Power Rankings: 5/5/13

1. Tigers
2. Cardinals
3. Rangers
4. Red Sox
5. Braves
6. Giants
7. Yankees
8. Royals
9. Reds
10. Rockies
11. Athletics
12. Nationals
13. Orioles
14. Diamondbacks
15. Pirates
16. Rays
17. Dodgers
18. Mariners
19. Phillies
20. Indians
21. Brewers
22. Mets
23. Twins
24. White Sox
25. Padres
26. Cubs
27. Angels
28. Blue Jays
29. Marlins
30. Astros

Red Sox Sign Mike Napoli

The Red Sox and Mike Napoli have a agreed to a three year contract that will pay Napoli 39 million.  Napoli is expected to play mostly at first base in the first year of his contract.  Napoli provides much needed power for the Red Sox and should hit very well at Fenway.  It’s a great fit for both sides and I think the Red Sox will enjoy their three years of Napoli.  His power should go back up to the 30 HR territory he was in during 2011 and his batting average should go way up in Fenway.  He should also do well against teams like the Yankees.  The Red Sox line-up is starting to look a little bit scarier now.  Napoli should be a guy like Beltre who really, really benefits from Fenway an the Red Sox were smart to lock him up for more than one year.  He’s a step in the right direction for the Sox too and though he won’t probably hit as high as .300, he won’t hit lower than .260-ish.  He can still play well enough to stick behind the plate for Boston if they need it at times this year, but I would keep Ross and Salty if I were Boston and go keep Napoli at first, as it’s best for their offense.  Napoli, who will be a below average defender but I don’t think he will hurt them a ton at first on defense.  His numbers in Boston should look impressive in the end at the very least.  Very good and needed signing for the Red Sox.

1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2. 2B Dustin Pedroia
3. DH David Ortiz
4. 1B Mike Napoli
5. RF Jonny Gomes
6. 3B Will Middlebrooks
7. C Jarrod Saltalamachhia
8. LF Daniel Nava
9. SS Jose Iglesias

 

White Sox Get Youkilis From Red Sox

The White Sox have acquired Kevin Youkilis from the Red Sox For Zach Stewart and Brent Lillibridge.  From the Boston aspect of the deal, Will Middlebrooks was doing to good to send down and Youk’s time had run out in Boston as Middlebrooks was doing better and a better fit moving forward, Boston got some great years and moments out of Youkilis and he was one of the better Red Sox in their 2000’s history.  They got Zach Stewart, a top pitching prospect with a good arm, who may not be as good as he was once touted to be but he could fill in as a four or five guy or a power bullpen arm one day, he was a nice, decent piece for the Red Sox in the deal.  The Red Sox also got Brent Lillibridge, who can play outfield and infield and should continue to do what he’s done with the White Sox, although in Boston his power could get a bit better.  The teams that didn’t get Youk are the Pirates,w ho I think should have tried hard for him, the Dodgers who he would have helped but didn’t lose out on as much or the Indians, where he could have been a nice piece.  Though the Tigers should still overtake the White Sox, their line-up is good enough to stay in the race with Detroit now and the Tigers need to beat them.  Youkilis needed a change of scenery and the White Sox are a good fit, he;s still in a hitter friendly park and though his numbers have a downward trend, he should make it go upward and even if he doesn;t, he will still be productive and be a huge upgrade over Morel and Hudson at third.  Youkilis should continue being an all-star in Chicago and it was a key and real good acquisition for the White Sox,  Dunn, Konerko, and Youk will be pretty good for them, but I still don;t think it’ll be enough.  I’d hit Youkilis fifth, like he did some of his time in Boston, but second isn;t a bad slot for him either.

MLB Power Rankings: 5-24-12

1. Dodgers
2. Orioles
3. Rangers
4. Nationals
5. Rays
6. Reds
7. Braves
8. Cardinals
9. Blue Jays
10. Marlins
11. Yankees
12. Indinas
13. Tigers
14. Phillies
15. Red Sox
16. Mets
17. Giants
18. Angels
19. Diamondbacks
20. White Sox
21. Athletics
22. Astros
23. Pirates
24. Brewers
25. Mariners
26. Rockies
27. Royals
28. Padres
29. Twins
30. Cubs

Boston Red Sox All-Time Team

C: Carlton Fisk
1B: Jimmie Foxx
2B: Bobby Doerr
SS: Nomar Garciapara
3B: Wade Boggs
LF: Ted Williams
CF: Tris Speaker
RF: Dwight Evans
DH: David Ortiz

C Jason Varitek
LF Carl Yaztremski
OF Jime RIce
LF Manny Ramirez

SP: Pedro Martinez
SP: Joe Wood
SP: Cy Young
SP: Roger Clemens
SP: Luis Tiant

CL: Jon Paplebon
RP: Babe Ruth
RP: Mel Parnell
RP: Lefty Grove
RP: Dick Radatz
RP: Bob Stanley
RP:Derek Lowe

1. CF Tris Speaker
2. RP Dwight Evans
3. LF Ted Williams
4. 1B Jimmie Foxx
5. DH David Ortiz
6. 3B Wade Boggs
7. C Carlton Fisk
8. 2B Bobby Doerr
9. SS Nomar Garciapara

Weekly MLB Power Rankings: 5/12

1 Rangers
2 Cardinals
3 Nationals
4 Dodgers
5 Orioles
6 Rays
7 Braves
8 Yankees
9 Tigers
10 Marlins
11 Blue Jays
12 Reds
13 Mets
14 Phillies
15 Angels
16 Red Sox
17 Indians
18 Giants
19 Diamondbacks
20 Athletics
21 Brewers
22 Rockies
23 White Sox
24 Pirates
25 Astros
26 Cubs
27 Mariners
28 Royals
29 Padres
30 Twins

Marlon Byrd: Return to the AL

Marlon Byrd is returning to the AL, getting traded from the Cubs to Red Sox.  The last time Byrd played in the AL, he had his career year in 2009 with the Rangers and he wasn’t that bad in 2007 or 2008 either.  The traded happened almost two weeks ago, but I wanted to sample his first 10 games and so far he has lived up to what he can do in the AL.  He’s hitting .308 and that could be a constant and he will replace Ellsbury well, and when Jacoby comes back he should played right.  He won’t be as good as he was from 2007-09 but he will do well and his extra base hits will rise and he will hit some homers in Fenway.  He will play a good center fielder for the Red Sox too,  He should help and he should do better than Sweeney and be almost as good as Ross.  Byrd should have more good AB’s with the Red Sox and be himself again.  The Cubs were just a bad fit for Byrd and he’s in a good place all around again and I think he will have a strong finish and help the Sox and his market value.  Good move by the Red Sox

What Teams Are Better In May?

It’s early but still winning now can mean a lot, teams with as of now labeled means it could change very quickly.

Yankees or Rays?: Rays

Red Sox or Blue Jays?: Blue Jays, as of now

Indians or White Sox?: Indians, Tigers are still the best
Nationals or Dodgers?: Dodgers
Giants or Diamondbacks?:  Giants

Braves or Phillies?: Braves, as of now

Reds or Brewers?: Reds
Tigers or Yankees?: Tigers
Marlins or Angels?: Marlins
Royals or Twins?: Royals
Orioles or Jays?: Jays
Rangers or Cardinals?: Rangers
Mets or Rockies?: Rockies

MLB Pick’em and Start Or Dart For 4/11/12

Start the pitcher in normal font and avoid the bolded starters

WINNER	LOSER	START OR DART
Tigers	Rays	Shields vs Verlander
Indians	White Sox	Danks vs Masterson
Reds	Cardinals	Garcia vs Cueto
Blue Jays	Red Sox	Lester vs Romero
Mets	Nationals	Strasburg vs Santana
Cubs	Brewers	Gallardo vs Dempster
Athletics	Royals	Chen vs McCarthy
Padres	D’Backs	Saunders vs Luebke
Marlins	Phillies	Johnson vs Halladay
Yankees	Orioles	Sabathia vs Arrieta
Braves	Astros	Delgado vs Rodriguez
Rangers	Mariners	Millwood vs   Lewis
Angels	Twins	Weaver vs Pavano
Rockies	Giants	Lincecum vs Guthrie
Dodgers	Pirates	Bedard vs Billingsley

Top 10 Red Sox Right Now

1 CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2 1B Adrain Gonzalez
3 2B Dustin Pedroia
4 SP Jon Lester
5 LF Carl Crawford
6 DH David Ortiz
7 3B Kevin Youkilis
8 SP Josh Beckett
9 RP Andrew Bailey
10 SP Clay Buchholz
HM: Sweeney, Ross, Melancon, Schoppach, Saltalamachhia, Aceves