Kuzul

The Toronto Blue Jays have done a tremendous job remodeling their team into a playoff contender during the offseason.No. Make that a World Series contender.I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but the odds makers in Las Vegas have them pegged as the clear favorites.What’s even more impressive: Almost every major player they have acquired this season is set to wear a Blue Jays uniform for at least a few years, except starting pitcher Josh Johnson. Johnson will make $13.75 million this season as his four-year contract comes to an end (originally signed by the Miami Marlins).While Johnson will not be the “Ace” or opening day starter for the Blue Jays, he will play a vital role in the Jays success or failures this season. But you have to wonder if Blue Jays General Manager Alex Anthopoulos wants to dish out the money to have him as a ...

Two of the biggest sluggers in the game, Miami's Giancarlo Stanton and Toronto's Jose Bautista, give us a pretty accurate assessment of what the feelings of the players and fans in both cities are feeling after Tuesday night's blockbuster deal that saw 12 players, including Jose Reyes, change hands. Alright, I'm pissed off!!! Plain & Simple— Giancarlo Stanton (@Giancarlo818) November 13, 2012   Its a good day to be a bluejay!— Jose Bautista(@JoeyBats19) November 13, 2012 On the heels of the blockbuster, what better time to take a look back at the past decade of blockbuster deals and see how those worked out for the teams involved?I can't think of one. We'll grade the deals with the aid of retrospect, but rank them in terms of shock value.Let's get to it.Begin Slideshow

The Miami Marlins are doing the opposite of trying to sell Josh Johnson. To ask for an organization's top prospects in return for a guy who's been battling health issues is one thing, but he hasn't been the World Series champion pitcher we still try to envision him as. The asking price for Johnson is high, unreasonable and irrational for most every team in the majors. According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Marlins are asking for players comparable to Jurickson Profar and Travis d'Arnau to get the trade talks going.Josh Johnson is not worth the Texas Rangers' and Toronto Blue Jays' major league ready, No. 1 prospects—plain and simple.Unless the Marlins are willing to lower the price on JJ, there's no way any team is going to bite. The Rangers and Angels have reportedly backed out from trade talks involving Johnson because they feel the price tag is too high. But if the price comes ...

As Opening Day for Major League Baseball approaches (not counting the two-game series in Japan), every team, no matter how they look on paper, has a shot to win it all.Getting off on the right foot and winning on Opening Day, while not crucial to a team's success, can go a long way towards building momentum, especially for clubs whose expectations for the 2012 season may be on the lower side.As with any team, there is always an "X-factor" or wild card that can change the outcome of anything from one game to an entire season. These players can be anyone from a superstar returning from injury or an "off" season, to a young player trying to make a name for himself, yet somehow can find that his performance, or lack there of, will be directly related to his team's performance.Who will be the biggest X-factors this Opening Day? Who ...

Despite a victory from the Florida Marlins last night, the team received a loss off it when Josh Johnson was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of right shoulder inflammation.The injury is not related to the line drive hit off his forearm in his last start that came against the New York Mets, which happened to be delayed by a soggy infield caused by rain earlier that Tuesday. Johnson had not warmed up until the game was officially scheduled to be held; however, his velocity was down to 91 mph on his fastball.  Johnson was shut down last season because of back problems. It is a familiar place for Johnson, who missed parts of the 2007 and 2008 seasons after Tommy John surgery.Johnson led the NL with a 2.30 ERA last season and was tied with the Cardinals' Jaime Garcia with a 1.64 mark this season and his second with a 0.98 WHIP.This now ...

Trips to Miami have been less than stellar for the Washington Nationals, and through the first two of a three-game set against the Marlins, nothing has changed. The Nats blew leads on consecutive nights and were up against Florida ace Josh Johnson in the series finale. A Marlins' sweep looked about as likely as Pudge Rodriguez hitting into a double play. Somehow the Nats kept pace with the big hurler, driving up his pitch count (translation: striking out a bunch), and forcing him out of the game after 6 innings. And wouldn't you know it, the Nats pulled it out in 11 on a two-run jack by Adam LaRoche.  In any other year, the Nats lose that game in devastating fashion, and they lose about seven more in a row after. Things are different this year. Will it result in 85 wins? No. But you won't see any of those 10-game losing streaks this year, and ...

Ever feel like you're being lied to? In my first couple weeks of mock drafts, I’ve noticed some trends developing and some widely accepted beliefs that don’t entirely hold true. Some positions aren’t as weak as they appear, some are weaker. And some guys just seem to end up on my team regardless of which draft position I start out with. These are the things that might be useful notes to make as you prepare your draft-day cheat sheet.Begin Slideshow

This is it, the Florida Marlins final season. After 2011, there will be no more baseball in Sun Life Stadium, no Major League baseball in Miami Gardens, no more empty stadiums or the perception of the team being known as second class citizens on welfare.In 2011, the Florida Marlins have one last chance to win a championship before their big transformation.Begin Slideshow

There has been some significant movement in our starting pitcher rankings since we originally checked in on them.  The most glaring change was due to Zack Greinke’s trade to the Brewers, but that’s certainly not all. Let’s take a look at how things currently look: Roy Halladay – Philadelphia Phillies Felix Hernandez – Seattle Mariners Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants Jon Lester – Boston Red Sox Adam Wainwright – St. Louis Cardinals CC Sabathia – New York Yankees Cliff Lee – Philadelphia Phillies Clayton Kershaw – Los Angeles Dodgers Zack Greinke – Milwaukee Brewers Jered Weaver – Los Angeles Angels Justin Verlander – Detroit Tigers Ubaldo Jimenez – Colorado Rockies Josh Johnson – Florida Marlins Francisco Liriano – Minnesota Twins Chris Carpenter – St. Louis Cardinals Yovani Gallardo – Milwaukee Brewers Cole Hamels – Philadelphia Phillies Clay Buchholz – Boston Red Sox Mat Latos – San Diego Padres Tommy Hanson – Atlanta Braves Dan Haren – Los Angeles Angels Roy Oswalt – Philadelphia Phillies Colby Lewis – Texas Rangers David Price – Tampa ...

The Florida Marlins started the season with two potential aces on their pitching staff—Ricky Nolasco and Josh Johnson. Unfortunately, they will end the season with no aces on their roster. The Marlins shut down Nolasco in August with a knee injury, and now they have shut down their No. 1 starter in Johnson with a back injury. According to Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post, via Twitter, the Marlins have ended Johnson’s season prematurely because of a lingering back injury. Johnson was scratched from his start last Friday, and his goal was to pitch on Wednesday, but he couldn’t throw a bullpen session over the weekend, and any hopes of him returning this season went down the tubes. Johnson finishes the season with an 11-6 record, a 2.30 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and 9.1 K’s/9 in 183.1 IP. His 2.30 ERA currently leads the National League. This is really disappointing for Johnson, as ...