With Super Bowl XLVI in the books, it's time to put the full focus on baseball season. My father used to say, the best part of the Super Bowl, is it's 6 weeks til pitchers and catchers report! Things have changed a little big with the Super Bowl being played later and later, we sit ONLY 12-14 days away for most teams to report for spring training. Even better, only 6 days if you're a Mariners fan! I've been in full baseball mode, but for those of you that are just coming back to America's pastime. Here's what you need to know as the hot stove starts to cool down.
The Big Victors
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Well to start off for the Angels, they signed this guy.
Albert Pujols is at the tail end of his prime at 32 years old, but he is still one of the premier players in the game. A 10-year deal is long, but almost guarantees that The Machine will end his career with the Halos, the marketing from Pujols hitting his 500th, 600th, 700th and making a run at Barry Bonds' (or Alex Rodriguez's) home run record, factors into this deal as well. What this move did though is make a gluttony of power hitting first baseman on the Angels roster. Pujols, plus 2011 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Mark Trumbo, and a hopefully returning Kendrys Morales gives them three players with 30-35 home run potential for two spots is intriguing. Will Trumbo transition to third base or outfield? Can Morales only DH? Does this designate Bobby Abreu to a role as a bench player? Will future star Mike Trout have to start the season in the minors? Is there another move to be made? All of these questions need to be sorted out during spring training, but I believe the way the Angels will go is to give Morales a chance to prove he's healthy and deal him for whatever help they need at the trade deadline. While Trout, is the odd man out....for now.
With the huge splash of signing Pujols, the big splash of getting the best starting pitcher on the free agent market almost seemed like an afterthought but it shouldn't. Wilson has transitioned magnificently from being a closer into an All-Star starting pitcher. Wilson has become an innings eater, with 200+ innings the past two seasons. When coupled along with Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana will take a ton of pressure off the Angels weak spot, the bullpen. The signing gives the Angels FOUR starters with finished in the top 30 of ERA in 2011. Even better, all of those starters went at least 228 innings in 2011. No other American League team can make that claim. This is now the best starting rotation in the AL on paper.
Other signings for the Angels include LaTroy Hawkins who will help as a righty out of the bullpen.
Miami Marlins
New name, new uniforms, new stadium, new manager and new players. The Marlins made themselves heard early and often. The biggest fish they reeled in was shortstop Jose Reyes from, the division rival Mets, with a six-year, 106-million dollar deal. Reyes gives them a dynamic player at the top of the lineup who with a healthy Hanley Ramirez and Emilio Bonifacio gives Miami the fastest 1-2-3 at the top of the lineup in the majors. If any of those three can reach base in the 1st inning, it might become a double with a stolen base and sets the table for superstar in-the-making Mike Stanton. I expect the Marlins to be among the league leaders in 1st inning runs in 2012. The more I look at the top of the Marlins lineup the more scared I get as a Braves fan.
That's not the only move the Marlins made though as they splurged on two pitchers in Heath Bell and Mark Buerhle. With the confusion of Leo Nunez/Juan Carlos Oviedo's identity situation, Miami locked down one of the best closers in the game. If Oviedo is still on the team he can return to a setup role with less pressure. Buerhle left Chicago after 12 seasons with the White Sox and will finally be adding some color to his uniform (a lot of it), but the most important move is going to the National League where he could have a sub 3.50 ERA. For my fantasy baseball friends, Buerhle is one of those unsexy, late round picks who by midseason you think to yourself wow he's doing it again. Lastly, how many starting pitching free agents have had 11 straight years of 200+ innings? Exactly.
The big unknown, the culture shock in the clubhouse from going from 80 year-old Jack McKeon to lightning rod Ozzie Guillen. I'm not sure exactly what's going to happen in Miami this season, they might need a season to mesh, but I know for sure it's going to be entertaining. For those of you looking for a solid MLB jersey investment, 22 year-old Mike Stanton with the new Marlins jersey, has to be in the top 5.
Other pickups include trading for Carlos Zambrano from the Cubs who desperately needed a change of scenery and Wade LeBlanc from the Padres. Those two will more than likely battle for the 5th rotation spot coming out of spring training, the loser being rotation insurance.
Other victors:
Detroit Tigers: Barely, Detroit signed Prince Fielder to a huge deal, but lost Victor Martinez to a torn ACL. Octavio Dotel is a nice bullpen piece. The biggest winners though from the Tigers dealings? Fantasy baseball keeper/dynasty league players with Miguel Cabrera and his 3B eligibility he'll gain early this season. I know I'm giddy about that.
Texas Rangers: Lost CJ Wilson, but if Yu Darvish is for real, they may have upgraded. Also a risk in Joe Nathan as the closer, but allows Texas to move Neftali Feliz to the rotation.
Washington Nationals: Didn't do anything too flashy, but trading for Gio Gonzalez and signing Edwin Jackson, gives the Nationals a quietly good rotation. Plus, Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman have another offseason to get fully healthy.
Toronto Blue Jays: No moves really made big headlines. However, Alex Anthopoulos completely rebuilt the Jays bullpen that was pretty bad with Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch. They gave up a good prospect for Sergio Santos to be the closer, with Francisco Cordero and Darren Oliver in the mix, plus Casey Janssen and Jason Frasor still there. One of the Toronto's biggest weaknesses in 2011 could now be a strength.
That's who I have as the biggest winners this offseason. Coming up soon will be the victims who got burned by the hot stove.
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