make the postseason last season, and their strong core remains in place, built around Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Starling Marte, their bullpen, and starters Francisco Liriano, Gerrit Cole and Charlie Morton.

Pittsburgh's front office showed it would be aggressive in aiding the team if it thought it had a chance to win, and it's still possible the Pirates will augment their roster for next season. But Pittsburgh is good enough to contend already, and it may be the Pirates' most significant augmentations will happen next season, as their needs become more acute.

Honorable mention: The Tampa Bay Rays, although we don't yet know the status of David Price for 2014; the Cincinnati Reds, with Billy Hamilton's development being absolutely crucial for the lineup; the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have been aggressive in trying to build a winner for 2014; the Cleveland Indians, if they can repair a rotation hurt by the departures of Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir; and the Los Angeles Angels, if their moves to bolster the rotation pay off.

If the Yankees are the team to sign Tanaka, they would jump right into the middle of this list of top teams. If not, their pitching staff won't be good enough to contend unless Michael Pineda rediscovers his 2011 excellence.

Moves, deals and decisions

1. The Nationals signed Will Rhymes.

2. The Pirates added a first baseman in a minor deal. Pittsburgh might theoretically be a fit for Kendrys Morales on a very team-friendly contract, but the Pirates would have to give up their first-round draft pick, and the draft money attached to it. You might as well ask them to surrender some oxygen.

3. The Royals signed a couple of veterans to free-agent deals.

AL East

• The Yankees could still dip below $189 million with an in-season sell-off, writes Joel Sherman.

• The Orioles have talked about a possible swap for Ike Davis, writes Eduardo Encina.

• The Orioles owe it to their fans to take their best shot, writes Nick Cafardo.

• The Rays are excited about Ryan Hanigan's defense, writes Joe Smith.

AL Central

• A Detroit right-hander has impressed in winter ball.

• Don Cooper is confident that the White Sox will be able to find a closer.

NL East

• These are the Nationals stories of the year, from Adam Kilgore.

• The Braves have some other bullpen weapons, as David O'Brien notes.

NL Central

• Ryan Braun's suspension was voted as a top story.

Other stuff

• Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell have been snubbed, writes Kurt Mensching.

• Richard Griffin won't vote for Roger Clemens.

• Some e-mail exchanges between Alex Rodriguez and team president Randy Levine were published.

• Daniel Nava has time to count his blessings.

• James Franklin won't say if he's staying at Vanderbilt.

And today will be better than yesterday.
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Top 10 storylines to watch in 2014
January, 1, 2014

By Buster Olney | ESPN.com

Tim Kurkjian had it right last spring when he said the hardest thing to predict in 2013 was who was going to finish fifth in the AL East. Many folks thought it would be the Boston Red Sox, and instead, they won the World Series with a group of invested players who reinvigorated Boston’s fan base.

We can draw a lesson from that example, as we look ahead to 2014: You never know what you’ll see on a given day. But you can predict the 10 most prominent story lines that promise to attract a lot of attention in the months ahead.

1. The identity of Bud Selig’s successor

Selig has announced he will retire a year from now, so let the campaigning and the lobbying (and maybe some deal-making and backstabbing, in some quarters) begin in earnest.

I’ve heard three different theories about who will follow Selig from high-ranking club executives.

A) Some believe he won’t actually retire at the end of this season, and will instead by convinced by owners to stay on board.

B) Rob Manfred, the chief operating officer of baseball, is destined to be Selig’s hand-picked successor. “There’s no way [Selig] is leaving that job without anointing the next guy,” said one official, “and that’s Rob.”

C) The "heir to the throne" hasn’t actually emerged, because of a growing unhappiness among a core of mid-market and small-market teams hasn’t manifested itself yet. Whoever the next commissioner is will have to make his peace with that group, as Selig has been able to do.

2. Rule changes: The first widespread use of replay, and the forthcoming abolition of legal home-plate collisions.

As we’ve seen with the home run replays (and with other sports), the use of the advanced technology won’t put an end to the controversy. The flaws in the new system, and the new collision rules, will be exposed and abused, inevitably, and this will lead to improvement of the sport. So think of 2014 as a step in the right direction, as MLB reaches for a higher standard. Hopefully, the first catcher who avoids an opponent coming home with the winning run gets the full backing of his teammates and manager.

3. The resolution of the Alex Rodriguez case

This could come quickly, with the arbitrator’s decision now looming. But Rodriguez has shown a willingness to sue just about everybody for everything, and if the arbitrator rules against A-Rod, then presumably the third baseman could challenge the decision in federal court.

The decision is not only important for A-Rod and the Yankees, but also for Major League Baseball, given that Rodriguez was the biggest name swept up in the Biogenesis net. If MLB loses (which might be defined by an extraordinary reduction or an outright rejection of the 211-game suspension rendered by Bud Selig), baseball’s entire drug-testing program would be greatly undermined, increasing fears that there are cheaters circumventing the process by a greater understanding of the drugs and the testing. MLB’s investigation has netted all but one of those targeted in the Biogenesis mess, including Ryan Braun, but Rodriguez would be the big one that got away if somehow he prevailed.

4. The shaping of the union power

The Players Association lost a great and beloved leader in Michael Weiner in 2013, and while former player Tony Clark was named to replace him, very little has been cemented about the nature of the union’s leadership. Will he defer to the union’s counsel in labor negotiations? Will he be like Weiner, who preferred compromise rather than be an intractable believer in doctrine, or like Don Fehr, who drew hard lines in his talks with owners? Will the players -- now almost two decades removed from the last major labor war -- benignly follow Clark, or will they drive him and be part of the process? And who will become the most active leaders among the active players?

Weiner’s death left a tremendous power vacuum within the union, and 2014 promises definition of the new regime.

5. A crossroad season for the New York Yankees and Derek Jeter

Jeter was wrecked by injury in 2013 and managed just 73 plate appearances. And while he and the Yankees worked out a one-year deal for 2014, the simple fact is that the team has no idea if he’ll be able to be productive next season. If he’s not, then Jeter’s career might well be nearing its end, in the year he turns 40.

General manager Brian Cashman’s contract is set to expire next fall, and although owner Hal Steinbrenner’s has demonstrated a benevolent (charitable?) side in his first years of running the team, it’ll be interesting to see if he affects changes if the Yankees miss the playoffs for the second straight year for the first time since the ’92-’93 seasons.

6. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Don Mattingly

In the last three months, the Dodgers have made the postseason, won a playoff series and have had two major press gatherings for Manager Don Mattingly -- and there is still no clarity on his status. Will he manage 2014 as a lame duck? If Mattingly gets the extension that was discussed earlier this offseason, will he still be managing for his job, as he runs as team in win-now mode? Is he actually safe?

We really don’t have any answers yet, and while nobody is talking about exactly where this cold war stands, the fact that it continues is a statement in itself.

7. AL West race

The Texas Rangers went to the World Series in 2010 and 2011, so the Los Angeles Angels spent heavily on Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson and Josh Hamilton, signing Hamilton away from the Rangers. Texas upped the ante this winter by adding more than $200 million in salary obligations by acquiring Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo. The Seattle Mariners spent more money on one player than any other team this winter, outbidding the Yankees for Robinson Cano. And the Oakland Athletics just keep on doing what they always do, as the division’s Little Engine That Could, and have won the AL West the last two seasons. The AL West race could turn out to be more intense than any other, given the pile of chips that have been shoved into the fight, given all that’s at stake.

It’s not a good time to be the Houston Astros. Again.

8. Teams at a tipping point (besides Seattle)

The Philadelphia Phillies are trying to extract one last season from their aging core, and even the front office doesn’t seem to really believe in it, having let other teams know that they are willing to take offers for everyone from Cole Hamels to Cliff Lee to Jimmy Rollins. One way or another, circumstances will force the Phillies to commit to a direction.

The Kansas City Royals are all-in for this year, with James Shields eligible for free agency after next season and with Scott Boras clients Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas quickly climbing the arbitration scale. This is a franchise reaching a critical mass, for good or for less.

Arizona Diamondbacks honcho Ken Kendrick is in must-win mode, having approved aggressive moves by the front office while also declining to pick up the options for general manager Kevin Towers or Kirk Gibson beyond this upcoming season. If the team struggles, changes will loom.

The Baltimore Orioles broke through to make the playoffs in 2012, contended in 2013 -- and have worked to manage payroll this winter, frustrating their fan base. If Baltimore takes a major step back this year -- which seems possible, unless Kevin Gausman immediately develops into a frontline starter and unless Manny Machado comes all the way back from knee surgery -- there will be repercussions, outside and inside the organization.

The Toronto Blue Jays positioned themselves for a run at the playoffs in 2013, trading prospects for R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and others. But the team floundered, failing to post a winning record for the third straight year, and if they do so again in 2014, there could be many changes.

9. Contract situations

Clayton Kershaw deferred a decision when the Dodgers’ approached him last summer about what would essentially be a lifetime deal, for $300 million, and he has staggering leverage after winning his second Cy Young Award, as he heads toward free agency next fall. Let the speculation begin about Max Scherzer, who is eligible for free agency after the 2014 season and is represented by agent Scott Boras, who almost always takes his clients into the free agent market.

The Dodgers already have had some conversations about a new multi-year deal with Hanley Ramirez. The Rays have yet to trade David Price, who is eligible for free agency after 2015. And let the speculation begin about Miguel Cabrera, whose current contract will run out after the 2015 season. Craig Kimbrel will set records in arbitration, if he gets that far, and very quickly -- like within the next 18 months -- the Braves will come face-to-face with the choice of keeping the most expensive closer in baseball history, or swapping him to a team that can better afford him.

Finally: Each day that goes by, Mike Trout inches toward what might be the largest contract in baseball history.

10. Milestones

Jeter -- who has 3,316 hits -- needs three more to tie Paul Molitor for ninth place on the all-time hits list, 103 to tie Carl Yastrzemski for eighth place. A-Rod needs 61 hits for 3,000, and 31 more RBIs for 2,000; he’d pass Lou Gehrig and Barry Bonds along the way, and become only the fourth player to achieve that number. Pujols needs eight more homers for 500 in his career, two more RBId for 1,500. Adrian Beltre needs 24 more homers for 400. Cabrera needs 35 more homers for 400.

And Bud Selig will serve as Commissioner for a 17th season (if you include his years when his title was acting Commissioner), after serving six years as the de facto commissioner. That’s 23 years in all -- only one year less than the 24 years served by Kennesaw Mountain Landis. (Selig isn’t officially credited with the title of Commissioner until 1998.)

Moves, deals and decisions

1. The Astros signed Jesse Crain.
2. Nelson Cruz’s vacation was kind of ruined.

AL East
The Orioles could be even better defensively this year.

AL Central
Dayton Moore wouldn’t tip his hand on whether the Royals might bid on Masahiro Tanaka. If they got him, outbidding the biggest big-money teams in the majors, it would represent one of the greatest upsets in baseball history.

But again, it costs nothing for the Royals to engage, and they can at least say, with complete honesty, that they explored the possibility.

A former teammate says Kurt Suzuki was a good pickup for the Twins.

AL West
Raul Ibanez is excited to play for the Angels.

NL Central
Jason Motte is continuing his comeback, as Derrick Goold writes.

NL West
An anonymous former teammate took a shot at Adam Eaton.

Other stuff
*Here are some New Year’s wishes for baseball, from Richard Griffin.

*An early Mike Trout autograph has been discovered.

And today will be better than yesterday.
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You ain't ready for the Choo Choo train.

Holland and Perez will only get better.

Don't fight it, my friend. Rangers in 2014. Daniels for President.
 
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