Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - August 10, 2013

How long can Joe Maddon keep Fernando Rodney in as the closer for the Rays?

 Not much longer if he actually wants to win the AL East this year!

That and more on today's episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Paul Goldschmidt, Josh Reddick, Brandon Beachy and hard luck David Price all owned baseball on August 9, 2013.


To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE.
Subscribe on iTunes HERE.

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - August 10, 2013

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast July 7, 2013

Today is the Sunday Request Episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Today Ben Mankiewicz ( @benmank77 ) asked...

@sullybaseball who'll be the first manager to let match-ups dictate who pitches in the 9th inning of a save situation? Will it ever happen?

— Ben Mankiewicz (@BenMank77) July 6, 2013

Today, I answered his question.
Wade Miley, Torii Hunter, Andrelton Simmons and Matt Moore all owned baseball on July 6, 2013.


To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE.
 Subscribe on iTunes HERE.

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast July 7, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays' Hope for a New Stadium Growing Dimmer and Dimmer - A Bleacher Report Article

The Rays need a new park.
They want a new park.
But their chances of getting one are nonexistent without public approval.

And as I wrote in an article for Bleacher Report, the folks of the Tampa Bay area are not putting a new ballpark at the top of their priorities!

You can read the whole article HERE.

 

Royals Gamble That James Shields Can Help Them Win Now - A Bleacher Report Article

In my latest for Bleacher Report, I look at the Rays and Royals trade and understand it from Kansas City's point of view. You can read the whole article HERE.

That didn't take long for Matsui to make his mark

THIS is why the Rays are going to win the East.
They need a bat and the 2009 World Series MVP just happens to be available.

They plug him in and he homers in his first game.

Think the Red Sox would trade Crawford for Matsui in a heart beat?
Matsui always scared me. Now he's back in the AL East.

Man oh man if only fans showed up to Rays games.

   

Folks... this is what the Red Sox are going to be all year

This is why I am not doing a "Dodged Bullet/Teeth Grinder" comparison with the Red Sox this year. I could see it around Easter.

This is a team that will lose a bunch and win a bunch.
Lose dramatically one day, win dramatically the next.

And what better example than the past 2 days.

Yesterday they win with a walk off come from behind 9th inning homer.
Today Aceves coughs up a 9th inning come from behind homer to lose it.

They have 4 games against the Tigers to finish up the month of May.
It is a good bet that they will split those 4 games.

It is who they are.

   

When you lower your expectations, Red Sox wins are awesome

Come on Red Sox fans.
Admit it. You thought today was a lost game.

And Salty comes through with a walk off homer and the Red Sox are at .500 again.

Hey, I still don't think the Red Sox are going anywhere this season. But hey. Walk offs against the Rays are always cool.

I'd love to partake in the "All You Can Eat Crow Buffet" regarding the Sox and their playoff chances. But if today was just a fun win, then that isn't so bad, it it?

   

Red Sox fans... we're not contenders

I wrote a piece for Bleacher Report about why the Red Sox need to deal Josh Beckett. And I got a lot of flack from readers who did not agree with my assessment of the team.

I claimed the Red Sox are not legit contenders in 2012.
For some reason a lot of people disagreed with me.

Well tonight illustrated yet another example of why the Sox are not contenders. Going into the season, Jon Lester was the only pitcher I had any faith in.

He lost... again. And his ERA is 4.72.
That's not good. It is barely mediocre. And we are past the 1/4 mark of the season. The whole "It's early" excuse is getting flimsy.

The Sox lost to the Rays. Never good. This is a team the Red Sox are supposedly chasing.

But here is the most convincing stat I can give anyone to make my case that this Red Sox team is not a contender. In the Schedule and Results section of Baseball Reference, they break down the games, head to head match ups and amount of time in first place among other details of the season.

Here's the entry for the 2012 Red Sox in terms of "Most Games Above .500" for 2012.

NEVER!

They haven't been above .500 once all season.

We're almost in freaking June and they haven't been in the black for a day.
So yeah, the Red Sox should listen to offers for Kevin Youkilis, Kelly Shoppach AND Josh Beckett.

That's not blowing up the team. That's making some changes based upon moving some players who might help another club in 2012 and won't make much a difference in 2013.

But please. Don't call this team a contending team.
Contending teams have winning records.

   

Worst home run swing I've ever seen

David Robertson has the "Oh Holy Crap, please tell me I didn't let up a 2 out, 2 strike go ahead home run in the 9th inning" face. You know, the face Mariano Rivera never developed.

Meanwhile, doing his part to put a dagger in the heart of New York fans and the seed of doubt in David Robertson's mind, Matt Joyce did the exact OPPOSITE of Reggie Jackson or Manny Ramirez styling at home plate.

When you smash a 9th inning game winning home run in Yankee Stadium, try not to collapse into a heap.



 

Yankee fans... welcome to what the rest of baseball deals with

So what is the real impact of the Yankees losing Mariano Rivera?
I'm sure the Sabermetrics people who talk about how easy it is to replace 50 innings and that losing a starting pitcher or an every day player would be much worse than losing Rivera.

And David Robertson could very well turn out to be a pretty good closer. You know, 35-40 saves and a sub 3.00 ERA and some blown saves along the way.

But here is what Yankee fans need to get used to.
The 9th inning isn't automatic anymore. Robertson is a good pitcher, but he doesn't strike fear in anyone's heart more than any other saves compiler.

The days of teams tightening up in the 8th inning because they know they have no chance in the 9th? That ended on the warning track in Kansas City.

EVERY other team has had to deal with this since 1996. The Yankees haven't. Sure there were an exception for a season or two elsewhere.

Eric Gagne had that great 2003. Brad Lidge had the perfect 2008. Keith Foulke was amazing in 2004. Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner had a few dominating seasons.

But eventually they broke down.
Year in and year out, the Yankees and their fans never dealt with this.

Robertson had one shaky save yesterday and blew the save tonight.
He'll save a few and blow a few.

You know, like "Non Rivera" closers tend to pitch.

Brace yourself, Yankee fans.
And welcome to the club.


 

Congratulations to the 2012 AL East Champion Tampa Bay Rays

They had the pitching depth, they had the great manager and they have the youth and fire to send them to the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons with three Division Titles.

I recommend that manager Joe Maddon use these next four and 3/4 months to line up his playoff rotation and give his regulars some rest.


 

Gut check time in Tampa Bay

When I made my predictions for the 2012 season, I marked Evan Longoria as the American League MVP.

My reasons?
I felt the Rays were going to win the Division because of their pitching and Longoria was probably going to be their offensive star. And using the "Who is the best hitter on a Division Winner?" logic, Longoria would take the prize.

And as predicted, the Rays solid starting pitching and new closer Fernando Rodney has shot Tampa Bay to the top of the standings. And Longoria with his 19 RBI and .994 OPS has been the offensive star.

 Well, now Longoria is going to miss 1 or 2 months because of a hamstring injury. His replacement Elliot Johnson drove in the winning run the other day and the Rays won again tonight. But they aren't going to be playing the Mariners for the rest of the season.

They have a Yankee series coming up and as I wrote earlier, the games between the Yankees and Rays are all important. If they were important in April then they are meaningful in May as well.

A slumping Rays team and some head to head wins could be exactly what the Yankees and their bad rotation but good bullpen could need to pull ahead. (Sorry Baltimore and Toronto, I will think of you as contenders when I see it.)

Someone needs to step up for the Rays in the lineup and in the infield.

B. J. Upton has been starting to hit the ball. It would help the team if he finally blossomed into the MVP candidate he is supposed to be.

Hideki Matsui could return and give the team a spark.

Instead of banking on former Yankee heroes (isn't that the Yankee strategy?) it would be nice for Tampa if former Number 1 pick over all, Tim Beckham, would be ready finally for his close up in the big leagues and maybe give the team a spark at shortstop.

Instead he's slumping at Triple A Durham and, oh yeah, is suspended 50 games for a failed drug test. (What is it with Tampa's former #1 picks overall and drug problems?)

So the Rays need to show resolve.
They have more problems with Longoria than tracking down who stole his hat.

If they can weather this, then Joe Maddon IS the best manager in baseball.

 

Oooooh I wanted that one

Anytime you take 3 of 4 from a playoff team, you should feel good.
ESPECIALLY when your team has looked awful and needed a jolt.

But I can't help but be peeved.
1-0 losses are rough.
1-0 losses where Daniel Bard actually pitches well as a starter are worse.
1-0 losses where the only damn run is on a bases loaded walk as brutal.
1-0 losses where the tying and winning runs are on base and the final two called strikes are questionable make me grind my teeth.

I wanted to end this series at .500 and +1 in the Dodged Bullet/Teeth Grinder tally.

Does that make me greedy?
Maybe but after the first two weeks, the Sox could use some positive greed.

Let's update the tally.

DODGED BULLET GAMES -3

April 9 - 4-2 win in Toronto. (A day after blowing leads in the 9th and 11th, the Sox win their first game of the year with a 3 run 9th inning rally capped off by Ryan Sweeney's 2 out go ahead RBI single)
April 14 - 13-5 win against Tampa Bay. (Buchholz fell behind 4-0 in the first but the Sox slugged 5 homers to come from behind.)
April 15 - 6-4  win against Tampa Bay. (David Ortiz doubled twice including a tie breaker in the 6th.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES -4

April 5 - 3-2 loss in Detroit. (The Red Sox rally to tie the season opener with 2 outs in the 9th only to lose on a bases loaded walk off single by Austin Jackson.)
April 8 - 13-12 loss in Detroit. (The Red Sox bullpen surrender a 3 run game tying homer in the 9th to Cabrera and Avila smacked a 2 run, 2 out walk off come from behind homer to win it in as brutal a loss as you will ever see.
April 11 - 3-1 loss in Toronto. (Lester throws a complete game but Ricky Romero shut down Boston's bats and Rajai Davis manufactured a critical run.)
April 16 - 1-0 loss against Tampa Bay. (Daniel Bard walks in the only run of the game with 2 outs in the 7th.)

-1.

OK, onto the two time defending champion Rangers.
I wouldn't mind a winning record by the time they face the Yankees.

I can get used to THIS Red Sox team!

How did this happen?
A dead from the neck up Red Sox team came staggering into Fenway Park against the Tampa Bay Rays, the team that will probably win the AL East.

So naturally they took the first 3 games of the series and will play the Patriots Day Game to try and complete the sweep.

Of course Cody Ross subs for Jacoby Ellsbury and crushes a pair of homers.

And they have as many wins they could have lost as they have losses they could have won.

How odd is that?

Let's update the tally.

DODGED BULLET GAMES -3

April 9 - 4-2 win in Toronto. (A day after blowing leads in the 9th and 11th, the Sox win their first game of the year with a 3 run 9th inning rally capped off by Ryan Sweeney's 2 out go ahead RBI single)
April 14 - 13-5 win against Tampa Bay. (Buchholz fell behind 4-0 in the first but the Sox slugged 5 homers to come from behind.)
April 15 - 6-4  win against Tampa Bay. (David Ortiz doubled twice including a tie breaker in the 6th.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES -3

April 5 - 3-2 loss in Detroit. (The Red Sox rally to tie the season opener with 2 outs in the 9th only to lose on a bases loaded walk off single by Austin Jackson.)
April 8 - 13-12 loss in Detroit. (The Red Sox bullpen surrender a 3 run game tying homer in the 9th to Cabrera and Avila smacked a 2 run, 2 out walk off come from behind homer to win it in as brutal a loss as you will ever see.
April 11 - 3-1 loss in Toronto. (Lester throws a complete game but Ricky Romero shut down Boston's bats and Rajai Davis manufactured a critical run.)

EVEN!

Are you kidding me?

A win tomorrow and the Sox will be at .500?

How did THIS happen?

See you bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow morning.

I didn't see this coming... and neither did you

Show of hands.

When the Red Sox fell behind to the Rays 4-0 before they even came up to bat, how many of you thought "Well THIS game is over"?

Anyone who didn't have their hands up is a damn liar!

But hey. 5 homers come in handy. And for the second straight game, the Red Sox... the same bumbling Red Sox who hobbled into Fenway Park for the home opener, have at the very WORST split a series with the Rays and just needs to win one of the next two games (including the 11AM Patriots Day Game) to win the series.

And as we learned last September, these head to head games matter.

Sure the Sox are still not a playoff team at this point in my mind.

But hey! Get on a nice winning streak and who knows? It might be an interesting Spring and summer!

Let's update the tally.

DODGED BULLET GAMES -2

April 9 - 4-2 win in Toronto. (A day after blowing leads in the 9th and 11th, the Sox win their first game of the year with a 3 run 9th inning rally capped off by Ryan Sweeney's 2 out go ahead RBI single)
April 14 - 13-5 against Tampa Bay. (Buchholz fell behind 4-0 in the first but the Sox slugged 5 homers to come from behind.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES -3

April 5 - 3-2 loss in Detroit. (The Red Sox rally to tie the season opener with 2 outs in the 9th only to lose on a bases loaded walk off single by Austin Jackson.)
April 8 - 13-12 loss in Detroit. (The Red Sox bullpen surrender a 3 run game tying homer in the 9th to Cabrera and Avila smacked a 2 run, 2 out walk off come from behind homer to win it in as brutal a loss as you will ever see.
April 11 - 3-1 loss in Toronto. (Lester throws a complete game but Ricky Romero shut down Boston's bats and Rajai Davis manufactured a critical run.)

-1.

Oh and keep this in mind too... the Red Sox are only 2 games out of first place.

I'm just saying.

As of this writing, the Yankees bullpen is as bad as the Red Sox's pen

Wow.
The calendar says it is early April 2012.
But it sure looks like the end of the 2011 season!

The Red Sox lose on a walk off hit and the Yankees get stunned by a come from behind Tampa rally.

The only difference is the Yankees had already clinched on that fateful day last year and Mariano Rivera didn't pitch.

Today, the Rays roughed up both CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera.
Yeah, I know. It is early.

But guess what? If the Yankees finish one game behind the Rays and are forced to play in the one game Wild Card round, they can look back to opening day and say "Man, we could have used that game."

And... stats don't lie... both the Red Sox and Yankees bullpen coughed up a game in the 9th.

At this point, the two teams are equal.

This is actually a big game in Tampa today

I mean it. This game is very important for the Rays and Yankees in Tampa.
I am not being sarcastic or come up with some convoluted ironic rationale.

This game will mean a lot. And maybe loom like a shadow at the end of the season.

Who will win the A.L. East this year?
Barring a miracle or the Mayans being 100% correct, it won't be the Orioles.
Chances are the Blue Jays will be exciting but playing golf in October.
And if yesterday was any indication, the Red Sox bullpen will conspire to keep them from playing October ball for the third straight year.

The consensus is either the Yankees or the Rays will win the East with the other one playing for the Wild Card.

And there is the rub! Unlike those years when the Red Sox and Yankees each made the post season (1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009) there is no "Just rest the starters and sneak in with the Wild Card" option.

Chances are either the Rays or the Yankees will be playing a winner goes to the playoffs and loser goes home game at the end of the year. And the other one will be able to rest their staff at least a day before the Post Season starts.

And what is the best way to finish ahead of the other team? Beat them head to head.
This game means just as much as the six they will play against each other in September.

They will lower the Magic Number by the same amount.

Last year the Yankees and Rays met 18 times. They split those evenly, 9-9. Ten times the games were decided by 2 runs or fewer including the mind boggling, Red Sox destroying 8-7, 12th inning miracle at the Trop to end the season.

This year the Yankees have superior hitting and the Rays better pitching.
Each game could potentially go either way.

Get these wins now.

In 2005, the Red Sox and Yankees, fresh off of the '04 miracle, began the season with 3 games. The Yankees took the first 2. The Red Sox won the finale.

In the end, the Red Sox and Yankees finished the season tied. However they played 19 games head to head and the Yankees went 10-9, ergo giving them the Division Title.

What if the Red Sox took 2 of 3 instead of dropping 2 of 3 to begin the year?

I noted yesterday, the Red Sox started last year 0-6 and missed the playoffs by one game.


Yeah I know there is a lot of time to make up for lost games.
But isn't it better to bank games early than try to catch up?

It's a big game.
It may be April 6, but if the Yankees are using CC Sabathia or the Rays use David Price in a one game playoff, they might think to themselves "Man, we should have won that series in April!"

The official (and kind of crazy) Sully Baseball Predictions for 2012

With the season beginning in less than 12 hours, it is time to make some bold predictions for 2012.

And yeah, some of them might be out there.

But let me ask you this:
Last year before the season what if I said “I don’t think the Red Sox, Braves nor Giants are making the playoffs but I think the Diamondbacks did”?

You’d think I’d be bonkers.
And I’d be right. So remember that before you comment.

AL East Champion 

TAMPA BAY RAYS

Too much good pitching and lots of 2 wins out of 3 against bad teams. 

AL Central Champion 

DETROIT TIGERS 

Too much fire power and too much pitching to not repeat. 

AL West Champion 

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM 

Pujols gives the lineup a kick. They already have 2 aces. 

AL Wild Cards 

NEW YORK YANKEES 

TEXAS RANGERS 

The Yankees are no longer great but they are at least good enough to win 93. The 2 time defending AL Champs will fall just short of the Division title but sneak in with the new format. 

NL East Champion 

MIAMI MARLINS 

The Phillies health becomes an issue and the Marlins get a huge boost from the new pick ups and the return of ace Josh Johnson. 

NL Central Champion 

PITTSBURGH PIRATES 

You read that right. The Reds are overrated. The Cardinals are in a dark new territory. The Brewers take a step back. The Cubs and Astros stink. The Pirates win the Division with 83 wins. 

NL West Champion 

LOS ANGELES DODGERS 

You read that right too. The NL Cy Young winner and a potential MVP are the building blocks on a team that no longer has the McCourt cloud hanging over their heads. They had a winning season last year. This year they’ll win 90 and the West. 

NL Wild Cards 

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES 

 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS 

The Giants rebound and battle the Dodgers down the stretch. The Phillies fade in the East but hang on for a Wild Card invite. A potential Lincecum vs. Halladay one game show down? 

Post Season Predictions:

Wild Card Games 
RANGERS def. YANKEES 
PHILLIES def. GIANTS 

Division Series 
RAYS def. RANGERS 
ANGELS def. TIGERS 
PHILLIES def. DODGERS 
MARLINS def. PIRATES

League Championship Series 
ANGELS def. RAYS 
MARLINS def. PHILLIES

World Series 
MARLINS def. ANGELS 

That’s right, I’m predicting the Marlins will win their third World Series in as many decades.

 Let’s go for some individual awards:

AL MVP: EVAN LONGORIA, Rays
NL MVP: MATT KEMP, Dodgers

AL Cy Young: CC SABATHIA, Yankees
NL Cy Young: TIM LINCECUM, Giants

AL Rookie of the Year: JESUS MONTERO, Mariners
NL Rookie of the Year: DREW POMERANZ, Rockies

AL Manager of the Year: RON WASHINGTON, Rangers
NL Manager of the Year: DON MATTINGLY, Dodgers

First AL Manager Fired: JOHN FARRELL, Blue Jays
 First NL Manager Fired: BRAD MILLS, Astros

So there you have it. A Dodgers Division? The Pirates making the playoffs on the 20th anniversary of their last post season spot? No Red Sox?

Yup.

Those are my picks… and I’m sticking with them.

Call me crazy.

Rays pitchers who clinched a post season Series: From Balfour to Price

As a franchise, the Rays seem to love giving a middle finger.

The play in a dump of a stadium that is empty most of the time. They play in the same Division as the Red Sox and Yankees, ergo can't contend. And they lose their best players by way of free agency and salary dumps.

And here we are going into 2012 and chances are they are going to make the playoffs for the fourth time in five years and are LOADED with solid if not spectacular pitching depth.

The team has yet to win it all, but since changing their name 4 years ago, they have gone from laughing stock of baseball to playoff regulars.

A pair of pitchers have clinched a post season series for the Rays.
No doubt soon, a new pitcher will be added to this list.




GRANT BALFOUR
2008 American League Division Series - Game 4
Rays 6, White Sox 2

October 6, 2008
At U. S. Cellular Field, Chicago

2 innings of relief for starter Andy Sonnanstine and reliever J. P Howell.

LAST OUT: Ken Griffey Jr. strikes out


DAVID PRICE
2008 American League Championship Series - Game 7
Rays 3, Red Sox 1

October 19, 2008
At Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida

1 1/3 innings of relief to save the game for Matt Garza.

LAST OUT: Pinch hitter Jed Lowrie grounds out to second baseman Akinori Iwamura who stepped on second for the out.



As a Red Sox fan, that last one still stings.

Expect to see the Rays in the playoffs in 2012... and the franchise will continue to flip off the experts and all logic.

The Rays could deal Wade Davis... and make the playoffs AGAIN

It looks like the Tampa Bay Rays are going to trade pitcher Wade Davis.
And this should make Yankees and Red Sox fans soil themselves.

Normally it isn't wise to deal a 25 year old pitcher with playoff experience who is not eligible for free agency until 2016.

But that's what makes this brilliant.
Since the start of the 2008 season the Rays have matched the Yankees in playoff appearances, Division Titles and pennants.

They have exceeded the Red Sox in all of those counts.

And while the Yankees try to make sense of their pitching staff and aging roster and the Red Sox are looking at a team at the cross roads, the Rays could get better.

After 2010, they shed payroll, let key free agents go and picked 10 of the first 60 players chosen in the draft, including four pitchers.

They dealt Matt Garza to the Cubs and got a crap load of young players including starting outfielder Sam Fuld and Hak-Ju Lee, their shortstop of the future. They dealt Jason Bartlett to the Padres and got Brandon Gomes, Adam Russell and Cesar Ramos, all who were solid relievers for Tampa.

In other words, they know how to get value in their trades.
Right now the Rays could use a corner outfielder or a DH plus a catcher.

And what better piece of trade bait could there be than a pitcher?
A young talented pitcher with big league experience, playoff baseball under his belt and a reasonable price tag in terms of salary?

And take a look at the Tampa Bay pitching staff.
David Price is solid and is still only 25 years old.
James Shields is the Old Man River of this team at 30.
Jeremy Hellickson is 25.
Jeff Niemann is positively ancient at 29.

Relievers Gomes, Russell and Ramos are all under 30.

Jake McGee and Alex Cobb each have experience and are under 25.
And Matt Moore, the best pitching prospect in baseball, won a playoff game and will only be 23.

10 talented pitchers all 30 or under on a team that has made the playoffs 3 of the past 4 seasons?

And that DOESN'T include Wade Davis who will turn 26 next season and is signed through 2014 and under team control until 2016.

Now take a look at this off season. Which team needs pitching?
A few.
The Yankees.
The Red Sox.
The Blue Jays.
The Orioles.
The Mets.
The Nationals.
The Marlins.
The Reds.
The Brewers.
The Cardinals.
The Pirates.
The Rockies.
The Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers.
The Angels.
The A's.
The Rangers.

That's 17 teams off the top of my head who should probably be thinking about upgrading their pitching staff if they want a realistic shot at a playoff run in 2012.

Now with CC Sabathia off of the market, who is available via free agency?

C. J. Wilson? As I wrote before, he's a flop waiting to happen.

Mark Buehrle? He's probably going back to the White Sox. Besides as wonderful as Buehrle's career has been, is it wise to sign someone who is entering their mid 30s to an expensive long term contract?

Yu Darvish? Hisashi Iwakuma? Sorry. After seeing Dice-K break down, I will believe it when I see it.

Roy Oswalt? Mid 30s. On the decline. Will be expensive and cost picks. No thank you.

Hiroki Kuroda? He is talented but at age 37 is also a big risk.

Edwin Jackson? A nice #4 starter but hardly a difference maker.

Javier Vazquez? I wouldn't touch him with a cattle prod.

Eric Bedard? Joel Pineiro? Paul Maholm? Rich Harden? Jason Marquis? Sure they are all talented and all injury risks who may have their best days behind them.

Which one of those pitchers would you want over Wade Davis?
Especially at his current controlled salary?

So they could play a few teams off of each other.

So let's review:

A team with a lot of playoff experience and talent to spare and a smart front office who can make shrewd moves need to trade for a bat or 2 and have a young, inexpensive, talented, big league and playoff tested starting pitcher to trade who could be the best arm available.

If a team has a surplus of young outfielders and a young catcher it would behoove them to deal both to the Rays to improve their staff.

Meanwhile the Rays would go into 2012 with a deep rotation, nice bullpen and a new bat or two to go along with Longoria, Upton et al.

And the Yankees will throw money at the latest flavor of the month and the Red Sox will wander the woods hoping that fans still have their 2004 and 2007 DVDs.

I'll say it here and now... the Rays are going to win the 2012 AL East.