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From the Windup: I'm Thankful For ...

Matt Snyder — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West, MLB Media Watch

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.

Just because something is corny, doesn't mean it can't be done. Saying what you are thankful for on Thanksgiving is an American tradition. Sure, it may be a bit played out -- and some would even say lame -- to write a column about things we're thankful for in a given sport. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna spit in the face of all the great Americans before me who began the tradition and kept it alive for all these years. So, let's do it, baseball-style.

I'm Thankful For ...

... Will Carroll and Keith Law. These are the two voters who left Chris Carpenter off their respective Cy Young ballots. I'm thankful for them because they perfectly illustrated how there needs to be a balance between sabermetrics and reality. Look, I love stats, but sometimes less is more. You can throw innings pitched, FIP, ERA+, WAR or anything else you want at me. That's fine. I know what the numbers mean and I understand the concept behind them. I can also tell you real baseball isn't played on the computer. You tell me this: if you were a manager and had one game to win in 2009 to save your job, would you rather have had Carpenter, Dan Haren (on Carroll's ballot) or Javier Vazquez (on Law's) take the ball? Put down the calculator and simply answer that. Anyone would be hard-pressed to convince me Carpenter is not the choice. For the record, my ballot would have read: 1. Carpenter; 2. Tim Lincecum; 3. Adam Wainwright. Carpenter versus Lincecum was nearly neck-and-neck for me, and I'm good with Haren being fourth in line.

... Sammy Sosa's face.

... Baseball Reference. Hey, I told you I like numbers, too. This site can solve any argument concerning historical statistics. It has everything. It's not a new revelation, as it's been loved for years by many, but it never hurts to continually thank the heavens for its existence.

... The fact that I don't have to hear Chip Caray's voice until April.

... Jeremy Affeldt. He was a superb middle reliever/setup man for the Giants in 2009, but that's not why I'm thankful for him. He had a 1.73 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 62 1/3 innings (with zero saves!), but that's not why I'm thankful. I'm thankful because one writer thought he was the 10th most valuable player in the entire National League. That's right, Mr. Affeldt was able to garner his first career MVP vote this year.

... Fantasy baseball. It's not for everyone, but it's a fun hobby for die-hard baseball fans who like to sift through every box score and love stats.

... The Internet, because not only can I get any stat I want at any given time, but because an old newspaper or magazine would have never published fun, non-serious stuff like this, this or this. Also, if it's not your thing, you are free to ignore. It's all free, after all.

... MLB Extra Innings. Seriously, between the Internet and being able to watch up to 15 games a night, the middle of the summer is never, ever boring.

... The fact that every first place vote in the NL MVP went to Albert Pujols. Though, judging from some of the comments, a few Phillies fans are deluded enough to think Ryan Howard deserved it. Guys, go back to the start of 2009 and imagine if the Phillies had duped St. Louis into trading Pujols for Howard straight up. If you seriously think you would have been upset instead of excited about this fictional trade, it may be time to seek counseling.

... Curb Your Enthusiasm. Hey, they said Derek Jeter's name in one episode this season, so I can count it as baseball-related.

... Hot Stove season. Seriously, baseball never stops. In other sports there is a lull where everyone is waiting for free agency to begin, then the draft, then training camp to start (order is different in some sports). In baseball, there are trades immediately after the World Series ends, then free agency, then arbitration, then the Winter Meetings, personnel shifting until the middle of February and then pitchers and catchers report to camp. There isn't one day that goes by in the baseball calendar without anything of interest.

... The resurgence of speed and defense as an emphasis, while home runs remain at a premium. I'll take being well-rounded over one-dimensional any day.

... The fact that we don't always have to be talking about steroids anymore. Oh, wait. Nevermind. Hopefully I'll be able to actually use this submission someday with a straight face.

... Chase Utley. I'm so jealous of Phillies fans for getting to cheer for that guy. Carl Crawford isn't far behind, either.

... How many fans think there is some vast media conspiracy against their favorite teams and/or players. So, basically, the media hates: the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Phillies, the Cubs, all small-market teams, all Midwest teams, all West Coast teams, etc. But the media also loves: the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Phillies, the Cubs, the Cardinals, underdogs and feels sorry for all teams not on the East Coast. Now it all makes sense! It's the highest of high comedy. People, life is too short to go around with such paranoia. Enjoy your team(s) and the game.

... Wrigley Field

... The good guys in the game like Joe Girardi and Matt Kemp. There are loads and loads more, but we hear too much about the bad and not enough about the good.

... Every single waking day I live without hearing or seeing an update on Roger Clemens. Rocket-free is Pleasantville for me.

Finally, I'm thankful for Milton Bradley. Without him, people may be focusing on the shortcomings of the rest of the Cubs. Instead, the other members of my favorite team will get to rest easy this offseason, even though many of them had pretty miserable campaigns in 2009 as well.

And I'll be a helluva lot more thankful once Bradley's finally not on the Cubs anymore. Even if that doesn't happen until 2012. Thank you, Jim Hendry!

From the Windup: I'm Thankful For ... originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodgers, Angels Interested in Halladay

Matt Snyder — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Blue Jays, Dodgers, AL East, AL West, NL West, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove

According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, both L.A.-area teams are in pursuit of Blue Jays' ace Roy Halladay via trade. The report cites sources familiar with talks from both teams and places the chances of the Dodgers getting the right-hander a "long shot," but it sounds like the Angels have a realistic chance at acquiring Halladay.

Reportedly, Halladay would cost the Angels a young starting pitcher, such as Jered Weaver or Ervin Santana, in addition to a prospect. New Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous is also said to be willing to allow a potential trading partner to negotiate a contract extension with Halladay before any deal is finalized.

Halladay is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2010 season and there is likely little hope for the Blue Jays to retain him -- due to financial constraints.

The 6-foot-6 Halladay, 32, is one of the more durable workhorses in baseball. He has thrown more than 220 innings in the past four seasons and six times in his career. He's completed 25 games (in 96 starts) in the past three seasons, and it's not like Halladay is just eating innings out there. He's as productive as anyone, sporting a stellar 2.78 ERA over the past two seasons.

If the Angels could land Halladay, they could let free agent starter John Lackey leave, though it's possible they bring Lackey back and trade for Halladay, which would give them quite an imposing 1-2 punch.

If the Dodgers did somehow pull off the unlikely heist, Halladay would immediately become the anchor to their staff and likely give them an early leg up on the Giants and Rockies in the NL West for 2010.

Of course, there will be many more teams in trade talks with Toronto when it comes to Halladay. He's a bona fide elite starter.

Dodgers, Angels Interested in Halladay originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Rangers

Matt Snyder — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rangers, AL West

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

For the Texas Rangers, 2009 was a rousing success of a transition year. The team who used to simply try to outscore you altered their mindset. They put more of an emphasis on pitching and defense, and it paid off. They dropped down from first to seventh in runs scored in the AL, but the team ERA climbed from last (14th) to eighth. Their defense went from one of the worst in baseball to being considered one of the best.

The result was a huge step forward in the one stat that really matters for Ron Washington and his troops: they won 87 games, which was the most for the Rangers since 2004. Expect the growth to continue as the Rangers are loaded with young talent. The only problems could be money (more on that later) and the fact that their division is going to be really strong for the foreseeable future. But, hey, to be the best, you gotta beat the best.

More Footprints in the Snow

Who Might Leave

Hank Blalock, 1B/DH; Andruw Jones, OF/DH; Marlon Byrd, CF; Omar Vizquel, SS; Ivan Rodriguez, C; Joaquin Benoit, RP; Eddie Guardado, RP

Shopping List

In a shocking reversal of a decade-long trend, the Rangers will be looking for an offensive boost. Their defense last season was exceptional and it aided in the growth of their pitching staff. The balance -- they finished seventh in the AL in runs and eighth in ERA -- was welcome, but there is always room for improvement.

Adding someone like Jermaine Dye or Vladimir Guerrero to the middle of the lineup would slide everyone else into a spot more suited to them, as the Rangers lack a truly menacing cleanup hitter. If Josh Hamilton returns to the form he showed in 2008, he could try to fill the slot, but that's making a pretty big assumption, considering the injury history he's building up. The Rangers are also reportedly talking with the Cubs about Milton Bradley, so he could fit the bill as well. Finally, the Rangers may simply retain Byrd and go with essentially what they had last year. The biggest drawback to this would be that the Rangers don't want to hold back the development of budding center fielder Julio Borbon. If he's ready, signing Byrd for twice the salary (or more) he made last year would be a waste of resources.

The Rangers pitching staff is teeming with potential, yet still incredibly young and mostly unproven. Ideally, they'd be able to bring in someone like John Lackey or Roy Halladay -- both have been mentioned as options in different reports -- to slide atop the rotation. Then Kevin Millwood would be the No. 2 starter and three youngsters -- from the group of Derek Holland, Scott Feldman, Tommy Hunter and Neftali Feliz -- could fill in behind.

Money Matters

Of course, the above shopping list could be rendered pretty useless in light of the team's financial situation. The Rangers are not going to be in position to land a big-time free agent or take on a huge amount of payroll in a trade because the team is in the process of being sold and is being handled by Major League Baseball.

That means they can forget about Lackey or Halladay. A more cost-efficient route for the Rangers could be Ben Sheets. They've been connected with him in the past and he's been rehabbing in Texas. He could probably be had for a one-year, incentive-laden contract, and he has the potential to be an ace once again. Remember, he's only 31 and had a 3.09 ERA in 2008. He also has worked with Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux before, so the move would be mutually beneficial.

Along those same lines, if they want to make a run at Dye or Guerrero, it could be possible with a creatively structured deal. If they end up acquiring Bradley from the Cubs via trade, they'll have to ask the Cubs to take on most of Bradley's salary (which reportedly the Cubs aren't willing to do just yet, but if they are desperate enough to deal him, they might have to).

Kevin Millwood's huge contract is up after 2010, so the Rangers will be free from those eight figures. Hopefully by the time the season ends, the ownership situation is settled and the Rangers can use that money for upgrades elsewhere.

Offseason Goals

Aside from adding a bat and hopefully a solid veteran starting pitcher, most of the Rangers' offseason plans will revolve around continuing to grow their young major leaguers and a farm system that has been rated as the best in the majors by Baseball America. Elvis Andrus, Chris Davis and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are helpful on defense -- to varying degrees, as Andrus is outstanding -- but need to grow offensively to truly help the club achieve their potential. Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz can continue to blossom, but can they handle middle-of-the-order duties if Hamilton doesn't play back to form and the Rangers can't sign anyone else?

The biggest offseason emphasis, however, will be the continued development of the young pitchers. Maddux and Nolan Ryan will continue to stress their throwing program (which involves much more frequency than other teams) and watch the strides made by Holland, Feldman, Hunter and Brandon McCarthy. Finally, the Rangers need to decide what to do with Feliz. The 21-year-old phenom rocks the radar gun to the tune of triple digits and was lights-out in his rookie season. He appeared in 20 games and allowed just six earned runs in 31 innings (1.74 ERA) out of the bullpen. He struck out 39 while allowing just 13 hits. Of course, he was predominantly a starter in the minors. Do the Rangers keep him as a setup man for Frank Francisco or get him in the rotation? It's the classic Joba Chamberlain debate. They need to decide now, not try to transition Feliz in the middle of the season. At least Feliz won't be handled with kid gloves. He'll be on the Nolan Ryan plan, whether in the 'pen or rotation.

Footprints in the Snow: Rangers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Mariners

Matt Snyder — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

After a disastrous 2008 season that claimed two managers (one interim) and a general manager, the Mariners returned to respectability in 2009. General manager Jack Zduriencik placed an emphasis on bargain players -- Franklin Gutierrez, Russell Branyan, David Aardsma -- while manager don Wakamatsu stressed fundamentals. The result was the Mariners finding a way to 85 wins despite being outscored by 52 runs over the course of the season.

A major factor was how good the defense made the pitching look. Despite injury woes for Erik Bedard and the loss of Jarrod Washburn in a trade at the deadline, the Mariners had an AL-best 3.87 ERA (and it wasn't close, as the White Sox checked in at second with a 4.14). According to most advanced metrics, Seattle had the best defense in baseball thanks to Gutierrez, Ichiro, Jose Lopez and company. Of course, they'll be looking for some firepower as they move to 2010. Last season, only the Padres and Pirates crossed home plate fewer times than Seattle.

More Footprints in the Snow

Who Might Leave

Adrian Beltre, 3B; Russell Branyan, 1B; Endy Chavez, OF; Mike Sweeney, DH; Erik Bedard, SP; Miguel Batista, RP; Kenji Johjima, C (already gone)

Shopping List

Only four regulars had an OPS+ of more than 100 (which, in layman's terms, means they only had four above-average hitters) last season. Only two hit more than 20 home runs. It's pretty obvious what is lacking on this club: some power. With Beltre likely out the door, the Mariners will probably bring Branyan back. He just had a career year and there is mutual interest. They've already re-upped with Jack Wilson at shortstop.

That leaves possible holes at third base, catcher and in left field. Hideki Matsui would be a logical fit, providing some much-needed punch, but his defensive deficiencies probably aren't desirable and Ken Griffey appears to be slotted in as at least a part-time DH. Jason Bay is also a possibility in left field. He's not a great defender, but the Mariners may need to give a little on defense to gain the power they so desperately need. Do they even have a chance at Matt Holliday? Because he would be the perfect fit. The thinking here is probably not. They aren't likely to pony up the colossal bid and I'm not sure Holliday would want to go back to the AL West after his poor showing in Oakland. Mark DeRosa is an option that could be very intriguing, with holes in both left and at third. They could sign him while still pursuing help at either position, knowing he could be serviceable at either and will provide them with good hustle, attitude and 20 home runs.

There's a lot of names in there, but grabbing one or two would be paramount to making a run at the AL West in 2010.

As far as pitching, the bullpen is in pretty solid shape with young and talented arms behind newfound closer Aardsma. In the rotation, it couldn't hurt for the Mariners to add a No. 2-type behind Felix Hernandez. John Lackey would perfectly fit the bill. It seems unlikely the Mariners could outbid the Yankees for him, but it's certainly possible (see below). They've also been connected to Edwin Jackson in rumors recently and he would be an outstanding fit and would make more sense than adding one or two years of a guy in his mid-30s. Grabbing one of these two would really solidify a promising rotation that also looks to include Ian Snell, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Brandon Morrow. If they can't grab Lackey or Jackson, Rich Harden is a high-upside gamble the Mariners could take and Doug Davis is a cheaper option who has been linked to the team.

Money Matters

Look at all that payroll flying off the books. Last season, the Mariners had a payroll of over $100 million. Between Beltre, Batista, Johjima, Bedard and a bevy of other shifting -- also factoring in arbitration raises for Gutierrez, Hernandez, Aardsma and Mark Lowe -- they look to have freed up about $40 million for 2010. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be spending all of that money on big-ticket free agents or stud players in trades, but they do have great payroll flexibility. It's a unique position in this economic climate when most teams need to shed payroll.

One thing the Mariners should consider doing with their new financial flexibility is locking up King Felix with a huge long-term deal. He's not set to be a free agent until after the 2011 season, but the Mariners likely have little hope of outbidding the powerhouse money clubs (Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, Angels, etc.) should they not extend him before then. They need to do whatever it takes to get him to sign. If not, they'll be forced to trade him, and the return they'd get would be a killing. This kid is only 23 and already one of the best pitchers in the majors.

Offseason Goals

As I said above, the Mariners need to generate more offense -- especially in the power department -- without drastically hindering the stellar glovework that made their pitchers look so good last year.

Most of all, however, the Mariners need to continue their current course of developing an entire system instead of overpaying for quick-fix types. The previous administration parted with Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman and two others for 30 starts (over two years) of Bedard. If anything, Zduriencik would rather do the complete opposite and stockpile young talent. They are building a foundation of youth and looking to spot-fill cheaper veterans around them that make sense for the present and future, instead of looking to mortgage the future for a big name.

Footprints in the Snow: Mariners originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Footprints in the Snow: Angels

Josh Alper — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, AL West

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

Take your hat off to the Angels for the way they weathered the dual gut punches of Nick Adenhart's death and a raft of early-season injuries to advance all the way to the ALCS this year. The biggest reason why was an offense that defied its reputation for playing small ball all the way to a franchise-record 883 runs. That, in turn, led to a much better than expected record and helped hide the fact that their pitching staff was fairly average.

That makes two straight years where the Angels wildly outperformed expectations, and general manager Tony Reagins will be hard-pressed to put together a team that does it a third time. Chone Figgins, Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey are all free agents who figure to have a lot of callers in a weak year for free talent, which means that the team will likely be dealing with at least one significant change to their core group.

With the Rangers on the rise, the AL West could be ripe for a changing of the guard in 2010.

More Footprints in the Snow

Who Might Leave

Kelvim Escobar, RHP; Chone Figgins, 3B; Vladimir Guerrero, DH/OF; John Lackey, SP; Darren Oliver, LHP; Robb Quinlan, IF

Shopping List

They've already re-signed Bobby Abreu to a two-year deal at a reasonable $18 million with an option for a third year. Abreu had a typically good offensive season in 2009 and should continue to give them a strong bat for the next couple of seasons. His fielding isn't particularly good, however, and doesn't figure to improve after he turns 36 in 2010. The bat is more important, though, because of the uncertain status of Figgins and Guerrero.

Figgins is going to be one of the hottest commodities in a thin free agent market. His patience at the plate, speed and versatility make him desirable to nearly every team with money to spend, and the Angels would take a pretty significant hit if they aren't able to bring him back. There are internal options, but Mike Scioscia seems more likely to give ballet a try than he is to give Brandon Wood a long look in the lineup. Maicer Izturis could conceivably move to third as well and Adrian Beltre would be a free agent option, but none of them would help the Angels in as many ways as Figgins.

Guerrero is a slightly tougher call. His health limited him to 100 games this summer, and his still fearsome power comes in more and more sporadic bursts. Those facts will limit his suitors, which works to the Angels' advantage, but they may try to save money to re-up Figgins and Lackey by letting Guerrero walk. Jermaine Dye or Marlon Byrd could work as a righty bat in that event, joining Abreu and Juan Rivera in a corner outfield/DH rotation, or they could make a run at Jason Bay or Matt Holliday if they were to miss out on re-signing their own guys.

That leads us to Lackey, probably the most crucial of the Angels' free agents. If the Angels want to make another run at a World Series title, an elite starter like Lackey is a must. There aren't any others on the market, which will make him very expensive, however, and he won't lack for bidders. If they aren't able to sign him, they could opt for Randy Wolf, Joel Piniero or take a flier on Erik Bedard or Rich Harden. It should go without saying that none of them would provide anything close to the certainty Lackey does.

Another route, and its one that might signal a change in direction from winning now toward retooling for a run in 2011 or 2012, would be to let the free agents all walk and sign Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman instead. He might not provide an immediate replacement for Lackey, but could team with Jered Weaver to front a very solid rotation down the line. They'd also load up on draft picks that would help replenish a system that's a bit low on front-end talent.

Beyond those spots, the Angels could use help in the bullpen. Brian Fuentes is the closer, although he's not the most reliable character in the business. Scot Shields returning to health would be a big help, but there would be some merit to kicking the tires on Brandon Lyon, Rafael Soriano or Billy Wagner to see if they could solidify the back end of the bullpen even further.

Money Matters

All three members of their middle infield mix -- Izturis, Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick -- are arbitration-eligible and Aybar and Kendrick are candidates for long-term contracts that buy out their arbitration years. The same is true of catchers Jeff Mathis, Mike Napoli (who could also enter the DH mix if Guerrero departs) and starter Joe Saunders.

The guy they'd probably most like to lock up as he enters his arbitration years is Weaver, but the fact that he's represented by Scott Boras may make that difficult. Weaver had an excellent year in 2009 and may be ready to make the leap to the top starter role, a leap that would be necessary if the team is unable to bring Lackey back.

Offseason Goals

It's not going to be an easy offseason for Reagins and the Angels. If they are forced to play wait and see while Figgins and Lackey see what the market has to offer, they'll be under some pressure to cut their losses and look for replacements sooner rather than later lest they be left holding the bag. Things worked out for them last year because Abreu hung around forever, but there just aren't that many talented players on the market this winter.

That means they'll need to either spend a lot of money or be creative to remain at the top of the division again in 2010. There's no obvious reason to doubt their ability to do either, but it wouldn't be shocking to see the team use this as a chance to step back and start thinking big picture about the future.

Footprints in the Snow: Angels originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: John Wetteland Taken to Hospital With 'Mental Issue'

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:44:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Rumors

Former major league closer and current Seattle Mariners bullpen coach John Wetteland was taken to a Texas hospital on Thursday with what is being described as a "mental issue," according to news reports. It seems that police arrived at Wetteland's house shortly after receiving a phone call around 1:30 PM ET about a "possibly suicidal person."

After police arrived at the home Wetteland apparently came out of his house with both arms in the air and told police that he "needed help." Wetteland was then taken to Denton Regional Medical Center outside Dallas.

Wetteland, of course, was the Yankees closer at the beginning of their dynasty years in the late '90s and won the World Series MVP award in 1996 after he saved all four of the Yankees' victories in their six-game defeat of the Atlanta Braves. Wetteland retired from baseball following the 2000 season.

He was brought on to be the Seattle Mariners' bullpen coach this season when the team hired Don Wakamatsu as their manager last winter.

The Mariners are aware of the situation but have not released any comments or official statement regarding it.

Report: John Wetteland Taken to Hospital With 'Mental Issue' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Griffey Agrees to One-Year Deal With M's

Pat Lackey — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:47:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Transactions

Ken Griffey Jr. is returning to Seattle for at least one more season.

The story was originally reported by ESPN and confirmed in a statement by the team Wednesday afternoon.

The future Hall of Famer agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Mariners that's similar to the one he signed prior to the 2009 season. Griffey returned to the city he became a star in last year after spending nearly a decade in Cincinnati and hit .214/.324/.411 with 19 homers over 117 game for the Mariners.

"I'd like to thank the Mariners organization for inviting me back to play in 2010," said Griffey in a statement. "While 2009 was an awesome experience for me, my ultimate goal is for the Mariners to get to and win the World Series."

Griffey's obviously in the twilight of his career at this point; he's going to turn 40 in 10 days and his production had dropped precipitously the last two seasons. In fact, 2009 was only the second season of his entire career that he finished with an OPS+ below 100 over his 21-year career. Still, he clearly thinks that he's got one season left in him and the Mariners must want that season to be in Seattle, otherwise he'd be a free agent.

"We believe that Ken's presence with the Seattle Mariners organization was such a positive asset last season with his leadership on and off the field," said Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik. "His passion for baseball, life and the Seattle Mariners goes unsaid. "

It is a nice thought. Something just felt right about seeing Junior in a Mariners uniform last year, even if he was a shadow of the guy that belted 48 homers with a .960 OPS while patrolling center field that left Seattle in 1999. Still, his offense is dropping and he's no longer even an option to play in field (he only wore a glove 11 times last year, with 91 appearances as a DH), which means that he's of pretty limited value to the Mariners.

More than anything, it looks like Seattle's provided a chance for one of the franchise legends to take a victory lap in 2010. While that's a noble thought, it's still a little sad to see great players cling on for one more year after their skills have mostly deserted them.

Griffey Agrees to One-Year Deal With M's originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mariners Talk Extension With Jack Wilson, Rejected by Russell Branyan

Pat Lackey — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:07:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Rumors

The Mariners built their 24-win improvement in 2009 on both a renewed focus on defense and finding contributions from cheap, unexpected players. With that in mind, it's no surprise that they approached both Jack Wilson and Russell Branyan about contract extensions, a little more than a week before both players hit the open market.

The offer to Wilson was reportedly a multi-year deal that would presumably be for less money per year than the $8.4 million team option that the M's hold on the shortstop. The offer to Branyan was apparently a one-year deal that the slugger has already turned down in hopes of milking a two-year deal out of someone, though he says he'd prefer to remain in Seattle.

Wilson only donned the Mariners' uniform 31 times after being traded from Pittsburgh, but he's widely regarded to be a premium defensive shortstop, when healthy. He's never won a Gold Glove (though he may have had a chance this year had he not switched leagues mid-season), but he was recently named one of the Fielding Bible Award winners for 2009. With GM Jack Zduriencik's focus on defense, it's understandable why he wants Wilson around long-term.

In Branyan, the Mariners found a cheap power source. For just $1.4 million, Branyan homered 31 times and put up an OPS of .867 in 116 games against mostly right-handed pitching. He's right to try and cash in on his big year because he's 33 and he might not get another chance, but on a multiyear deal for presumably a lot more money, he's also a bigger risk given his back problems and tendency to put up very low batting averages and on-base percentages. He may be able to find a two-year deal somewhere, but it probably won't be in Seattle.

Mariners Talk Extension With Jack Wilson, Rejected by Russell Branyan originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kenji Johjima Signs With Hanshin Tigers

Pat Lackey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:16:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West

Just a few days after announcing that he won't return to the Seattle Mariners in 2010, Kenji Johjima has signed a four-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League. NPB Tracker says the deal is a four-year deal worth the equivalent of $27.25 million, which is a pretty nice deal for him after opting out of the $16 million owed to him by the Mariners.

Johjima spent the first nine seasons of his career with the team currently known as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in NPB's Pacific League, and there he was a 30-homer player between 2001 and 2004 before hopping across the Pacific to the Mariners. After struggling with the Mariners the past two years, the decision to move back to NPB clearly makes a ton of sense; he'll make more money, he'll be back home, and the smaller parks may give him a chance to regain his power stroke.

Given the money owed Johjima and his declining bat in America, it's hard to think Seattle is upset to see him go. Still, the flow of talent between the two countries isn't a static thing and it's fascinating to watch players move back and forth. Just a month or so ago, we were talking about Yusei Kikuchi becoming the second top Japanese prospect to skip the draft in favor of America and what that meant for the future of keeping top talent in Japan. Now, Kikuchi has elected to stay with NBP and one of the higher profile talents to leave Japan is going back.

Kenji Johjima Signs With Hanshin Tigers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kenji Johjima Is Going Back to Japan

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:19:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Transactions

The Seattle Mariners announced on Monday that catcher Kenji Johjima has opted out of his current contract so that he can return to Japan and finish out his career there. Johjima signed a three-year contract extension with the Mariners in April of 2008, but used a clause that allowed him to opt out of the final two years of his deal.

The 33-year-old catcher came to Seattle in November of 2005 after playing 11 seasons in the Japanese Pacific League and was the first Japanese-born player to ever catch in the major leagues. In his four seasons as a Mariner, Johjima hit .268 with 48 home runs and 198 RBI.

"After lots of very deep thought and deliberation, I have decided to return home to resume my career in Japan," said Johjima. "I have had a wonderful experience competing at the major league level. The last four years have been extraordinary, with great teammates and great coaches. I will always be indebted to the Mariners organization for giving me the opportunity to follow my dream. This was a very difficult decision, both professionally and personally. I feel now is the time to go home, while I still can perform at a very high level. Playing close to family and friends was a major factor. I will miss the Seattle fans and their gracious support. Thank you all."

While Johjima was a very good player for Seattle during his first two years in the Majors, his numbers tailed off the last two seasons. After hitting .287 in 2007, his batting average dropped to .227 in 2008 and .247 this season. He also saw his playing time decline as he played in only 71 games for Seattle this season after never playing less than 112 in his first three years.

As for what this means for the Mariners, right now their top two catching options are Rob Johnson and Adam Moore. Johnson just underwent surgery on Friday to repair torn labrums in both his left and right hip, much like the surgery Chase Utley and Alex Rodriguez had. After letting that heal for three weeks he'll be undergoing surgery for a tear in his right wrist on Friday and may even need to have a bone spur removed from his right elbow.

The Mariners expect him to be ready for spring training.

As for Moore, he only had 23 at-bats with the Mariners this season, and hit .217 with a homer and two RBI. He did hit .294 with an OPS of .775 in 91 games with the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League.

It remains to be seen whether Seattle is content to go with the two youngsters behind the plate in 2010 or if they choose to take a look at any free agents available this winter.

Kenji Johjima Is Going Back to Japan originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas Rangers Withholding Playoff Ticket Refunds Until November

Matt Snyder — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Rangers, AL West, MLB Biz

You know how you can purchase playoff tickets for your favorite teams even before they've qualified for the playoffs? It's a conditional thing, with the understanding that if your team fails to make the postseason you'll have your money refunded immediately. Of course, if you are a Texas Rangers fan, that understanding apparently doesn't apply.

According to Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers have emailed those who purchased playoff tickets that they won't be receiving a refund until "sometime in November." That's good to know, I'm sure. The Rangers were only eliminated from playoff consideration on Sept. 30. Why should the fans, who spent their own hard-earned cash, expect to get it back within six weeks? It's not like playoff tickets cost much.

In all honesty, this is yet another illustration of the desperate financial situation in which the Rangers currently find themselves. Cowlishaw discusses the fact that the league (MLB) is currently controlling the team and also that some banks will be next in line, should Tom Hicks not find a buyer almost immediately. It's dire straits for the team who once signed Alex Rodriguez to the richest contract in the history of professional sports.

The sad thing is, the Rangers' financial woes could doom a very promising young nucleus. They made huge strides in 2009, becoming a legitimate contender for the first time in years. You can build your franchise from within, as the Rangers appear to have done, but in the real world there are always going to be issues that arise here and there. Will they have the resources needed to fill any gaps that may arise on the roster?

It's especially scary for Rangers fans -- in addition to having to wait on their refunds -- that the Mariners, Angels and A's aren't getting any worse. The window of opportunity was opened in 2009 for the Texas Rangers, but the money mismanagement by ownership could be slamming it shut prematurely.

Texas Rangers Withholding Playoff Ticket Refunds Until November originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 MLB Postseason Schedule

Pat Lackey — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, Phillies, Red Sox, Rockies, Twins, Yankees, AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West, MLB Playoffs, American League Division Series, National League Division Series

With two series over, Major League Baseball has updated the schedule for the rest of the Division Series.

The Rockies and Phillies will play their Game 4 at 4 PM ET if the Yankees-Twins series is still going on. Should the Yankees finish off a sweep Sunday night, the NL Game would move to 6 PM ET.

Series-by-series times are after the jump (all times Eastern).

Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees:

Game 1- Twins at Yankees, 10/7, 6:07 PM, TBS
Game 2- Twins at Yankees, 10/9, 6:07 PM, TBS
Game 3- Yankees at Twins, 10/11, 7:07 PM, TBS
Game 4- Yankees at Twins, 10/12, 7:37 PM, if necessary, TBS
Game 5- Twins at Yankees, 10/14, 8:07 PM, if necessary, TBS

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Game 1- Red Sox at Angels, 10/8, 9:37 PM, TBS
Game 2- Red Sox at Angels, 10/9, 9:37 PM, TBS
Game 3- Angels at Red Sox, 10/11, 12:07 PM, TBS

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Game 1- Cardinals at Dodgers, 10/7, 9:37 PM, TBS
Game 2- Cardinals at Dodgers, 10/8, 6:07 PM, TBS
Game 3- Dodgers at Cardinals, 10/10, 6:07 PM,TBS

Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Game 1- Rockies at Phillies, 10/7, 2:37 PM, TBS
Game 2- Rockies at Phillies, 10/8, 2:37 PM, TBS
Game 3- Phillies at Rockies, 10/11, 10:07 PM,TBS
Game 4- Phillies at Rockies, 10/12, 6:07 PM (7:37 PM if AL still going), TBS
Game 5- Rockies at Phillies, 10/13, 8:07 PM, if necessary TBS

AL Championship Series

Game 1-Angels at Yankees or Twins at Angels, 10/16, Fox
Game 2-Angels at Yankees or Twins at Angels, 10/17, Fox
Game 3-Yankees at Angels or Angels at Twins, 10/19, Fox
Game 4-Yankees at Angels or Angels at Twins, 10/20, Fox
Game 5-Yankees at Angels or Angels at Twins, 10/22, if necessary, Fox
Game 6-Angels at Yankees or Twins at Angels, 10/24, if necessary, Fox
Game 7-Angels at Yankees or Twins at Angels, 10/25, if necessary, Fox

NL Championship Series

Game 1-Rockies or Phillies at Dodgers, 10/15, TBS
Game 2-Rockies or Phillies at Dodgers, 10/16, TBS
Game 3-Dodgers at Rockies or Philliies, 10/18, TBS
Game 4-Dodgers at Rockies or Philliies, 10/19, TBS
Game 5-Dodgers at Rockies or Philliies, 10/21, if necessary, TBS
Game 6-Rockies or Phillies at Dodgers, 10/23, if necessary, TBS
Game 7-Rockies or Phillies at Dodgers, 10/24, if necessary, TBS

2009 MLB Postseason Schedule originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From the Windup: And the 'Winner' Is ...

Matt Snyder — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's weekly look at some aspect of America's pastime.

Instead of handing our hardware to Joe Girardi, Joe Torre, Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Zack Greinke and Chris Carpenter (yes, those would be my votes), I thought we'd mix it up a bit. Plus, being a Cubs fan, I'm plenty filled with negativity at this time of the year -- which, really, is normal. So these are the Bizarro World Awards. The Suck Awards, if you will. The envelopes, please ...

NL LVP (Least Valuable Player): Well, let's see ... you sign a multi-year deal, proclaim your love for your new team and promise health. Instead, you end up getting hurt several times, suspended a few more, alienating your manager, general manager, teammates and fan base and, on top of that, post an OPS 224 points lower than last season. Mix in some bone-headed plays and constant sparring in the media, and you have a recipe for destroying a team that won 97 games last season. This is a no-brainer. Milton Bradley in an absolute landslide. I'm embarrassed I ever tried to defend him.

AL LVP: With apologies to Alex Rios and B.J. Upton, our winner here is another player who switched leagues after signing a free-agent contract. Pat Burrell inked a two-year deal to bolster the lineup of the defending American League champs. They got whatever the opposite of a career year is from Burrell. He sported the lowest OPS of his life, a career-low in home runs and has a shot at a career-low in RBI. Talk about a lack of run production from a supposed run producer. Plus, he had a spat with team captain and most respected Ray, Carl Crawford. You think CC grew tired of Burrell's apparent indifference and lack of hustle? That's conjecture, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. When you play well, being laid-back is OK. When you suck, it comes off as apathy.

NL Anthony Young (Opposite of Cy Young): Brad Lidge was one of the reasons the Phillies were great last year. This year, he's prevented them from being the bar-none best team in the NL. If Lidge threw this year the way he did last, the Phils would have around 100 wins. Instead, they are headed to the playoffs with a huge question mark at the back end of the bullpen. His 7.34 ERA, eight losses and 11 blown saves sound fake. They aren't; just ask Phillies fans.

AL Anthony Young: Fausto Carmona was supposed to join Cliff Lee to form one of the more menacing 1-2 punches in the league. Instead, the Tribe traded Lee and watched Carmona sandwich three different minor-league stops (including one all the way down in Single-A) between a 5-12 record and 6.32 ERA. In 125 1/3 major league innings, he's walked 70 guys and allowed 16 home runs. And 151 hits.

NL Mismanager of the Year: Lou Piniella went with Kevin Gregg as his closer instead of Carlos Marmol. Then he stuck with him too long. Speaking of which, he kept an albatross (Alfonso Soriano) atop the order for far too long. He continued to run Aaron Heilman out in big spots. His fire from the past few years turned into what appeared to be the equivalent of throwing his hands in the air and saying, "I'm not the one on the field." There's more, but we don't have enough time -- or inclination, frankly -- to cover all his snafus. An awful year for Sweet Lou.

AL Mismanager of the Year: Yes, I realize the Orioles have a huge uphill battle in their division, but they are 20-50 since the All-Star break. They've lost 13 games in a row, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the hapless Indians. Dave Trembley needs to find a way to develop his youth a bit better than this. If they plan on contending with this group, and this is the rate they are developing, 2013 seems more realistic than 2011.

NL Most Disappointing Team: Cubs Pretty simple. You take a 97-win team who entered the season with World Series aspirations and instead end up by losing the division by close to double-digits. Can't get more disappointing than that.

AL Most Disappointing Team: Rays Not to be outdone by the Cubs, last year's World Series loser is going to finish more than 20 games out of first.

NL Executive Failure: Jim Hendry: (noticing a theme?) changed the landscape of the NL's best regular season team based upon a three-game sample (last year's NLDS) against a white-hot Dodgers team. Where he could have made tweaks (leadoff spot in the order, promoting Marmol to closer; to name two), he didn't. Hendry also signed Milton Bradley. I've heard the argument that Piniella made Hendry attempt to balance the batting order. If that's the case, it makes Hendry look even worse. The general manager is the boss. You don't take orders from underlings. Oh, and by the way, the Cubs were second in the National League in OPS against righties in 2008. This year? Fifth. Good thing that batting order got balanced.

AL Executive Failure: I'm gonna go with Mark Shapiro here. It's tough to try and mix and match veterans with still-developing youth. In the past two seasons, Cleveland has traded CC Sabathia, Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee and Mark DeRosa while also signing Kerry Wood and trading for DeRosa. They are playing with Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore while trying to develop young players like Matt LaPorta. It's possible for the combination plan to work (see the Dodgers' Ethier/Kemp/Loney/Martin/Billingsley mix with Jeff Kent, Derek Lowe et al in 2007 and 2008), but if it doesn't, the team will need to blow it up and start over. That's where the Indians are now. It's hindsight, but Shapiro has to take some heat for this season.

NL Fall-Flat (Opposite of Comeback Player): We're gonna give a group award here to the New York Mets. Can a hamstring pull end your season? A bruised knee keep you out for half the year? It can on the Mets! It's amazing how afflicted nearly an entire team can be for one season. But, hey, they are the "Amazins." It's going to be interesting to see their direction this offseason under embattled executive Omar Minaya.

AL Fall-Flat: Josh Hamilton's team took a huge step forward this season. If he had shown up for the party, they might have made the playoffs for the first time since 1999 under the late Johnny Oates. The anchor of one of the best offenses in baseball in 2008, Hamilton had a .901 OPS with 32 home runs and 130 RBI in 2008. This year, he suffered from injuries in a big way and failed to really help the offense when in the lineup. His OPS (.741) is below average and he's only hit 10 home runs.

From the Windup: And the 'Winner' Is ... originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Blowers Can See the Future

Matt Snyder — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Media Watch

Mike Blowers played 11 seasons in the majors, but he never had a day like this. Sunday, Blowers -- who now does color broadcasting for the Seattle Mariners -- made one of the most unbelievable predictions we'll ever see. The sheer accuracy of how he laid the situation out is simply mind-boggling. It involves the first career home run of rookie infielder Matt Tuiasosopo. Please check out the video, as it is well worth the watch.

Note that Blowers correctly predicted six separate things: the batter, the at-bat, the pitch, the count, the home run and where it would land.

The Mariners lost the game 5-4, but that's hardly of any consequence here. Neither team is going to the playoffs. What we're looking at is simply a gem of a moment in broadcasting. Blowers himself was so beside himself once his prediction came to fruition that he could do nothing more than laugh hysterically.

I can't speak for everyone, but I'm personally going to be getting in contact with Blowers soon -- concerning a little matter called Powerball. You know, just in case he feels the power again.

Mike Blowers Can See the Future originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: Mike Blowers Your Mind

B. Thompson Stroud — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, The Dugout

Mike Blowers knows more about baseball than you. His AM radio predictions for Seattle Mariners third baseman and spellcheck challenger Matt Tuiasosopo came true in increasingly accurate and eerie ways, including pitch count, distance, and barometric pressure. The only possible explanations for this are that he is a genius, or that an older version of him traveled back in time with a Sports Alamanac. Somebody get a picture of his wife, see if she has enormous implants.

I predict that tonight's Dugout is after the jump. /puts fingers to temples

The Dugout

	Online Host Welcome to the KIRO Radio Sunday Chatroom!
	NiehausKaiLan: Picks to Click, final game of the series, Mike, who's yours
	BlowersForAlgernon: I think clearly it's going to be Tuiasosopo today, he swung the bat well the last few times he's gotten an opportunity to play.
	BlowersForAlgernon: I expect him to hit his first big league home run today, he's gonna get in a good count today
	BlowersForAlgernon: he's going to get a fastball from Tallet and he's going to hit it out of left center field probly oh, maybe in the second deck.
	NiehausKaiLan: Okay! Awright! I'm looking forward to it. Matt Tuiasosopo's first home run of his career coming up according to Mike Blowers.
	BlowersForAlgernon: On a 3-1 count.
	NiehausKaiLan: On a 3-1 count? Breaking ball, fastball?
	BlowersForAlgernon: It'll be a fastball, he's a fastball pitcher, 3-1 count, second at-bat.
	BlowersForAlgernon: The... the sun will break through the clouds for only a moment, then the moment will pass. A child in section 339 will begin to cry.
	BlowersForAlgernon: A young couple only recently in love will be taking a high angle couples photo for their Facebook pages and miss the moment of impact, looking up and reacting too late, not sure who was at bat at all.
	NiehausKaiLan: Heh, a highly accurate prediction from-
	BlowersForAlgernon: /stares off into the distance /eye begins to twitch
	BlowersForAlgernon: Baseball season will be coming to a close. It will be 55 degrees in Cleveland. The tides being to rush in in Indonesia.
	BlowersForAlgernon: Life goes on, the planet continues to spin, orbiting around the Galactic Central Point. None of this will have mattered. The Mariners have a winning season, a year after losing 100 games.
	BlowersForAlgernon: but when the season ends, the moment is gone. The time has passed. The winning season is not good enough. The next year, the Mariners win the West. They lose in the playoffs. Not good enough.
	BlowersForAlgernon: 2011, the Mariners make it to the ALDS. They lose. Not good enough. 2012, the World Series. They lose. Not good enough.
	BlowersForAlgernon: 2013, the Mariners win the World Series. It takes them 6 games. They should've won in 5. What a dissapointing season. What does next year bring?
	BlowersForAlgernon: Tuiasosopo waves inconsequentially at the fans, their eyes wet with tears, clamoring for a moment with the All-Star and future home run king
	BlowersForAlgernon: but even Tuiasosopo remains unaware that it was his first home run, the very first, whose impact awakened...
	BlowersForAlgernon: ... the machines.
	NiehausKaiLan: My Pick to Click is Ken Griffey Jr.!
	BlowersForAlgernon: What're you, an idiot?
	Online Host The next day...
	MaddowSoprano: And finally, some unbridled joy and amazement... [long pause] courtesy of one of joy and amazement's most reliable sources [long pause] baseball.
	MaddowSoprano: This morning, Seattle Mariners color commentator Mike Blowers, fresh from bending a spoon... [long pause] with his mind [long pause] made some somewhat... outlandish predictions.
	MaddowSoprano: The former MLB journeyman announced that Barack Obama was the Antichrist, and that the happenings in Iran were the beginning of "Armageddon."
	MaddowSoprano: Blowers went on to say that Osama Bin Laden had been dead for over 50 years, and that the man we saw in videos was a devilish manifestation of the worst parts of humanity.
	MaddowSoprano: Skeptics laughed, but when President Obama began drinking blood from the neck of Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy and declared himself Lord of All Earths... we had to take a second look.
	MaddowSoprano: Levitating over Safeco Field in a protective telekenetic bubble, a nude Blowers blew into a lengthy horn and foretold the second coming of the Christian Jesus.
	MaddowSoprano: Later that day on Twitter, Christ Twaught... "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. And, I guess, Mike Blowers."
	MaddowSoprano: When approached for comment, the increasingly omnipresent Blowers smote MSNBC correspondent Carlos Watson with lasers from his eyes.
	MaddowSoprano: Every prediction, NAILED! He's like Nate Silver, with fewer powers!
	MaddowSoprano: That's it for tonight, everybody. I'm Rachel Maddow, and I'm more of a gimmick than Hillbilly Jim. Goodnight.
	Online Host The next day
	NiehausKaiLan: My Pick to Click is Ichiro!
	BlowersForAlgernon: you contemplated the very meaning of our existence and you went with "Ichiro?" Way to go out on a limb, Dave.
	BlowersForAlgernon: besides, Ichiro isn't in the lineup tonight, for he was slain by the flying scorpion lion.
	NiehausKaiLan: He's got a sweet swing, he's been focusing on his mechanics, and I feel like he's due!
	BlowersForAlgernon: can he play with a 4 foot stinger through his chest
	NiehausKaiLan: If anyone can do it, it's Ichiro!
	BlowersForAlgernon: My Pick to Click for this afternoon's game is the mitochondrion of the Delta Smelt Fish.

Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout: Mike Blowers Your Mind originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB Power Rankings: Some Daylight

Matt Snyder — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West, MLB Power Rankings

Finally, the regular season is almost over. Most baseball seasons -- especially since realignment and the addition of the wild card -- have at least three heated races down the stretch. While the Braves, Rangers and Giants have tried to make things interesting at different points in time, there is really only one race that's been in total doubt for the entire month: the AL Central. As the Twins and Tigers get set to play the only interesting game of the day, we're left sorting out what has been a relatively boring final month. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though. A week from Wednesday, the playoffs begin.

1. Yankees | Record: 102-56 | Previous Week: 1
New York has 102 wins and counting with four games to play. The Yankees already have more wins in a season than any team since the 2004 Cardinals, who won 105. Though they won't be trying to with home-field advantage sewn up, if the Bronx Bombers win out, they will have the second-highest single-season win total this decade behind the 2001 Mariners. - Andrew Johnson
2. Angels | Record: 93-64 | Previous Week: 3
Yeah, it was quite an emotional scene when all the Angels went out to center field after clinching the division to pay their respects to the Nick Adenhart display on the fence. It probably wasn't so cool that they celebrated in the clubhouse by dumping beer and champagne on his empty jersey, considering that he was killed by a drunk driver. - Jeff Fletcher
3. Dodgers | Record: 93-65 | Previous Week: 4
Matt Kemp is finishing off a great season, perhaps the first Dodger in five years to go .300-25-100 or better, but he's got this strange split. He's hitting .356 batting seventh or eighth, and .242 batting fourth or fifth. - Jeff Fletcher
4. Phillies | Record: 91-66 | Previous Week: 5
Yes, the bullpen is a major question mark heading into the postseason, but all the playoff teams have a few of those when October hit. There is talent in Charlie Manuel's relief corps -- no matter how far astray it has gone this year -- and this Phillies team is one win from equaling last year's World Series champion. That team also had question marks -- Jamie Moyer, he of the 4.99 ERA this year -- was Philly's No. 3 starter. - Andrew Johnson
5. Cardinals | Record: 90-67 | Previous Week: 6
Who really wants to play a team that can toss Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright in a best-of-five series? The two Cy Young candidates can pitch at least three and maybe four games in a short series, which could give the Cardinals a real advantage, even if they draw the NL-best Dodgers in the Division Series. - Pat Lackey
6. Red Sox | Record: 91-66 | Previous Week: 2
For a team tied for the fourth-best record in baseball, Boston is awfully tough to figure out. The Red Sox have lost five straight, and, more troubling, have reason to worry about their top three starters going into the playoffs. Jon Lester is recovering from an ugly line drive off his leg, Josh Beckett missed his start Monday with "mild" back spasms and Clay Buchholz was bombed for five home runs by the Blue Jays on Tuesday. A week ago, that trio looked like it could form the most formidable rotation among the four AL playoff teams. Of course, it still could. - Andrew Johnson
7. Rockies | Record: 89-68 | Previous Week: 7
Catcher Chris Iannetta had a rare big moment on Tuesday night, but most of the second half has been about Yorvit Torrealba being the clutch producer at catcher. Torrealba took over the everyday job Aug. 9 and is hitting .325 since. - Jeff Fletcher
8. Braves | Record: 86-71 | Previous Week: 10
It's hard to use enough superlatives to describe how good the Atlanta rotation has been this year. Three starters -- Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens and Derek Lowe -- have won at least 14 games, and three -- Vazquez, Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson -- have ERAs under 3.00. It could take the Braves to 90 wins, but a loss Tuesday makes it unlikely it will also take them to the postseason. - Andrew Johnson
9. Tigers | Record: 84-73 | Previous Week: 9
Of the few games each day worth watching, the Tigers and Twins provided two of them Tuesday. The Tigers get the nod for now, based upon Justin Verlander stepping up and getting the job done when his team most needed him.
10. Twins | Record: 82-75 | Previous Week: 8
When I was ranking the teams Tuesday night -- before the Tigers-Twins game ended -- I actually put the Tigers and Twins tied, ready to put the winner of the nightcap on top of the other. Still, this could change any day, as these two teams are so equally matched at this point. At least there is one great race left for the last few days of the regular season.
11. Cubs | Record: 82-74 | Previous Week: 15
Despite their 11-17 record in August, the Cubs are still 39-31 since the All-Star break (17-10 in September), an improvement on their 43-43 mark prior. Over a full season, that pace would probably have them in the thick of the NL Central and wild-card races. I'm not saying the Cubs don't need to make some changes this winter, because they do, but the situation probably isn't as dire as it seems. - Pat Lackey
12. Marlins | Record: 84-74 | Previous Week: 14
Cameron Maybin, one of the key chips Florida received in the Miguel Cabrera trade, couldn't take hold of the Marlins' center field job in 2009, but a promising stint as a September callup makes it seem like it will be his next year. Maybin has a .791 OPS in 23 games this month. - Andrew Johnson
13. Giants | Record: 84-73 | Previous Week: 11
Brian Wilson is one of only four relievers to have at least 35 saves each of the past two seasons. The others are Mariano Rivera, Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon. Pretty good company. - Jeff Fletcher
14. Rangers | Record: 85-72 | Previous Week: 12
The Red Sox tried to leave the door open for the up-and-coming Rangers by losing five straight games. Instead, the Rangers let them off the hook by eliminating themselves. Still, the team, front office and fans alike have reason for optimism heading into 2010. There is a good foundation in place for the first time since the Ivan Rodriguez-Juan Gonzalez days.
15. Rays | Record: 81-76 | Previous Week: 16
With one more win, the Rays will clinch their second winning season in a dozen years of existence. Funny enough, given the talent on the 2009 version of this club and the levels the 2008 team reached, this year will still be seen as a bit of a disappointment, especially because Tampa Bay wasn't at least able to push Boston and New York in September. What a difference a year makes ... - Andrew Johnson
16. Mariners | Record: 81-76 | Previous Week: 13
Improving the defense was a point of emphasis last winter, and it seems to have worked. Last year the Mariners ranked 26th in the majors in defensive efficiency, which measures the percentage of balls in play converted outs. This year they are second. - Jeff Fletcher
17. Blue Jays | Record: 74-84 | Previous Week: 20
So Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi says "The division," meaning the AL East "isn't going to change." At face value, he has a point. The economic realities of squaring off head-to-head with the Red Sox and Yankees every year surely makes it difficult for the other three teams to compete. Only the Rays proved it is possible to do so, possible even to take down both teams and win the division outright. Couple their success with Ricciardi's assorted missteps in charge of the Jays and his words suddenly sound more like sour grapes from a man whose days in Toronto are numbered. - Andrew Johnson
18. A's | Record: 75-82 | Previous Week: 17
Despite what seemed like a horrible year, the A's are just one victory from exceeding last year's total (75). That's the good news. The bad news is they will have their fourth consecutive losing season. - Jeff Fletcher
19. Brewers | Record: 77-80 | Previous Week: 18
The Brewers demoted struggling veteran J.J. Hardy to Triple-A for two weeks in August for the morally gray purpose of setting his arbitration clock back a year and increasing his trade value. Since returning, Hardy's hit worse than he did before his demotion, hitting .220/.304/.244 in 11 games. Which is to say that the Brewers better not be planning on using Hardy to restock their rotation. If they're serious about doing that this winter, it's going to have to be through free agency. - Pat Lackey
20. White Sox | Record: 76-81 | Previous Week: 19
A bright spot that can be taken from this disappointing season? Gordon Beckham is a superstar in the making. He's hitting .272 with 14 home runs, 63 RBI, 27 doubles, seven stolen bases and an .816 OPS in 99 games of his rookie campaign. He's also plays solid defense, always hustles and is a positive clubhouse presence. And he just turned 23 two weeks ago.
21. Reds | Record: 75-82 | Previous Week: 21
Since his return from a wrist injury, Jay Bruce has hit .375/.459/.813 and has hit four homers in his last four games. This season looked to be kind of a lost one for Bruce, who had just a .283 OBP before going on the DL in mid-July, but his tear in September coupled with the Reds very good play (they're 17-9 this month) gives Cincy fans something to look forward to in 2010. - Pat Lackey
22. Padres | Record: 73-85 | Previous Week: 22
Bud Black probably deserves some second- or third-place votes on Manager of the Year ballots. Any manager whose team plays over .500 in the second half, after falling hopelessly out of contention, deserves some credit. - Jeff Fletcher
23. Astros | Record: 73-84 | Previous Week: 23
There is one bright spot for the Astros this year: Wandy Rodriguez has finally broken out for a full season after threatening to do so in each of the past three. His 2.97 ERA is matched by 8.6 K/9 and a 2.97 K:BB ratio. It's just too bad that the Astros don't have much of anything besides him, Lance Berkman, Hunter Pence, and Roy Oswalt. Unless they seriously upgrade this roster, 2010 won't look much different than 2009. - Pat Lackey
24. Diamondbacks | Record: 68-89 | Previous Week: 24
It's been a lousy year on just about every level, but manager A.J. Hinch said they have a shot at getting back to contention next year if they can change the attitude. "We can be a competitive team soon, as soon as next year," he said. "We have to rekindle our competitive juices. Just coming back and wiping the slate clean and starting 0-0 isn't going to be enough." - Jeff Fletcher
25. Mets | Record: 67-91 | Previous Week: 25
Jeff Francoeur would like a multi-year deal with New York, and on the surface, it might seem like a good idea. Frenchy has hit .308 since arriving in the Big Apple this July, after all. But he'll turn 26 this January and he doesn't seem to have grown fundamentally as a player. The older he gets, the less hope there is that his raw tools will help him blossom into a superstar, and this Francoeur probably doesn't deserve a big extension, not for a team with first-division aspirations like the Mets. - Andrew Johnson
26. Royals | Record: 64-94 | Previous Week: 26
Zack Greinke (I know we mentioned him last week, but he's really the only thing worth continuing to watch on the 2009 Royals at this point) has one more start: Saturday against the Twins. Considering the Twins could still really need a win, Greinke has a shot to garner his 17th win and cement more Cy Young votes. Plus, if he really deals, he could lower his ERA below 2.00.
27. Indians | Record: 64-92 | Previous Week: 28
They have fired Eric Wedge. He may have been part of the problem, but he wasn't the problem these last few years. We'll see if they come through in the offseason with an actual plan, not just a patchwork roster mixed with still-developing youngsters and aging veterans.
28. Orioles | Record: 60-97 | Previous Week: 27
Baltimore is building toward something in 2010 or 2011, but that doesn't mean it won't be a turbulent offseason in the Charm City. The Orioles may need to find a new manager if Andy MacPhail is non-plussed by the job Dave Trembley did -- a possibility that seems increasingly likely with another September Swoon almost in the books. Oh yes, the O's will need a third baseman, a first baseman and a pitcher or two even if Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz can avoid major growing pains to challenge the big boys in the East. - Andrew Johnson
29. Pirates | Record: 59-97 | Previous Week: 29
They took three of four from the Dodgers over the weekend, but they're still trucking towards the club's second 100-loss season this decade, needing to go 4-2 the rest of the way out to avoid it. That's an awfully tall task with all six games on the road, as the Pirates are a mind-bogglingly bad 19-56 away from PNC Park this season. - Pat Lackey
30. Nationals | Record: 54-103 | Previous Week: 30
Lost amid all the champagne celebrations this week in Anaheim, the Bronx and Boston was Washington's clinch. The Nationals will finish with the worst record, meaning they will be first in line next June to select phenom Bryce Harper. All joking about the Nats' sorry state aside, drafting Stephen Strasburg and Harper in back-to-back seasons could go a long way toward turning this moribund franchise around. - Andrew Johnson

MLB Power Rankings: Some Daylight originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Felix Hernandez, Mariners to Talk Extension This Winter

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:24:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Rumors

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez has always had the stuff to make opposing hitters and anyone watching him work drop their jaws and say "wow." But he's also had the ability to frustrate with his inconsistency.

All of that has changed in 2009 as the 23-year-old has put together his best season in the major leagues, going 17-5 with a 2.49 ERA and 207 strikeouts.

Now his name is being mentioned as a Cy Young candidate, and the Mariners are elated to think about the fact that Hernandez may get even better in the coming years. Of course, that also means he's going to get more expensive.

That's something Seattle is about to find out, as Hernandez and his agent are expected to start talks with the Mariners about an extension this winter.

In the weeks ahead, his agent, Alan Nero, will meet with Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik to explore a deal that will keep Hernandez in Seattle for years.

"There's no urgency on this," Nero said Monday, an off-day for the Mariners ahead of Hernandez's start tonight against Oakland. "Much to the dismay of a lot of people and despite what some want to believe, he's still under contract [for two years after this season]. So, there really is no urgency on this. It's not like all of a sudden he's going to be able to jump to another team if something doesn't get done. Nothing changes."

While there is no need to get an extension done this winter, with Hernandez under team control for two more years, the Mariners have to wonder if it would be better to give Hernandez the deal now. Essentially, the longer the team waits the more expensive Hernandez could become.

So is it better to sign him to an extension now, or wait it out to make sure he continues making progress in 2010?

It's not an easy decision for Zduriencik to make, but in my opinion I think it makes more sense to sign him to the extension now. Not only will the Mariners save themselves some money, but if the team is out of contention in the years to come and decides it might be best to move Hernandez in a trade -- and there were trade talks surrounding Felix this season -- he'll have even more value considering he's under contract.

Felix Hernandez, Mariners to Talk Extension This Winter originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halos Hammer Rangers, Nail Down 3rd Straight AL West Title

FanHouse Newswire — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:54:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, AL West, MLB Playoffs

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The Angels soaked the jersey in beer, champagne and tears, holding Nick Adenhart's No. 34 high in the middle of the celebration he missed.

Los Angeles is headed back to the playoffs for the sixth time in eight years, and the Angels intend to go with the memory of their late teammate alongside them. The 22-year-old pitcher's death in an April car accident roiled their season early on, but it couldn't sink this resilient team.

Kendry Morales homered and drove in three runs, and the Angels wasted no time clinching their third straight AL West title with an 11-0 victory over the second-place Texas Rangers on Monday night.

Ervin Santana pitched a seven-hitter for his fourth career shutout, while Maicer Izturis had three hits and two RBI to wrap up the Angels' fifth division crown in six years. Los Angeles (92-64) will open at home in the best-of-five first round next week - most likely against Boston, a familiar nemesis. The Red Sox need one win or a Texas loss to earn the AL wild card.

About 10 minutes into their clubhouse celebration, the players grabbed Adenhart's jersey and gave it a dousing. The Angels have taken Adenhart's jersey on every road trip and kept his locker intact in memory, and reliever Kevin Jepsen brought the shirt back to the clubhouse from the dugout for the celebration.

"We remembered Nick before we started," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We've played the whole year with heavy hearts. But it was never about us, and it isn't about us. It's all about supporting Nick's family in any small way, and we're going to bring Nick's memory forward."

Angels players returned to the field and several grabbed a hose from the grounds crew, using it to spray water on fans behind both dugouts. Then the Angels jogged to the outfield and reverently touched Adenhart's photo and No. 34 on the outfield fence. Players posed for a team photo in front of the image.

"We had a rough start, lost a dear friend and teammate, and we didn't do much in the first half," outfielder Torii Hunter said. "We made this a very special season, though. We're going to celebrate tonight, and then get ready for what's next."

Adenhart's death hours after his strong season debut was the most painful of several major obstacles for the Angels, who persevered through early season injuries, midseason lulls and a late-summer slump for their productive offense. Yet they passed Texas atop the division in mid-July -- and needing one victory in this four-game series to secure the division title, the Angels swiftly eliminated any suspense.

With Morales and Vladimir Guerrero propelling the offense, Los Angeles took a 7-0 lead in the third inning against rookie Tommy Hunter (9-5), who struggled mightily in the shortest start of his promising season. Erick Aybar and Guerrero drove in two runs apiece, while Bobby Abreu had three hits.

After the final out, the Angels formed a mob on the field around Santana (8-8), slapping his shoulders and rubbing his head. Although the right-hander is likely to be in Los Angeles' bullpen in the playoffs, Santana made sure Scioscia won't forget him, earning his first win in seven starts and second shutout this season.

The Angels made just three playoff appearances in the franchise's first 39 seasons before Scioscia took over in 2000. Los Angeles has been a postseason fixture during the former Dodgers catcher's decade in the dugout, winning the 2002 World Series in the Angels' only wild-card appearance.

And getting pushed by the Rangers down the stretch could benefit the Angels in October, if last season's performance is any guide.

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Los Angeles Angels' Bobby Abreu, front center, and teammates celebrate in front of a memorial for deceased teammate Nick Adenart after clinching the AL West title with an 11-0 win over the Texas Rangers in a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. Adenhart was killed in a car accident in Fullerton, Calif., in April. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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Los Angeles Angels' Ervin Santana is hugged by catcher Mike Napoli after pitching a complete game in the Angels' 11-0 win over the Texas Rangers in an MLB baseball game, to clinch the AL West title in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The Los Angeles Angels mob the field after clinching the AL West title with an 11-0 win over the Texas Rangers in an MLB baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Los Angeles Angels' Erick Aybar, left, and Ervin Santana celebrate in the clubhouse after the Angels clinched the AL West title with an 11-0 win over the Texas Rangers in an MLB baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: Torii Hunter of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim celebrates after winning the American League West title in their game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium on September 28, 2009 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Torii Hunter

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: Teammates of the late pitcher Nick Adenhart #34 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pose in front of his banner as they celebrate after winning the American League West title in their game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium on September 28, 2009 in Anaheim, California. Adenhart was killed in a accident by an alleged drunk driver during the beginning of the season. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Los Angeles Angels first base coach Alfredo Griffin, bottom, slides into a group of Angels after the Angels beat the Texas Rangers, 11-0, in a baseball game to clinch the AL West title in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Los Angeles Angels' Torii Hunter celebrates after the Angels clinched the AL West title with an 11-0 win over the Texas Rangers in a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: Howie Kendrick #47 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim sprays the fans as he celebrates winning the American League West title during their game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium on September 28, 2009 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Howie Kendrick

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: A member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim sprays his teammates as he celebrates after winning the American League West title in their game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium on September 28, 2009 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Los Angeles clinched the AL West title with 17 games to play on the way to a major league-leading 100 victories in 2008, but that 2 1/2-week stretch with little motivation was seen as a factor in Los Angeles' listless effort in its division series loss to Boston.

The Angels are 0-4 in playoff series against Boston, including first-round defeats in 2004, 2007 and 2008. Throw in the 1986 AL championship series, and they've lost 12 of their past 13 postseason games against the Red Sox.

"After the last few years, everyone feels that it's time for us to go to the next level," said owner Arte Moreno, who partied with his players in the clubhouse. "We had a meeting about a week or 10 days after the end of last season, and we talked about what we needed to do to get better. Basically, that was our goal. I tell people all the time, 'Why should I be owning a team if I'm not trying to win?'"

Michael Young had two hits in his return from a hamstring injury for the Rangers, on the verge of elimination from the pennant race after fighting to stay in contention all summer despite several major injuries.

Texas (85-71) trails Boston (91-65), which lost to Toronto, by six games with six to play.

"We didn't get it done, and that's not a good feeling," Young said. "The Angels had a great year and overcame a tremendous amount of adversity, and they deserve a lot of credit. But from our side, it's not a good feeling. We've got to get better. It's as simple as that."

Young was back in the Rangers' lineup for just the second time since straining his left hamstring Sept. 1. The third baseman aggravated the injury against Oakland in an aborted return two weeks later, and his absence along with Josh Hamilton's lingering back problems seriously hurt Texas' playoff hopes.

"I just told them to keep their heads up," manager Ron Washington said. "We didn't get it done, but there's still games to be played. We didn't finish first, but I'd certainly like to win as many more games as we possibly can. We certainly don't want to be falling down to third or fourth, that's for sure."

Notes: Morales started two 3-6-3 double plays by fielding a grounder and throwing quickly to second base. The Cuban's improved fielding despite limited time at first base in his baseball career before this season has been among his most impressive achievements to Scioscia. ... Young had never missed more than two straight games with an injury before his recent hamstring woes.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Halos Hammer Rangers, Nail Down 3rd Straight AL West Title originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB Power Rankings: AL West Is Best

Matt Snyder — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West, MLB Power Rankings

Heading into the season, there weren't many who were sure about what team to pick in the AL West. The reason wasn't the same as the arguments about who would take the AL East -- where most believed there were three stellar teams. With the AL West, it was because most believed the four-team division would be a bastion of mediocrity. Yet, here we are. Now that the A's are on fire, the AL West is easily the best top-to-bottom division in the majors.

1. Yankees | Record: 96-56 | Previous Week: 1
Despite the best record in the majors, the Yankees have question marks -- notably in the rotation. Andy Pettitte did OK on Monday after skipping a start to rest his shoulder, but A.J. Burnett and Joba Chamberlain have not been sharp, and neither has started a postseason game. - Ed Price
2. Red Sox | Record: 89-61 | Previous Week: 2
Boston holds out hopes for winning the division, mainly because it visits Yankee Stadium for three games next weekend. If the Red Sox could pull off the comeback in the AL East, it would face the AL Central winner in the first round of the postseason and force the Yankees to play their nemesis, the Angels, without home-field advantage. - Ed Price
3. Angels| Record: 90-61 | Previous Week: 3
For the first time in franchise history, the Angels have had three consecutive 90-win seasons. This will also mark their first time reaching the playoffs three years in a row. The Angels reached the postseason three times in their first 24 years, and now it'll be six of eight. - Jeff Fletcher
4. Dodgers | Record: 91-60 | Previous Week: 4
Jon Garland may turn out to be one of the most underrated midseson acquisitions. Garland, acquired from the Diamondbacks just before the Aug. 31 deadline for postseason eligibility, has gone 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA for a Dodgers team that has had to patch together its rotation. - Jeff Fletcher
5. Phillies | Record: 88-62 | Previous Week: 6
Tuesday's split of a doubleheader in Florida left Philadelphia 46-30 on the road this season, the best such record in the majors. The franchise record is 48 road victories, and the last NL team to play .600 ball away from home was the 2005 Cardinals. - Ed Price
6. Cardinals | Record: 89-63 | Previous Week: 5
The offense hasn't been consistent at all, but the Cards have arguably the two best starting pitchers in the National League. It's going to be awfully tough for any team to beat them in a seven-game playoff series, with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright getting two starts each.
7. Rockies | Record: 86-65 | Previous Week: 8
Troy Tulowitzki is going to become only the third active shortstop to have more than one 800-OPS season before his 25th birthday. The others are Alex Rodriguez and Hanley Ramirez. - Jeff Fletcher
8. Twins | Record: 78-73 | Previous Week: 15
They're playing great baseball right now, and they control their own destiny, considering they trail the Tigers by 2 1/2 games and have a four-game set in Detroit next week. Thankfully, we have at least one race of intrigue.
9. Tigers | Record: 80-70 | Previous Week: 10
The Twins have made up five games on the Tigers in the past two weeks. At this pace, Detroit will be watching the playoffs from home after leading the division for an overwhelming majority of the season.
10. Braves | Record: 81-70 | Previous Week: 11
The Braves went 10-8 against the Phillies, 4-2 against the Cardinals and 4-3 against the Dodgers. So why isn't Atlanta joining those teams in the playoffs? Because it was just 15-14 against the four last-place teams it played (three NL plus Baltimore). - Ed Price
11. Giants | Record: 81-70 | Previous Week: 7
The pitching-rich Giants have suffered from a poorly-timed starting pitching slump. After pulling within 2 1/2 games of the Rockies, their starters proceeded to have a 11.41 ERA over the next six games, and the Giants lost four of them. - Jeff Fletcher
12. Rangers | Record: 82-68 | Previous Week: 9
They aren't going to make the postseason just yet, but the direction here is extremely positive. Expect the Rangers to again be in the mix in 2010.
13. Mariners | Record: 79-72 | Previous Week: 14
Despite talk of his Cy Young candidacy, Felix Hernandez is probably still underrated for what he's done so early in his career. He's won 55 games and he's not even 24 years old. CC Sabathia (60), Dontrelle Willis (58) and Jeremy Bonderman (56) are the only active pitchers to win more games before their 24th birthday. - Jeff Fletcher
14. Marlins | Record: 81-71 | Previous Week: 13
Hanley Ramirez's .352 average not only leads the National League, but it would be the highest average for an NL shortstop since Arky Vaughan of the 1935 Pirates. In the modern era, only one other NL shortstop has hit .350 -- Honus Wagner, who did it five times in 1901-08. - Ed Price
15. Cubs | Record: 78-72 | Previous Week: 12
Six games over .500 and they are probably the biggest disappointment of the season -- either them or the Rays, though the Rays have to compete with Boston and New York. It's not the 1970s anymore, when this record would have been welcomed. Expectations are a bit different now, and this is just not acceptable. Jim Hendry should be fired for the Milton Bradley signing alone.
16. Rays | Record: 77-74 | Previous Week: 17
Tampa Bay is just the third team to have 180 homers and 180 stolen bases, joining the 1996 Rockies and 1998 Blue Jays. Yet none of those clubs were playoff teams. Reason No. 23,525 that pitching is everything. - Ed Price
17. A's | Record: 72-79 | Previous Week: 21
With the youngest pitching staff in the league, the A's have been better than the league average in ERA, WHIP, hits per nine innings, and walks per nine innings. They also have the league's best bullpen ERA. If only they could hit, this season might have meant more than a good start on 2010. - Jeff Fletcher
18. Brewers | Record: 74-77 | Previous Week: 20
The Crew has plenty of offense. They need to find some way to get better starting pitching before 2010. You can't just outhit opposition all season and expect to be more than a run-of-the-mill team.
19. White Sox | Record: 73-79 | Previous Week: 16
What a disastrous season it has been for Carlos Quentin -- following his uber-breakout 2008 campaign. He's battled injuries and inconsistency, though the two could be related.
20. Blue Jays | Record: 68-83 | Previous Week: 18
Edwin Encarnacion, the third baseman acquired from Cincinnati in exchange for Scott Rolen, hadn't reminded anyone of Rolen before homering twice Tuesday. Still, in 33 games for Toronto, Encarnacion has hit .236 with six homers and 17 RBI. And he has six errors -- one more than Rolen had in his 88 games. - Ed Price
21. Reds | Record: 70-81 | Previous Week: 22
2010 is going to be a big year for Cincy. The Reds have shown signs of emergence with the kids. They've won seven of 10 now. This followed a five-game losing streak, which was preceded by a stretch where they won 12 of 14. If they can stay healthy and play with consistency, good things are on their way.
22. Padres | Record: 69-83 | Previous Week: 23
Kevin Correia has put himself into an interesting spot with his breakout year. Correia is 11-10 with a respectable 4.08 ERA, including 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA since Aug. 7. He's arbitration eligible this winter, meaning he's earned himself a big salary bump. Maybe too big for the Padres, who might opt to sell high on him by trading him. - Jeff Fletcher
23. Astros | Record: 70-81 | Previous Week: 19
What a mess. Nine losses in a row, an aging roster, a fired manager and no real hope on the horizon. They need to blow everything up.
24. Diamondbacks | Record: 66-86 | Previous Week: 24
The Diamondbacks better be damn sure they can contend in 2010 if they plan on keeping Brandon Webb. The injured ace reportedly won't restructure his 2010 option. After the season, the 'Backs can't be sure they'll be able to re-up with him. Thus, they might be wise to pursue a trade.
25. Mets | Record: 65-87 | Previous Week: 25
The last few months have been tryouts for 2010, and the Mets have to be wondering what they have in former No. 1 pick Mike Pelfrey, who makes his 30th start tonight. Pelfrey is 10-11, but more indicative is his 5.10 ERA and 196 hits allowed in 171 1/3 innings. - Ed Price
26. Royals | Record: 63-88 | Previous Week: 26
Last season the Cy Young voters showed they understood the award was for the best pitcher in the league when voting Tim Lincecum the NL winner, despite playing on a sub-par Giants team. This year, they'll realize that Zack Greinke is just as deserving, despite some talking heads acting like he may not win it. His 2.08 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 229 strikeouts, six complete games and three shutouts make him the most dominant pitcher in the majors for 2009. It would be a travesty if he didn't win the award, and the voters know that. You'll see.
27. Orioles | Record: 60-91 | Previous Week: 27
What is it about the second half that crushes Baltimore? This millennium (since 2001, that is), the O's are 248-402 after the All-Star break, easily the worst mark in the majors. This year's mark
is 20-43. - Ed Price
28. Indians | Record: 61-89 | Previous Week: 28
And that's nine losses in a row! You know what the biggest problem is? They can't make up their mind as to whether or not they're rebuilding (trading away high-priced players) or playing for now (signing Kerry Wood, trading for Mark DeRosa before the season). Make a decision, Tribe, otherwise you'll be bad for a very long time.
29. Pirates | Record: 56-93 | Previous Week: 29
On the other hand, the Pirates have fully committed to the rebuilding effort. They'll be down here for the rest of this season and probably for most of next season. Come 2011 and 2012, though, and they'll have a foundation. This is the way you clean up a mess.
30. Nationals | Record: 51-99 | Previous Week: 30
Rookie shortstop Ian Desmond, who has hit .343 in nine games since being called up Sept. 4, didn't get out of Single-A until 2008, his fifth pro season. But at Double-A and Triple-A this year, Desmond, 24, hit .330 with 21 steals and a .401 on-base percentage. - Ed Price

MLB Power Rankings: AL West Is Best originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB Power Rankings: Boston Blitz

Matt Snyder — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West, MLB Power Rankings

They probably can't catch their rival Yankees in the AL East, but they don't have to. The Boston Red Sox only need to win the AL wild card to get to the postseason, and their play of late makes them a scary October out for anyone. Since losing two of three at home to the Bronx Bombers, the BoSox have won 15 of 20 and are currently sporting a six-game winning streak. Who wants to mess with them in the playoffs?

1. Yankees | Record: 93-53 | Previous Week: 1
What will home-field advantage in the playoffs mean to the Yankees? They are 24-7 at home since the All-Star break and 44-15 at Yankee Stadium since Alex Rodriguez came off the disabled list in May. Over that latter span, they have lost two in a row at home to the same opponent just twice: Washington (June 17-18) and Baltimore (Sept. 11-12). - Ed Price
2. Red Sox | Record: 85-58 | Previous Week: 5
Kevin Youkilis sat out Tuesday with back spasms -- he originally feared kidney stones -- and may not play Wednesday. And Victor Martinez is attending to a personal matter. So for a couple of days at least, there were no decisions on whom to play. But in the first 40 games since Martinez came over from Cleveland, he and Jason Varitek each had started 20 games at catcher. - Ed Price
3. Angels| Record: 86-58 | Previous Week: 3
Kendry Morales has a shot to become only the third Angels player to have a .300-30-100 season. Vladimir Guerrero did it three times (2004-06) and Tim Salmon did it in 1995. - Jeff Fletcher
4. Dodgers | Record: 87-59 | Previous Week: 4
What has nine All-Star appearances, three Gold Gloves and more than 7,700 hits? The top five players on the Dodgers bench: Brad Ausmus, Ronnie Belliard, Mark Loretta, Juan Pierre and Jim Thome. That's not to mention Thome's 564 homers. - Jeff Fletcher
5. Cardinals | Record: 85-61 | Previous Week: 2
I'm not sure how Chris Carpenter's done it, but he entered 2009 with only five starts under his belt since the 2006 World Series and he's run off a season that fits right in line with his three-year run of dominance from 2004-2006. He and Adam Wainwright make for a terrifying 1-2 punch in a five-game series. - Pat Lackey
6. Phillies | Record: 83-60 | Previous Week: 6
Charlie Manuel already had to make one tough decision this year by sending Jamie Moyer to the bullpen. A similar one could be looming in October. Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels figure to be locks for the playoff rotation, but J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton and Pedro Martinez have all been very good as well. They can't all start in the postseason. - Andrew Johnson
7. Giants | Record: 79-66 | Previous Week: 10
The Giants have a chance to be the first team since the 2003 Dodgers to score and allow fewer than four runs per game. That team won 85 games, but didn't make the playoffs. The Giants may be on a similar track. - Jeff Fletcher
8. Rockies | Record: 82-64 | Previous Week: 7
How deep are the Rockies? Brad Hawpe, their only All-Star position player, has zero RBI in September, but the Rockies still have the best record in the league in the month. - Jeff Fletcher
9. Rangers | Record: 80-64 | Previous Week: 8
My preseason darling has fallen six games behind the Angles in the AL West and 5 1/2 behind the surging Red Sox in the wild card. It's hard to think about it this way now, but 2009 has to be considered an overwhelming success for Ron Washington and company. Next, they need to build upon the success in 2010 instead of taking steps backward.
10. Tigers | Record: 77-67 | Previous Week: 9
They just can't seem to shake the Twins -- or, now, the White Sox -- from their rearview mirror. If the Tigers somehow don't hold on in possibly the worst division in the bigs, it will be no one's fault but their own.
11. Braves | Record: 76-68 | Previous Week: 14
Adam LaRoche is doing his usual act in the second half. The first baseman is hitting .351 with 12 home runs and 30 RBI since joining Atlanta at the beginning of August. For his career, LaRoche is hitting .252 with a .773 OPS in the first half and .300 with a .910 OPS in the second half. - Andrew Johnson
12. Cubs | Record: 75-68 | Previous Week: 17
Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, fellow Cub fans, but ... they have won eight of 10 and are just four games out of the wild card in the loss column. There probably isn't enough time left, but at least they aren't quitting.
13. Marlins | Record: 77-68 | Previous Week: 11
We think of Florida as stocked with power young arms -- and hey, maybe they are -- but other than Josh Johnson they haven't performed very well in 2009. Marlins starters entered play Tuesday with a 4.71 ERA, the fifth-worst mark in the National League. - Andrew Johnson
14. Mariners | Record: 74-71 | Previous Week: 13
We always want to feel sorry for the teams in the AL East who have so little chance of contending, but what of the poor Mariners? They are likely to win at least 20 more games than they did last year, but they're still going to finish in third. - Jeff Fletcher
15. Twins | Record: 73-72 | Previous Week: 15
They're playing well now after a bad stretch -- after playing well. The Twinkies just can't seem to maintain any sort of an upward surge, and it's going to be difficult to change that trend without Justin Morneau.
16. White Sox | Record: 72-73 | Previous Week: 16
Somehow, the White Sox are showing signs of life once again, and now they get a possible boost from Jake Peavy. The former Cy Young award winner is set to make his Windy City debut Saturday.
17. Rays | Record: 73-72 | Previous Week: 12
Once Tampa Bay's players realized they had a slim shot at returning to the postseason, it seems, they coasted for a while. Witness the 11-game losing streak that finally ended Monday; it tied the record for the longest ever for a team that played in the previous year's World Series. - Ed Price
18. Blue Jays | Record: 66-79 | Previous Week: 23
Anyone remember when Toronto was 27-14? Well, the Blue Jays were, and they will also be the first team in 14 years to get off to that good a start through 41 games and finish with a losing record. The 1995 Phillies started 27-14 and finished 69-75. - Ed Price
19. Astros | Record: 70-75 | Previous Week: 19
There is some discussion in Houston about whether or not Miguel Tejada should (or will) be brought back next season. Why not? The Astros have traded away every prospect. Just have everyone go down with the old, mediocre ship.
20. Brewers | Record: 69-75 | Previous Week: 20
Out of 87 qualified players in the National League, Jason Kendall's .295 slugging percentage is second worst and his .624 OPS is third worst. And I know he's a catcher and I'm sure Ken Macha likes the way he works with their pitching staff, but I can't imagine he'll be back in Milwaukee for a third go-round in 2010. - Pat Lackey
21. A's | Record: 66-78 | Previous Week: 22
For the second consecutive year, the A's are near the bottom of the AL in on-base percentage. They have been sixth or worse four years in a row. This will be the fifth consecutive year they finish in the bottom half of the league in slugging percentage. Moneyball?. - Jeff Fletcher
22. Reds | Record: 66-79 | Previous Week: 18
Jay Bruce is back to get some swings in over the last two weeks of the season and while it's hard to draw conclusions from a small sample after an injury, I still think it'll be interesting to see if he can improve on his ugly pre-injury .207 batting average and .285 on-base percentage. He's still only 22 and his 18 homers in 85 games is impressive, so let's see those secondary skills start to develop. - Pat Lackey
23. Padres | Record: 65-81 | Previous Week: 21
In case you lost track of the Padres, they have now won six consecutive series, five of them against contenders. Actually, they've put serious dents in the playoff chances of the Braves, Marlins and Giants over the past few weeks. - Jeff Fletcher
24. Diamondbacks | Record: 64-82 | Previous Week: 26
They move up despite winning only three of their last 10 games. Why? Because everyone below them sucks worse. The league is severely divided between the haves and have-nots right now. Thus, most of the lower-tier teams are taking a beating.
25. Mets | Record: 63-82 | Previous Week: 25
New York lost its 82nd game Tuesday, falling to the Braves 6-0 to clinch a losing season. With an Opening Day payroll barely south of $150 million, that has to make the Mets the most expensive losing ballclub in major league history. On the bright side, at least the fans won't have to go through another heartbreaking September collapse. - Andrew Johnson
26. Royals | Record: 58-86 | Previous Week: 28
Gotta give them a bump in the ranks for winning seven of their last eight, including a sweep of the division-leading Tigers. Every game left is against someone still in the race -- assuming you count the White Sox as being in it. We'll see if they continue to play spoiler.
27. Orioles | Record: 59-85 | Previous Week: 27
Baltimore has a 5.11 ERA as a team, and this will likely be the franchise's fourth straight season with an ERA greater than 5.00. The Orioles haven't been in the top six in the AL in team ERA since 1999. At least Tillman, Matusz et al give hope it won't stay that way. - Ed Price
28. Indians | Record: 61-83 | Previous Week: 24
The complete opposite of the Royals, the Tribe is laying down. They've lost seven of eight and 13 of their last 17. They actually have a good shot at ending up with the worst record in the entire American League.
29. Pirates | Record: 55-88 | Previous Week: 29
While I typed this, Matt Capps blew another save. After three years of solid work at the back end of the Pirates' pen, Capps' ERA is over 6.00 and opponents had a .928 OPS against him before he blew the save. The Bucs don't get many leads and the ones they do get, Capps can barely hold. This is not really a great recipe for success, though it does have Pittsburgh within five games of the Nats in the Bryce Harper sweepstakes.. - Pat Lackey
30. Nationals | Record: 50-94 | Previous Week: 30
Here's a sobering thought: Unless John Lannan starts whiffing batters like he hasn't all season, the Nationals will not have a single pitcher on their roster record 100 strikeouts. Hurry, Mr. Strasburg. - Andrew Johnson

Note: All numbers are through Tuesday night.

MLB Power Rankings: Boston Blitz originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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