Kuzul

By signing Cliff Lee last fall, the Philadelphia Phillies became the National League’s favorite to win a third pennant in four seasons.

With their awesome staff, a stacked lineup and a great closer, they looked almost unbeatable. But the spring hasn’t been kind to the Phils. The injury bug has caused some concern heading into the 2011 season.

Brad Lidge is out for at least three-to-six weeks with a rotator cuff sprain, while Chase Utley, Placido Polanco and Domonic Brown have been hampered by injuries, as well.

But Philadelphia isn’t the only team to see their roster face some doubts this past week. Inside we’ll take a look at what changes have hit, those on the horizon and how that will effect the club’s outlook for 2011.

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2011 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Jose Lopez Provides Versatility and Reliability to Your Lineup

 2010 was not the best year for Jose Lopez.

He hit a pitiful .239 with 10 home runs and 58 RBI. But to his credit, it was on one of the worst offensive teams of all-time in the Seattle Mariners.

Lopez has hit as high as .297 and knocked in as many as 96 ribbies in five full seasons in the majors.

Need help in the doubles department?

He hit 41 and 42 in back-to-back seasons in ’08 and ’09.

Clearly the back of his baseball card suggests that his disastrous 2010 was simply a one-year fluke.

Profantasybaseball.com thinks the change of scenery will do wonders for Lopez:

“Seattle since traded Lopez to Colorado to make room for rookie Dustin Ackley. This couldn’t be better news for Jose Lopez, if he can win the starting job. It is likely he will battle the young Jonathan Herrera for the second base job.

If Lopez can beat him out he could be the bargain of the draft with the potential to hit .285 with 20 to 25 home runs and plenty of RBI’s and runs in the Colorado offense.”

Lopez will likely win out at second because of his big league experience. When he doesn’t play second base he will be relied upon to fill-in at third base.

Between the two positions you can expect well over 400 ABs for Lopez. Hitting in a lineup with Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki will allow him to see plenty of pitches—unlike the Mariners last year.

Combine that with the thin air and huge outfield of Coors Field and you got yourself one terrific fantasy sleeper.

For all of the latest news and notes regarding fantasy baseball, click here.

Each year, players call an end to a career in Major League Baseball for various reasons. Some become tired of the daily grind and want to focus more on family, some have simply gotten older and are unable to compete at a desired level, and some are unable to fully recover from prior injuries.

This spring, several players have already announced their retirement, including Garrett Anderson, Jim Edmonds, Ian Snell and Mike Hampton. While Anderson, Edmonds and Hampton all enjoyed varying degrees of success, and each with over 15 years of MLB experience, Snell retired at the age of 29, unable to fully realize his potential after being drafted in the 26th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We will take a look at 12 players who will likely call it a career after the end of the 2011 season, and conclude whether or not some of the players should have retired earlier, or if they could possibly continue to play at a high level going forward.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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NEW YORK YANKEES 

Last Year: 95-67, second in AL East 

Manager: Joe Girardi 

PROJECTED LINEUP 

C- Russell Martin (R)

1B- Mark Teixeira (S)

2B- Robinson Cano (L)

3B- Alex Rodriguez (R) 

SS- Derek Jeter (R)

LF- Brett Gardner (L)

CF- Curtis Granderson (L)

RF- Nick Swisher (S) 

DH- Jorge Posada (S)

The Yankees lineup still had a great year, even when many of its stars had somewhat down.

Robinson Cano had an MVP caliber year in 2010, with a .381 OBP and .531 SLG. He is a star at 28, and will continue to produce at a high level.

A-Rod and Teixiera had down years in terms of batting average, but still were productive. I think Teixiera just had an atypical off year. A-Rod has come into the spring lighter and more flexible and might improve.

Expect Teixiera to have a better year, but A-Rod might put up the same numbers unless he gets more time at DH. Jeter struggled throughout the entire year, hitting more groundballs than ever (that is saying a lot). While Jeter improved his swing, I still think his best years are still behind him.

Granderson also really improved once Kevin Long fixed his swing in August. After that, Granderson went on a tear and he was the Yankees’ most consistent hitter in the playoffs. Gardner is a valuable player who sees a ton of pitches and gets on base.

Gardner stole 47 bases last year, a number that he can improve upon in 2011. Much was made of Nick Swisher’s resurgence in 2010, however that was not entirely true.

While his batting average went up, his OBP dropped from .371 to .350. I expect him to increase that total in 2011, which is a contract year.

Posada should improve on his numbers from 2010. He should benefit from the rest at DH. Russell Martin has struggled over the last two years, and I don’t expect him to return to his All-Star days. Don’t be surprised if Jesus Montero takes the starting job from him. 

The Yankees have a strong infield defense anchored by the left side of Teixiera and Cano. The range on the right side of the infield does present a problem. Jeter isn’t the same, but A-Rod might improve with his offseason conditioning. They do make all the plays in front of them.

Bill James considered Brett Gardner the best LF in baseball, and while he doesn’t take the best routes to the ball, his speed makes up for it.

Granderson doesn’t make the best reads either, but he does have very good range. Swisher is an average to below average RF. Martin is considered an above average catcher.    

BENCH 

C- Francisco Cervelli (R) (on DL for April)

C- Gustavo Molina (R)

OF- Andruw Jones (R)

IF -Eduardo Nunez (R)

IF- Eric Chavez (L) 

STARTING ROTATION 

LHP- CC Sabathia 

RHP- AJ Burnett 

RHP- Phil Hughes 

RHP- Ivan Nova 

RHP- Freddy Garcia 

The obvious weakness of this team is the starting pitching. It has been well documented how the Yankees failed to get Cliff Lee, and in turn screwed up their entire offseason plan. The SP market was so thin that Cashman even contacted Carl Pavano.

Sabathia is a horse, but has changed the way he has pitched over the last few years. Sabathia does not strike out as many hitters before his big contract. Sabathia has become a groundball inducing machine. Many have feared this trend, but Sabathia does not have many hard hit balls in play. I expect him to continue this success.  

The  key to the Yankees’ season is AJ Burnett. From what has been insinuated by Brian Cashman, Burnett was dealing with some off the field issues last year. That may have led to his disastrous season, but the fact remains that Burnett has always been a question mark.

Burnett’s season was not as bad as one might think. His control improved from 4.2 BB/9 to 3.76, and his XFIP was only 4.66 compared to his ERA of 5.26. Burnett may have just had an unlucky year.

Burnett lost his curveball last year, and never was able to record the amount of stirkeouts he was accustomed to and led to more balls put in play that were hits.

My guess is Burnett returns to the regular up-and-down pitcher he has always been, and not the disaster he was in 2010. After Burnett, the Yankees have some real question marks. 

Phil Hughes had a very good first half in 2010 and struggled after the All-Star break. Expect Hughes to have a better overall season. Hughes looked tired in the second half, and did not have as many swing and misses on his fastball.

After July, the only time I ever saw that fastball have life like in the first half was against the Twins in the ALDS.

Ivan Nova will slot behind Hughes. He features a 92-95 moving fastball, new slider, good curve, and decent changeup. He doesn’t have strikeout stuff, but he should average six every nine innings, and post an ERA around 4.30.   

Freddy Garcia is the favorite to win the No. 5 spot. Garcia has only made 51 starts over the last four years, and he is essentially a junkballer now. He only throws his fastball 30 percent of the time, and it is usually hit hard. If Garcia struggles, expect Colon to get the first shot at his spot in the rotation. 

BULLPEN

RHP- Mariano Rivera (Closer) 

RHP- Rafael Soriano 

LHP- Boone Logan 

LHP- Pedro Feliciano (Will start season on DL)  

RHP- David Robertson

RHP- Joba Chamberlain 

RHP- Bartolo Colon

RHP- Luis Ayala or LHP- Steve Garrison 

When healthy, the Yankees might have the best bullpen in baseball, and it will need to be. Mariano still hasn’t slowed down in his 40s, and Rafael Soriano might have been the best closer in baseball last year.

Both of their strikeout rates have decreased last season, but Rivera sometimes has random years where he does not record as many strikeouts.

Soriano developed a cutter last season to mix in with his 93 mph fastball and good slider. They have balance from both sides with Joba and Robertson on the right, and Feliciano and Logan on the left.

Logan learned to harness his control and became an effective setup man against left-handed hitters. Girardi loves to mix and match, and this bullpen will be perfect for his excessive managing.

Much has been made of Joba’s “poor” 2010, but that was overblown by the press. His ERA was inflated to a few very poor outings. His K/BB ratio was still an impressive 3.5, and his XFIP was 3.30.

Joba started throwing in the mid 90’s again, and his slider still had very good break down and away from a right-handed batter. Robertson will strike out more than a hitter per inning with his low 90’s fastball and very good 12-6 curveball. 

Colon will be a swingman who could give some innings if a starter does not go deep in a game. Ayala and Garrison will fill a roster spot until Feliciano comes back from the DL.  

NOTABLE NON-ROSTER INVITEES 

RHP- Freddy Garcia

RHP- Bartolo Colon

RHP- Mark Prior 

RHP- Luis Ayala 

C- Gustavo Molina (R)

IF- Ronnie Belliard (R)

IF- Eric Chavez (L)  

BREAKOUT PLAYER – Jesus Montero 

Here is the Yankees catching situation: Russell Martin is coming off of knee surgery, Posada has been relegated to DH duties, and Francisco Cervelli just isn’t very good. The other two Yankee catching prospects, Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez, aren’t ready yet.

I see Cervelli struggling again, and Montero having a hot start to begin the season in AAA. I expect Montero to be with the club in June.

There is no question Montero can hit, but the jury is still out on whether he can handle a pitching staff. No matter the question mark, there is no way he could have been as bad as Posada was last year. 

PROSPECT TO WATCH – RHP Andrew Brackman 

Banuelos got much of the attention this spring but I think Andrew Brackman may help this team some time this year. Brackman was the Yankees’ first round pick in 2007. He missed 2008 with Tommy John surgery, struggled with his command in 2009, and bounced back in 2010.

Many have said he looked great in camp. Let’s see what happens in the minors, and if he performs well, there might be a job for him. 

PROJECTED FINISH: Second in AL East 

The Yankees just don’t have the starting pitching to take the division from the Red Sox. Cashman will be on the phone this summer trying to acquire another starter, and the Yankees have the prospects to acquire a big time pitcher.

I just don’t know if one will be out there. If the Cardinals fall out of the race early, I could see Chris Carpenter becoming available.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The whole beauty about Opening Day is not just about the fact that baseball season has begun once again but that there are so many new story lines just waiting to be shown. Each and every team—even the Pirates and Royals—have something about them that is so intriguing.

The definition of intrigue is to “arouse the curiosity or interest of; fascinate,” meaning that there is something that makes one curious.

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One of my colleagues, Nicholas Pugliese, recently wrote a piece on his thoughts about who will claim the final spot in the Mets bullpen.

As he said, Francisco Rodriguez, Bobby Parnell, Taylor Buchholz, D.J. Carrasco, Tim Byrdak and Pedro Beato have all earned spots.

However, a three-headed race has emerged for the final spot between Jason Isringhausen, Blaine Boyer and Manny Acosta.

Each reliever has several pros and cons and different contractual status that will make this a tough decision for Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins.

Here are those pros and cons and my prediction on who will secure the spot.

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It appears we have a new twist in the race for the final spot in the New York Mets bullpen.

After speculation for the past few weeks about who will get the coveted 25th spot on the Mets roster between right-handers Blaine Boyer and Jason Isringhausen, the Mets are reportedly pulling out all the stops in an attempt to keep both of them.

According to David Waldstein of the New York Times, the Mets have asked Jason Isringhausen to remain in Port St. Lucie for extended spring training for a week or two in order to build more arm strength.

Isringhausen has not pitched more than 43 innings in a season since 2007, and the Mets want reassurance that his arm will be durable enough to last a full season if they bring him north.

Isringhausen had reportedly been against the idea of staying back in extended spring training but is considering the possibility. Although he was signed to a minor-league deal after a tryout, he will either retire or ask for his release if the Mets attempt to send him to Triple-A Buffalo.

The 38-year-old righty has been one of the best stories in camp, as he attempts to make a comeback from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

If Izzy accepts the Mets idea to stay back for a week or so, that means the Mets will be able to carry an extra pitcher on their active roster when they break camp and begin the regular season on April 1st.

That could very well mean that Blaine Boyer is safe, and the Mets will delay their decision on who to keep for at least another week, hoping the surplus sorts itself out.

However, this story has one more M. Night Shyamalan twist. 

Sources also say that the Mets have had internal discussions about asking Boyer to accept a minor-league assignment so they can stash him in the minors and open up a roster spot for Manny Acosta.

The Mets have not yet formally asked Boyer to do this, but it would be a bold move. Boyer has pitched lights out all spring, but can opt out of his contract on Thursday and become a free agent.

If the Mets want to keep Boyer, they either have to give him the final bullpen spot or take a big risk and call Boyer’s bluff that he won’t opt out and try to latch on with another team after Opening Day.

Personally, I think it would be somewhat of a heist if the Mets are able to stash Boyer in the minor leagues and keep him waiting in the wings as depth. He’s pitched like a major league reliever, and I don’t think it’s far-fetched that he could find another team immediately.

Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog thinks that the Mets might be justified in asking Boyer to stick around:

“As for Boyer, let’s be honest, he can leave, but where is he going? At this point, after weeks of camp, most teams likely have their rosters set, or at least have a plan and people in place. So, if he leaves, he’s likely walking in to the exact same situation he’s in now. At least here, with the Mets, he knows they are fans of his, and know what he’s about.”

I’ll say this: There’s no harm in asking. I’d expect the Mets to speak with Boyer as early as Tuesday morning to discuss their plans with him.

If Boyer accepts a minor-league assignment, that would allow the Mets to hold onto right-hander Manny Acosta, who is out of options and would be exposed to waivers if he does not make the team.

I have contended all spring that Acosta would likely not make the team, and the Mets evidently do not think he’ll clear waivers—otherwise, they would have placed him on waivers earlier today with Nick Evans, Luis Hernandez and Pat Misch.

If Boyer does accept a minor-league assignment and Isringhausen stays behind in extended spring training, that would allow the Mets to keep all three of them, at least for another week, as Isringhausen fine-tunes his game.

The Mets clearly like Izzy, as he would bring experience and leadership to the table. The former two-time All-Star closer has looked reborn this spring, even touching 92 mph in his last outing.

Buckle your seatbelts Mets fans—this is about to get crazy. Or at least, as crazy as a battle for the final bullpen spot on a major league baseball team could get.

You can read more Mets news, notes and analysis on TheSheaFaithful.com, and you can follow me on Twitter @metsjetsnets88.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Wondering who the next great MLB star will be? Well navigating through such as question is not just par-for-the-course, but also a very debatable topic that pretty much leaves an open door for several mentions, for several reasons.

I have comprised a list of who I think will be the next set of MLB superstars, and I tried to mix in both players who have begun carving their name into the history books (players with no more than five years of service prior to this season), as well as, players just about to begin making their mark (rookies).

So let’s take a look at who I chose, and be sure to leave your nomination below.

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Last Year: 81-81, Third in AL Central 

Manager: Jim Leyland 

PROJECTED LINEUP 

C- Alex Avila (L)

1B- Miguel Cabrera (R)

2B- Will Rhymes (L)

3B- Brandon Inge (R)

SS- Jhonny Peralta (R)

LF- Ryan Rayburn (R)

CF- Austin Jackson (R)

RF- Magglio Ordonez (R)

DH- Victor Martinez (S)

2B- Carlos Guillen (S) (start season on DL)

The Tigers upgraded their offense with the addition of Victor Martinez. Martinez allows the Tigers to have a full time DH versus lefties and allows the DH to be a spot for starters to get regular rest against righties.

Martinez gives the Tigers a little more balance in the lineup and power from the left side of the plate. This move allows Alex Avila to catch versus left-handed starters where he has some power. Avila has also shown great plate discipline, an asset the Tigers need.

There isn’t much to say about Miguel Cabrera. He is one of the best hitters in the game. Expected stat line: .320/.400/.570 with more than 35 home runs.

Carlos Guillen is expected to play at 2B when he returns from the DL. Guillen will provide some power and decent run production from both sides of the plate. The question remains whether or not he will stay healthy. Will Rhymes will play 2B until he is ready. 

The left side of the infield will provide decent production from the lower half of the lineup. Peralta will provide solid production from the shortstop position. He should hit in the range of .260/.320/.410 with 15-20 home runs.

Brandon Inge is very inconsistent at the plate. He will provide 15-20 home runs, but he strikes out way too often to be counted on as consistent.

Ryan Raburn will start the season as the primary LF, but if he struggles, Brennan Boesch could supplant him. Boesch really struggled during the second half of 2010, and the versatile Raburn eventually took over the starting job.

Austin Jackson had a nice rookie  season, but he had too many strikeouts for a leadoff hitter. If he wants to justify the strikeout, he will need to hit for more power.

Magglio Ordonez doesn’t have the power he once did, but he gets on base and hits for a high average.  

The Tigers will make some errors, but the team does possess above average range in the field. Austin Jackson is the best defensive player on the team, and he needs to cover a lot of ground playing CF in Comerica Park.

While Ordonez had struggled in RF before 2010, he had a nice season last year. He didn’t play there everyday, and I think that will be a good formula for him in 2011.

Raburn is average in the OF, but he is slightly above average at LF. Miguel Cabrera is one of the weakest defensive players on Detroit’s lineup. He will get his opportunity to DH, but Martinez isn’t very good at 1B either.

Martinez is also one of the worst defensive catchers in baseball, but he will only be behind the plate when the Tigers are facing a left-handed pitcher.

Guillen does not have much range at 2B, so the right side of the infield will be compromised. The left side is stronger.

Brandon Inge is one of the better third basemen in baseball, and Peralta is average as SS. (I never understood why Peralta was moved from SS in Cleveland. He always had a better UZR there than Asdrubal Cabrera.) Avila is a sold receiver behind the plate. 

BENCH

OF- Brennan Boesch (L)

IF- Ramon Santiago (S)

IF/OF- Don Kelly (L)

OF- Casper Wells (R)

STARTING ROTATION

RHP- Justin Verlander 

RHP- Max Scherzer 

RHP- Rick Porcello

RHP- Brad Penny 

LHP- Phil Coke 

The starting rotation is the key to the Tigers’ success this season. In particular whether or not the bottom half of the rotation can be consistent enough for the Tigers to win.

Justin Verlander leads the Tigers’ staff, and he is still one of the best in baseball. Verlander throws hard (95.4 MPH) with three other above average pitches (change, curve and slider). Watch out for another consistent year from Verlander.

Max Scherzer did not pitch well to begin the season last year, but he was absolutely dominant by the end of the season. Scherzer doesn’t throw as hard as Verlander (93.1), but I think he will put up very similar numbers this season.

While Scherzer lost some velocity last year, he made up for it my mixing in more of his slider and change-up with great success. Verlander and Scherezer should make for a great 1-2 punch. 

Rick Porcello might be the most important player on this Tigers team. There is this perception among the national media (I’m looking at you, Karl Ravech) that Porcello is this “young gun” who blows people away with a 98 MPH fastball. That couldn’t be further from the case. 

Porcello is a sinkerballer who relies on fielders. In his first two seasons, he averaged under five K/9. At first glance, it seems like Porcello really took a step back in his sophomore season.

By looking at advanced stats, both years were surprisingly similar. Porcello was lucky in 2009 and extremely unlucky in 2010 in terms of BABIP and runners left on base. By averages, I expect him to be somewhere in the middle this year.

I did notice that he threw more sliders in 2010 and not as many fastballs. That may have led to an increase in fly balls. Porcello should get back to his sinking fastball, because the increase in sliders did not get his K rate up. A good year from Porcello could take pressure off of injury prone Penny and unproven Coke. 

Brad Penny will fill in the No. 4 spot in the rotation. Penny only made nine starts last year due to injury, but it seemed like he converted to the Dave Duncan style of pitching while in St. Louis.

Penny has never been a strikeout pitcher, and he seems to have embraced that the last few years in the number of groundouts he has recorded, which has increased with the use of his new splitter.

He did struggle in his only stint in the AL when he was with Boston, so I am skeptical of him pitching that well in 2011. He should be helped by a big ballpark.

Coke will be the fifth starter after being in the bullpen for the last two years with the Yankees and Tigers. I don’t think he will succeed like CJ Wilson last year, because he does not have the vast repertoire of pitches that Wilson has.

He never was a top prospect as a starter in the Yankee system, and he made the majors by getting a jump in velocity when he made the switch to bullpen. I might be wrong, but I think he will end up in the bullpen by year’s end. 

BULLPEN

RHP- Jose Valverde (Closer)

RHP- Joaquin Benoit

RHP- Ryan Perry

LHP- Daniel Schlereth 

LHP- Brad Thomas 

RHP- Joel Zumaya (will start season on DL)

RHP- Brayan Villareal 

RHP- Enrique Gonzalez 

The bullpen is anchored by closer Jose Valverde and newly signed Joaquin Benoit. Benoit was signed to a steep contract due to the fact Valverde is a free agent next year, and I think he will eventually assume the closer’s role. For now, however, Valverde is closing and should put up another solid season.

I am interested to see if Valverde’s velocity dips after using his splitter more than 50 percent of the time last year (fastball velocity in 2010 was 95.2MPH). Benoit came back from surgery last year throwing harder than ever.

If his velocity stays the same, he should pitch at the same level in 2011 (94.1 MPH). He has a good slider and a devastating change that makes him tough to hit from both sides of the plate. 

Ryan Perry is another solid right-handed option out of the pen. He throws harder than Benoit, but his secondary pitches aren’t as strong and neither is his control. Daniel Schlereth and Brad Thomas come from the left side.

Schlereth will get a lot of strikeouts, but he will walk a fair share too. Thomas is more of a long reliever, but he will get some lefties out. He has a terrible K/BB ratio and his ERA was a fluke in 2010.

Joel Zumaya will pitch well if healthy, but we may never see that.  He throws harder than anyone else in baseball, but that might be why he is injured so often. I don’t know much about Villareal, but he would strikeout a hitter per inning when he would start in the minors.

Gonzalez is a journey man reliever who should be the long man/mop-up reliever. 

NOTABLE NON ROSTER INVITEES

LHP- John Bale 

RHP- Enrique Gonzalez 

LHP- Fu-Te Ni

C- Omir Santos 

KEY PLAYER– Rick Porcello 

PROSPECT TO WATCH- LHP Andy Oliver 

Oliver was called up from AA last year, and he struggled in his five starts with the big club in 2010. He will start this season in AAA, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes it back to the majors some times this season.

If Coke struggles in the rotation, Oliver would be the one to take his spot. Oliver throws a fastball from 92-94 with a good slider and changeup. He needs better control to succeed at major league level, but he will get better in his second season of pro ball. 

PROJECTED FINISH– Third in AL Central

The Tigers have a good team, but I just don’t know whether it is enough to pass both the White Sox and the Twins. The back end of the starting rotation is questionable, and I don’t think the lineup has enough around Martinez and Cabrera.

Everyone in the lineup besides Ordonez strike out way too much. I could be wrong, but I see them finishing right behind the Twins. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s hard to believe, but the regular season is less than a week away. Teams in both the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues are preparing to pack up and head home for a long season.

While the mainstays of each team’s roster spend the spring honing their skills and preparing for the season, many rookies look at camp as their opportunity to prove that they belong at the Major League level.

Cuts are inevitably made and players oftentimes spend weeks or months preparing for that potential call-up. Many rookies could get the call, but there is usually one or two in each organization that stands out above the rest.

Here are some players from all teams poised to make an impact throughout the 2011 season.

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