Top Bargains Left In Free Agency

1. SP Edwin Jackson- He’s the best starter and could give a contender one great year for cheap PREDICTION: Tigers
2. SP Roy Oswalt- Another one, just aging and a little worse off, but he’s till a great starter for cheap PREDICTION: Red Sox
3. 1B Derrek Lee- A good hitting first baseman, whose ready for a decent older age season  PREDICTION: Brewers
4. DH Valdimir Guererro- He could just repeat the 2010 year he had with he Rangers, he’s still dangerous PREDICTION: Yankees
5. SP Javier Vazquez- He was really good at the end of 2011 and he is that good and could still easily fool some hitters PREDICTION: Royals
6. 1B Casey Kotchman- A great defender who gets on and plays some good ball, all though he should only hit .280  PREDICTION: Pirates
7. DH Johnny Damon- Will play, just depends where.  He’s good and will do what he did in 2011 PREDICTION: Orioles
8. OF Raul Ibanez- He won’t be the normal Raul but he could still drive some guys in and flash some power  PREDICTION: Brewers
9. OF Magglio Ordonez- He could possibly hit the best out of anyone still on the market and will make some nice contributions to a team in 2011  PREDICTION: Tigers
10. SP Rich Harden- He’s still younger than most and can be pretty good when healthy, worth a flyer  PREDICTION: Brewers
11. RP David Aardsma- Former closer, has good stuff and is pretty good all-around PREDICTION: Cardinals

HM: RP Todd Coffey, RP Mike Gonzalez, RP Mike Wuertz, SP Chris Young, RP Hung-Chih Kuo, DH Hideki Matsui

A Look Ahead: World Series

CAN THE RANGERS COMEBACK: Tomorrow is a must win and if they get that game I believe Texas will wint his series, they need their pitching to come alive as it did against the Tigers and their hitting to step up just a little more.  Nelson Cruz hit a homer today and they need that but more from Beltre, Young, and Hamilton.
PUJOLS: Pujols will keep this kind of work up and he might even surprise you on defense, there is no walking him and he’s the best hitter in the MLB so Wash should use his walk Cabrera strategy on him or else we will see a few more bombs and some good play, he won;t repeat this again though.
PITCHING: The Rangers have Derek Holland up against Edwin Jackson tomorrow, Holland I’ll give a slight edge too though Jackson could be lights out, I see another high scoring affair but with the Rangers winning and taking advantage of their ballpark.  Game 5 is Wilson against Carpenter which is a toss-up, but if Wilson isn’t touched within three innings the Rangers will get just enough offense to beat Carpenter
STEP UP; that’s what the Cards bullpen has done and should continue too but Ogando needs to do better along with the other relievers like Feldman but the Rangers pitchers that start need to go at least six so then it goes Ogando-Adams-Feliz.  Dotel is an amazing reliever and will keep it up
I WILL STICK WITH RANGERS IN 6

Analysis: Rasmus a Jay, Jackson a Cardinal, Frasor goes to White Sox

JAYS: They ended up with Colby Rasmus, Trevor Miller, Brian Tallet, PJ Walters and Mark Teahen.  Personally I think Teahen’s best days are behind him but he can still play well as a utility man and provide some occansional good hitting.  He’s a bench player the Jays should stick with for a while and maybe a platoon of him and Edwin Encarnasion would be good.  Brian Tallet is a guy who can do well in any role and returns to the Jays, where he fits well.  He should do decent for them overall, when he comes back from injury.  Miller is a LOOGY and he can do the same things with the Jays as he did with the Rays and is a great veteran to have around.  Miller will not be as successful as used to be but he’s not washed up and is also a very nice fit.   Walters is a former top prospect who was turned into a very good future reliever and that future will start soon and he could be a very valuable arm.  Rasmus is the big addition.  He’s only going to get better and soon.  He should mash AL East pitching and start off good right off the bat.  He can hit anywhere and do so many things for them and I think he will play a good center field at Rogers Centre.  He will also flash more and more power and be big in the Jays running game.  His potential is big and he could be the centerpiece of this team for many years behind Bautista.  He was worth them giving up Stewart and Rzepcynski.
CARDINALS: They received Edwin Jackson, Corey Patterson, Marc Rzepcynski and Octavio Dotel.  Dotel has been traded a few times to contenders and he will show why down the stretch.  He’s an arm the Cards really needed and a veteran.  With him, Rzepcynski, Salas, Motte and Lynn this team has a deep bullpen and he could do outstanding, look for an ERA under 2.50 for him the last two months of the season.  That brings me tp Rzepcynski, who I still believe in and for the rest of the year he will be a premier middle reliever and could double as a LOOGY, though not as well.  After this season I think he could very well be an end of the rotation starter and have a spectacular season, especially under Dave Duncan.  Expect great things for him in St. Louis.  Patterson is a fourth outfielder who can play center when Jon Jay needs a rest, he has been doing really well all season but he won’t be anything astonishing in St. Louis.  Good numbers all around and okay play on the field with some steals.  Jay and him are a huge downgrade from Rasmus and I think it was a mistake for the Cards to trade him and it could hurt them down the stretch,  They needed more for him.  Jackson is a power righty and could have one of his better stints in St. Louis.  He will do nice down the stretch and is their third bests startar.  Look for him to do some good things for St. Louis and if he stays he can possibly be a real good starter and behind Carpernter, Wainwright and Garcia, dominate.
WHITE SOX: They got Zach Stewart and Jason Frasor and gave up[ Jackson and Teahen, which is fair.  Stewart will be about the same pitcher Jackson is if he’s a starter but he could be a little better because he’s more consistent and just has more flair right now.  He’s a good addition and Frasor is a good arm to setup and he could even close very well.  Frasor shouldn’t struggle too much in Chicago and is a good pickup, for Stewart it’s not as good a fit but he won’t be greatly affected by it.

Game Notes CHW at DET 4/23/11

These are notes on the team and players from this game, they have to do with scouting and how they might fair in the future
TEAM
TIGERS- Everything is up and running and they are dangerous, offense is great and will catch fire
WHITE SOX- Will start off slower and rebound like last season, but not as good
PLAYERS
Rhymes- Great defense, good getting to pop-ups
Inge & Ordonez- Will heat up in their own ways
A. Jackson- Slowly getting back to normal, Will get tons of IF hits and a great bunter, best on the Tigers at bunting
Avila- Will stay on fire for a while, power and XBH are big and could improve a ton on 2011, Nice, fluid swing that will lead to success
Pierre- Will never be a good defender
Morel- Looks like he will be okay
Quentin- Looks like another okay season with a lower average though
A. Ramirez- He looks like he will quickly get back on track
M. Cabrera- Better than 2010, in my opinion
Boesch- Power will come but he will stay hot and do very well all season.  Will make up for no V-Mart for now
A. Alberqurque- He just needs to tone it down at times but has the makings of a great, strikeout reliever, could be big for the Tigers this season
Ohman- Will have his typical season
Raburn- He can do a lot this year and he will
STARTERS
PENNY
-I like him, he will get outs and do his job and have some real good games
-Will pitch to contact
-Will catch fire again this season
-Looks promising for this season
JACKSON
-Good, but very streaky, he’s almost there
-He will still have a lot of struggles, for now
-Best stuff currently in the Sox rotation
-Could put it all together at any time
My Take on the Tigers chaces so far: I like the Tigers in this division. White Sox are just not good enough and the Tigs can beat them. The Twins pitching and injuries will slow them and I can’t see them catching back up.

Make or Break Season: Kazmir and Jackson

• Scott Kazmir will have another sub-par season but he could make small improvements and he will slowly get better and better.  He probably won’t ever regain his control or have an all-star season and he won’t have really good numbers.  He will have a high ERA and WHIP and will have big troubles with walks and he won’t have much than a few good starts and his only really good stat next year will be strikeouts and he won’t be anything more than a fifth starter, so for him it will mostly be a break season but he could do a bit better than I think.  MAKE OR BREAK?: BREAK
• Edwin Jackson will have an okay ERA at home and do pretty good overall at home, and I think he will do very good on the road.  He has electrifying stuff and he’s just a great pitcher.  He won’t have the best season with stats or overall but he should do very good and keep improving from there, he could be the White Sox best or second best pitcher this season and he is bound for some good starts.  MAKE OR BREAK?: MAKE, in a big way

Make or Brake Seasons: Jackson and Reyes

• Edwin Jackson has been average in his career but he has the talent to be an occasional all-star with great stuff.  I think he will have a decent year this year and have a really good outlook for the next three years.  Jackson will be awesome at times this upcoming year and should be the best fifth starter in the MLB.  The park he pitches in will have no effect on him.  He will still be wild at times but I see him having a real good year and getting more control.  He will have many more seasons like 2009 and he will dominate the AL Central too.  MAKE?: Yes, but will have struggles this year and get better and better
• Jose Reyes has had many good seasons and he’s very explosive.  Reyes can be an all-star again and he should be one of the best shortstops in the league this year and be a great hitter.  He could steal a ton of bases and get a lot of extra base hits.  He can be close to as good as he used to be.  Reyes is going to do a great job and will have a big make year and be very valuable and very good in 2011 and beyond.  MAKE?: Yes in a huge way

Edwin Jackson and Trades

I think Edwin Jackson would do just as good wherever he pitches.  He may get bombed from time to time, but he should improve.  I just wouldn’t want him for down the stretch, he will let you down.  He will whiff tons but he will also walk a lot and give up runs.  From time to time he will keep the team in the game, but he just won’t be that good this year.  If he goes to the Nationals it makes some sense.  He would slow down and regain his stuff and be a good veteran to have a round next year.  Jackson won’t be an all-star again but the team that gets him should get a better Jackson next year.  Some problems he will always have too and the team that acquires him will only have a middle of the rotation guy.  I wouldn’t go after him but he could give you a few god starts.  He is more likely to be a disappointment.

Granderson to NYY, Jackson to ARZ, Scherzer to DET

Here is a breakdown of the deal

• The D’backs will get Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson.  Kennedy could still be a decent starter but won’t be what he used to.  I don’t think he will make a big splash in this rotation but at the end of the year he could make a few good starts.  Jackson should form a near perfect big 3 in Arizona and should do well.  Jackson might return a little to his old self but he will do good even when he doesn’t have his best stuff.  The thing I don’t get is why they traded Scherzer, they could have traded Jarrod Parker.
• The Yankees got Granderson.  Granderson helps this offense a whole lot.  Along with the rest of the stars they are almost guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.  Grandy still needs to get better at hitting lefties or he could turn into a platoon player.  Granderson will do good for now though.  Granderson will be a tough out for a while but if he doesn’t improve it will be a bust move, but I think he will.  Granderson is that key chip for the Yanks.
• The Tigers got Scherzer, who will be the best player in the deal.  he has a higher ceiling than Jackson and he will be better in about two years.  Scherzer will do what he was supposed to after the draft.  He will be crafty and do well in Detroit.  Austin Jackson should remind fans of Granderson soon, as soon as this year.  I don’t think he has the strength to go 20-20-20-20, but he should run, hit, and play solid defense with just a little polishing.  Phil Coke won’t be anything special but he should be a solid part of the bullpen for a few years.  Daniel Schlereth is the team new closer of the future.  He should come in and shut them down and strike them out.
• The Tigers didn’t have to make this move but they are rebuilding this team right.  The Tigers will have losing seasons for awhile but should rebound quick.  I like that they are aquiring major league ready talent.

Tigers Notes: Thomas, Rapada, Jackson

The latest Tigers rumors and moves…

• They signed Brad Thomas.  He could do well but I think we need to see how he performs.  It will be a though move to Detroit at first.  He hasn’t done real well on his small sample in the majors but you can’t rely on that
• The Tigres traded Clay Rapada to the Rangers for a player to be named.  They didn’t need Rapada due to the fact that Fu-Te Ni is better than him and I am happy they could get anything for him.
• Edwin Jackson is going to be traded most likely.  This will be bad, unless they get really good prospects.  Jackson is a great pitcher who needs to go either the Tigers through their rebuilding process.  I think the key for the Tigers winning was their pitching and trading it is the worst thing they could do.

Mariners decline Jackson for Morrow, Kelley

The Mariners declined a potentially great deal, but it could have been bad too.  Brandon Morrow will either breakout or he won’t, I think there is a better chance he will and be great with the way he pitches and stats.  Shawn Kelley  will not be a great reliever he will get the job done and plug a few holes for a while.  Jackson is not a half a season pitcher.  He might go into a big slump but for the most part he will do what he did last year, put up a good start 5 times out of 6.  Morrow and Kelley would be good for the Tigers, Morrow would be great for them pretty soon and he will for the Mariners too.  Jackson would fit in at Seattle and d okay but his pitching slumps can be concerning but that is fixable.  The Tigers should go after more.