30 In 30 Part 23: New York Yankees

Andy Pettite signed a minor league contract with the Yankees
and might just crack their rotation in 2012.

More Pitchers, more problems.

Every spring features a plethora of stories that involve baseball's most storied franchise.  2012 is no exception.  A lot of those stories involve pitchers so I am going to be quick in describing their offense.

Household Names.  Jeter, A-Rod, Gardner, Swisher, Andruw Jones, Eric Chavez, Russell Martin, Granderson, Cano, Teixiera, Ibanez.  These are all established players, most of which are on the decline.  They will produce a lot of runs and will power the Yankees into October.  Granderson is coming off of a 40/25 season.  Jeter is the worst bat in the starting lineup.  The addition of Raul Ibanez should only help this offense.

The issue this spring is pitching.  Coming into Spring Training the rotation was C.C. Sabathia followed by take your pick of Freddy Garcia, Huroki Kuroda, Michael Pineda, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova.  Then the Yankees signed Andy Pettite.  Today, Michael Pineda was placed on the 15-Day Disabled List with Shoulder Tendonitis.  In the meantime, this should bump Freddy Garcia into the rotation.  He will be a spot starter this year and I love him in that role at his age.

What I gather from all of this is that C.C. is the only sure thing.  Huroki has a good track record and is penciled in as the #2.  We will see what Pineda looks like when he comes back and we may have an early winner in the Pineda/Montero trade if Montero has an All-Star season in Seattle.  Phil Hughes will be very average.  Ivan Nova has given me no reason to say that he will not have a solid season.  Like I said earlier, Garcia will amount to a spot starter this season.  He will thrive in this role.  Don't count out Andy Pettite in 2012.  Jamie Moyer made the Rockies rotation this season.  If Kuroda and Nova pitch like I expect them to, the Yankees can show up and win 95 games.

FUN FACT: If Jamie Moyer pitched for the inaugural 1993 Colorado Rockies, he would have been the oldest pitcher on the staff.  They also had a Catcher named Jayhawk Owens.  He was from Ohio so there is some Final Four irony there.

X-FACTORS:

Lineup: 3B Alex Rodriguez.  If he can stay healthy all season, it would make a world of difference for the Yankees.

Rotation: SP Phil Hughes.  He will be thrust into this rotation for now.  He needs to live up to the hype he came into the league with.

Bullpen: Freddy Garcia.  He figures to spend most of the season spot starting or fulfilling Mopup duty.  He needs to limit how often he falls apart this season.

The Kids: SP Michael Pineda.  Will he return and stay healthy?  Will he be first half Pineda or second half Pineda?  He has the tools to be a future ace of this rotation.

ROYAL LIST:

#29 LHP Manny Banuelos: Perhaps Banuelos can answer some of the Bombers' pitching questions if they are not solved by midseason

#63 RHP Dellin Betances: A late bloomer, Betances will see time on the major league roster at some point this season.  Not expected to become a permanent fixture until he is 25 or 26.

#81 C Gary Sanchez: I don't see this kid panning out as a Catcher.

#85 OF Mason Williams: A big reason that the Yankees are excited for their rookie class of 2014.

PROJECTION: 2nd Place AL East

-Red Sox have better pitching and Yankees have a more potent offense.  This will be a very interesting division race.  

30 In 30 Part 22: St. Louis Cardinals

David Freese, pictured signing autographs at Mizzou
Arena in Columbia, has been enjoying the life of a Cardinals hero
in an offseason that saw Albert Pujols leave for Anaheim.

Let me state for the record that there is no chance in hell that there is 12 in 12.

I lied.  In fact it has been the Cardinals runs in 2006 and 2011 that has proven that all that matters is reaching the postseason.  In that regard, they are the New York Football Giants of baseball.

However, there is a pink elephant under the arch.  That would be the departure of longtime First Baseman Albert Pujols.  In Missouri, I hear one of two things from people.  One is a hate-filled "how dare he."  The other is "Pujols leaving is offset by Wainwright's return."  The truth is that the Cardinals are like the Brewers.  They built a lineup around their slugger.  That is why the Brewers still have a good lineup and it is why the Cardinals will be okay.

If anything really "offsets" anything from the Cards' offseason, it was the signing of Carlos Beltran.  Beltran edged out Albert Pujols in VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) and Equivalent Average last season.  Equivalent Average is statistic measured on the same scale of batting average, but adjusted for certain variables such as venue and league.  Pujols was also bested in EqA in 2011 by current Cardinals Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday.  They also have an Elder Statesman in Yadier Molina and a bona fide postseason hero in David Freese.

What will hurt the Cards is that they lack depth in the rotation after Wainwright until Carpenter comes back in a couple of months.  This was a big reason behind the Oswalt to St. Louis rumors.  They also do not have quite the bullpen they had patched together last summer during trade season.  However, the Cards possess enough arms to compete for a division title and that is all you can ask for.

Oh, and for anybody who has not kept up with the Cardinals or Blue Jays in years past,  Rzepczynski is pronounced ZEP-CHIN-SKI.

X-FACTORS: 
Lineup: OF Carlos Beltran.  If he can put up similar numbers to last season, he can help offset the loss of Albert Pujols
Rotation: Adam Wainwright.  His return is everything to a pitching staff that is otherwise devoid of great arms at the moment.
Bullpen: Jason Motte.  This will be his first full season as the Closer.  He must be lights out in his role as the rest of the bullpen takes shape behind him.
The Kids: Nobody.  There is going to be no young blood in this clubhouse.  This will bode well for Manager Mike Matheny, who will inherit a clubhouse chock full of veteran leadership and devoid of big egos.

ROYAL LIST:
#8 RHP Shelby Miller: Should see some time in September.  Will hear a lot of jokes about his name.  You know there was a town named after him on The Simpsons?
#27 RHP Carlos Martinez: With a fastball that confuses more hitters than his documentation, Martinez will continue to tear up the minors in 2012.
#74 OF Oscar Taveras: Solid bat that has a couple more seasons in development
#88 3B Zack Cox: Projected to be a solid ballplayer.
#93 2B Kolten Wong: With Second Base being the token hole in the Cards' lineup, I would imagine they would be overjoyed if Wong pans out.
#94 RHP Tyrell Jenkins: Another sweet righty arm growing on the Cardinals farm.

PROJECTION: 2nd Place NL Central
-Pitching is what keeps this team from surpassing the Brewers.  It also might be what they pick up halfway through the season.  Don't sleep on the defending champs.

P.S. A shout out to my friend and Parkway West grad Sarah Billingsly who routinely listens to me give St. Louis crap.  Go Longhorns!

A Proud Franchise Moves On

Pierre Gauthier (right) was doomed from the moment he
introduced Randy Cunneyworth as interim coach.

No, not the Indianapolis Colts.  The Montreal Canadiens.

Today, the Habs fired General Manager Pierre Gauthier.  Aside from their awful season, Gauthier faced some heat when he appointed Randy Cunneyworth as coach.  The issue was Cunneyworth was that he did not speak French.  The move drew the ire of Quebecer nationalist groups.  As a result, Gauthier threw Cunneyworth under the bus.  Cunneyworth had no chance in his interim role and will most likely never coach an NHL team again.  Since their last deep playoff run, they have watched rival Boston Bruins win a Stanley Cup and former Goalie Jaroslav Halak make up half of one of hockey's best goaltending combinations for the Blues.  This all just makes for a bunch of pissed off French people.

They share the cellar in the Eastern Conference with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Both are the only Original Six teams to not be in playoff contention.  The Old Guard of Canadian Hockey is down at the moment.  Kudos to the Habs for taking some action after the shit show that was this season.

The search for a new GM and a new Head Coach should be hired in the next month and a half.  Expect them both to be bilingual.  Expect a ton of rumors that the new GM will be Patrick Roy.  Also expect a few players to be moved this offseason.

But above all, expect better days in Montreal.

30 In 30 Part 21: Anaheim Angels

It's arguable the the Angels won the offseason.
But will that translate into a title?

Notice that at Coffee, we refer to the Angels as the "Anaheim Angels" and not the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim."

To say the Angels made a splash this offseason would be an understatement.  Leading off those big transactions would be the signing of Catcher Chris Iannetta.  Then the huge singings came in, when the Angels announced the signing of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson in the same week.  These automatically made the Angels a playoff contender.  What almost guarantees their appearance in the playoffs is the establishment of the 5th Playoff Spot.  The Angels will be good competition for the Rangers in the AL West, as well as the Wild Card contenders in the AL East.  However, this team can separate themselves from the pack.

What jumps out at me is the Angels first three starters winning 50 combined games.  Their fourth starter, Ervin Santana, won 17 games in 2010 and bested his 2010 ERA in 2011 by over half a run.  This is the most proven rotation in baseball.

As for their bullpen, they have a young closer in Jordan Walden that is capable of saving a lot of games.  The issue is that he cannot blow 10 Saves next year and expect the Angels to be fine.  He has a 2.98 ERA that needs to be improved next season.  His cast includes LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi.  Downs has been a reputable reliever for the past few seasons and is trying to establish himself as a prime Bishop rather than a left-handed specialist.  I would say that he, in fact, leans closer to the former.  They shouldn't be much of a problem, but Jordan Walden could potentially be an issue.

The Angels come into this season with a target on their back.  Based on their offense, they expect to contend for a title.  I expect them to merely contend for a playoff slot.

X-FACTORS:
Lineup: OF Vernon Wells.  If he produces like he did in Toronto, they will get a better return on two investments.
Rotation: Jerome Williams.  Or whoever the 5th starter is.  This rotation is stacked enough.
Bullpen: Jordan Walden.  He needs to blow less saves this season.
The Kids: OF Mike Trout.  In 2012, Trout needs to live up to the hype.  The beginning of his career is being thrust into a pennant race.

ROYAL LIST:
#3 OF Mike Trout: Best offensive prospect not named Bryce on this list.
#55 SS Jean Segura: Figures to come back from injury-slowed 2011.  Expect him in Anaheim this September.
#83 RHP Garrett Richards: Should see some appearances with the big club this season.

PROJECTION: 2nd Place AL West
-I still feel that the Rangers are too good to be bested by Offseason Super Team West this offseason.

30 In 30 Part 20: San Francisco Giants

Giants camp has been marked
by the return of Buster Posey.

Buster Posey returns to a Giants team that boasts a top notch bullpen and a rotation to boot.  The emergence of Ryan Vogelsong last season was a major topic of discussion in the bay.  As it stands, I consider him the best #4 starter in baseball.  Their pitching is what makes them World Series contenders.

Their suspect lineup is what might just keep them from the playoffs.  What bodes well for the Giants is that Kung-Fu Panda is hit the ball last year.  They just need production from Melky Cabrera, Angel Pagan, Aubrey Huff and Freddy Sanchez to make the lineup complete.  The odds that even 4 of those 6 are on their game this season is very unlikely.  Having Cabrera, Pagan and Posey this season should aid a lineup who ranked in the bottom 5 for Batting Average, Runs Scored, On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage.

The San Francisco Baseball Giants also picked up World Series Champion Ryan Theriot this offseason.  The major concern about Theriot is his decline in stolen bases from last season.  Regardless, he will make a solid contributor if he is used as a utility infielder.  Injuries to Brandon Crawford or Freddy Sanchez may thrust Theriot into a starting role.  Speaking of Crawford, he does have a leg up on the starting Shortstop job, but he is unproven.  Manager Bruce Bochy has spoken highly about him and the work he has put in on his swing this spring, saying "He's worked on shortening up his swing and he's getting results."

Brandon Belt is another kid battling to fill a role in spring training.  He has been between the Outfield and First Base this spring and has a decent chance of making the roster.  Eventually this kid is going to start in San Francisco.  The question is when.  The answer, I would imagine, is Opening Day 2013 at First Base. I feel that Bell can put up better numbers than Huff at First Base this season, but Huff has more of a presence in the clubhouse.  That being said, Huff is only a season removed from a 26 Homer, 86 RBI season in which he helped SanFran to a World Series.

With all of the nitpicking at this lineup, this is still a team with a world class pitching staff and a chance to compete for a division title.  The lineup just needs to put up better numbers or the Diamondbacks will have them bested again.

X-FACTORS:
Lineup: C Buster Posey.  It's not a question of whether or not he will produce.  He will.  But his is coming back and that should put a charge back into the Giant's lineup.
Rotation: Ryan Vogelsong.  We all know about Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner.  However, can Vogelsong continue the success of his 13 win 2011 campaign?
Bullpen: Santiago Casilla.  I see this guy as a better Bishop than Affeldt, who is more of a LOOGY.  I'd like to see this guy pitch more innings this season.  However, it's the Giants bullpen and you cannot go wrong.
The Kids: SS Brandon Crawford.  I'd say the chances of him starting the season at Shortstop is 92 percent, yo!

ROYAL LIST:
#38 OF Gary Brown.  Set to start playing in the upper echelon of the Minor Leagues in 2012.

PROJECTION: 2nd Place NL West
-I do not have faith in this team topping the Diamondbacks in 2012.  I could very well be wrong though.

Tebow Goes To Gotham. Payton Goes Home.

Training Camp just got a lot more interesting.

March 21st, 2012.  The day Anthony Agbabiaka stopped watching professional football.

Now let us establish something.  Mark Sanchez is an starting NFL Quarterback.  I feel that he has earned that title.  I am a fan of what he can do in Tony Sparano's offense.   He is not Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Eli Manning or Aaron Rodgers.  Not every Quarterback needs to be that.  The Jets also believe that based on the contract they gave him.

A few of my readers know that the Jets are my secondary team.  As a fan of the Jets since childhood, I may be the only fan pleased by this deal.  It gives the Jets an intriguing situation at QB.  Sanchez is the starter, but that does not mean that Tebow will ride the bench.  If there is an Offensive Coordinator that can properly use Tebow it is Tony Sparano.

What Tebow brings to the Jets is a player that defies logic in the 4th quarter, a workout machine and a guy who can push Mark Sanchez to work harder.  It is no secret that the Jets were looking for a viable backup to push Sanchez in camp.  However, it was not expected that Tim Tebow and Rex Ryan would share a locker room.  He also brings his very Christian message and his uniquely limited passing skills that he has undoubtedly worked his ass off to improve.  Both of which Tebow has been criticized for.  However, the former has been praised by many as well.

The Jets will be fine if these things can happen
1. Sanchez and Holmes mend their fences.
2. Tim Tebow can be a critical role player and is not thrust into the starting role.
3. Certain Jets can scale back the media fodder they provide.

I will be fine if I can
1. Limit how much I watch First Take anytime in the 365 days.

As for the Saints, I attempt to not focus an article on scandals.  Notice I never wrote an entire article about Bountygate or Ryan Braun's appeal.  So I will keep this short.

We are aware that Sean Payton has been suspended for the entire 2012 season and Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams indefinitely.  With apologies to any Ram fans who read Coffee, the St. Louis Rams are an irrelevant franchise for at least another season.  As for the Saints, I cannot say that their season is over because Drew Brees is still their Quarterback.  Payton's fingerprints will still be all over this team.  Believe it.  They will still win the NFC South.

30 in 30 Part 19: Boston Red Sox

A master of disguises, Bobby Valentine,
 takes over a Red Sox team who did their
best impression of the Chicago Cubs in 2012.

Bobby Valentine is the law in Boston.

No beer in the clubhouse.  No private jets.  Fundamentals.  The works.

He has also opened his mouth enough to draw comparisons to Rex Ryan.  However, the man is hell-bent on getting this team to play up to their potential.  That potential is a championship.

They have a great 1-2-3 punch in the rotation.  Provided Daniel Bard can make a successful transition from reliever to starter and the rotation stays healthy, the Red Sox will be fine in that department.  The bullpen will feature newcomers Mark Melancon and Andrew Bailey pitching the 8th and 9th.  Credit to the Red Sox for trying to piece together a competent bullpen.  With Papelbon in Philadelphia, the Red Sox managed to replace him with two closers.  Dice-K, Rich Hill and Bobby Jenks will be on the DL to start the season and John Lackey will be on the DL all season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Outfielder Carl Crawford will also start 2012 on the DL.  So that means you will see a healthy dose of Darnell McDonald and Ryan Sweeney early.  Another position of note is Shortstop.  Mike Aviles will most likely start the season there, but there have been questions him throwing to first.  Jarrod Saltalamacchia will take over at Catcher after Captain Jason Varitek retired over the offseason.

On the bright side, the Red Sox have David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury in the lineup to start 2012.  There is no excuse for this team to miss the playoffs, yet they are among the most fallible of the contending teams this season.

This is the most talented team in the AL.  They need to go prove it to everyone.

X-FACTORS:
Lineup: OF Carl Crawford.  He'll be back from injury at some point and he will need to make a difference.
Rotation: Daniel Bard.  Like I mentioned earlier, a successful transition to the rotation will keep the staff afloat.
Bullpen: Matt Albers.  Right now, Albers seems like the best candidate for a Bishop in the Sox bullpen.
The Kids: None.  The Red Sox literally have no Backstreet Boys.

ROYAL LIST:
#51 3B Will Middlebrooks: I have the urge to call him "Mill Widdlebrooks."
#38 SS Xander Bogaerts: Finally seeing what the cast of Drawn Together is doing post-series.
#72 C Blake Swihart: Expect this kid to come up and be the best Sox catcher since Jason Varitek.  Yes, I pulled that line out already.


PROJECTION: 1st Place AL East
-I don't see why they shouldn't be.  Most talented team in the division is cleaning up their act a little bit, while fixing their bullpen.