The AL West belonged to the Anaheim Angels once again in 2008 and this season is shaping up that way once again. However, the Halos suffered some losses this off-season while the rest of the division sought to close the gap. Here’s my take on the division for 2009.

ORDER OF FINISH
Angels – The signing of Bobby Abreu helped salvage and off-season which saw the team lose Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez to free agency. Though Torri Hunter and Vladmir Guerrero are declining, both still are productive hitters. Chone Figgins is finally at 100% after an injury-riddled ‘08 campaign. Keep your eyes on youngster Kendry Morales, who is expected to take over at first base.  Bryan Fuentes was signed to replace K-Rod as the team’s closer, but it’s the rotation that causing concern. John Lackey and Ervin Santana are both dealing with injuries and will miss the start of the season. Jarrod Washburn is dealing with a tired arm, and Kelvim Escobar likely won’t be ready for a return until mid-May.

A’s – The acquisition of Matt Holliday was huge. Jason Giambi also returns as general manager Billy Beane looks to reshape his line-up. Orlando Cabrera was added to take over at shortstop. The keys for A’s will be how quickly there young prospects develop in the rotation. Rookies Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson are going to get their shot at the age of 21. If the kids can deliver and the team is able to get Justin Duchscherer healthy sooner rather than later, the A’s will hang around and surprise some people.

Rangers – Scoring runs will not be a problem for Texas. The high-powered line-up is led by outfielder Josh Hamilton. Second baseman Ian Kinsler is one of the best players at the position in all of baseball. Youngsters Nelson Cruz and Chris Davis have a ton of upside. The pitching has been the Achilles’ heal of this team for several years and that is likely going to the case this season too. Kevin Millwood and Vincente Padilla anchor a mediocre staff. They may have to score 6+ runs per game to finish with a winning record.

Mariners – Seattle is a team searching for an identity. Their uphill battle became even more challenging when they placed their most valuable player, Ichiro Suzuki, on the disabled list to start the season. Bringing Ken Griffey Jr. back to Seattle for a curtain call is a nice story, but it is not going to give the M’s mediocre lineup much of a boost. The team invested heavily in building the rotation, but has yet to reap the rewards. They will need big efforts from Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard to have any hopes of avoiding the division cellar once again.


AWARDS
MVP – Josh Hamilton (TEX)

Cy Young Candidate – Felix Hernandez (SEA)

Biggest Bust – Ken Griffey Jr (SEA)

Biggest Breakout – Kendry Morales (ANA)

Comeback Player – Kelvim Escobar (ANA)

Rookie of Year – Trevor Cahill (OAK)

MLB 2009 mlb predictions, al west, angels, a's, rangers, mariners

Let's check out some of the latest Hot Stove rumors and moves:

BREWERS GET CLOSER (Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel)
The Brewers have agreed to terms with free agent Trevor Hoffman on a one-year, $6 million contract. The deal carries $1.5 million in incentives, but it does not carry an option for 2010. Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader, posted a 3.77 ERA last season while closing out 30 games in 34 opportunities. This is a win-win move for the veteran who could still cash in next year with a good effort and for the Brew Crew, who struggled after losing Francisco Cordero last off-season...MORE

MANNY LIKELY TO GET THREE-YEAR DEAL (SI.com)
The Giants "look like a major threat" to the Dodgers for Manny Ramirez and are "making a serious run at him." Former teammate J.T. Snow apparently raved about him. Nonetheless Heyman says the Dodgers are "probably still considered the favorite." Heyman lists the Rangers as "intrigued." He believes Ramirez will get three guaranteed years somewhere. The Giants are in excellent position to outbid the cautious Dodgers if so inclined. San Francisco has an excellent TV situation and has now paid off more than half its debt on its beautiful franchise-owned AT&T Park...MORE

RED SOX SIGN SMOLTZ, PENNY, AND BALDELLI (Boston Herald)
The Yankees may be spending the big buck, but the Red Sox are going bargain shopping in this slow baseball economy.  With the signing of outfielder Rocco Baldelli, and deals with starters Brad Penny and John Smoltz, as well as first baseman-outfielder Mark Kotsay close to being finalized, the Red Sox' offseason kicked into another gear yesterday. Considering the Yankees already entered hyperspace with three high-profile signings at the end of last year, the Red Sox’ non-splashy entry, with catching still on the docket, puts the three-way American League East battle in 2009 with the Yankees and Rays into better focus...MORE

GIAMBI RETURNS TO OAKLAND (Oakland Tribune)
Athletics signed first baseman Jason Giambi, who had been with the Yankees, to a one-year, $5.25 million contract with a club option for 2010. Giambi, who already received a $5 million buyout from the Yankees, will make $4 million this season. The option for 2010 is worth $6.5 million and includes a $1.25 million buytout.  Giambi batted .247 with 32 home runs and 96 RBI in 145 games with New York last year, reaching the 30-homer plateau for the eighth time in his career. He tied for eighth in the American League in home runs and was second in at bats per home run (14.3) and at bats per RBI (4.8)...MORE

YANKEES READY TO DEAL OUTFIELDER? (FoxSports.com)
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reports that the Yankees would prefer to trade Xavier Nady rather than Nick Swisher for three reasons, according to a rival executive. Swisher is A) under control for four years and Nady only one, B) a switch-hitter while Nady is right-handed and C) a more versatile defender, playing all three outfield positions and first base. Nady does not play center...MORE

METS ADD A STARTER (ESPN.com)
The New York Mets have agreed to a one-year, $2.2 million contract Friday with free-agent starter Tim Redding, a baseball official told 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand. He must pass a physical before the deal will be official. Redding, 30, posted a 10-11 record with a 4.95 ERA in 182 innings covering 33 starts with Washington last season. The right-hander has a career record of 34-51 in seven seasons with Houston, San Diego, the Yankees and Nationals...MORE

MLB brewers, trevor hoffman, giants, dodgers, rangers, manny ramirez, red sox, john smoltz, brad penny, rocco baldelli, a's, jason giambi, yankees, xavier nady, nick swisher, mets, tim redding

We start our off-season Hot Stove talk with a look at the week's latest headlines...

WHITE SOX DANGLIG DYE
Lance McAlister of 1530 Homer the Sports Animal discussed some trade rumors on his Tuesday involving the Reds and White Sox. McAlister's source says the White Sox initiated talks to send Jermaine Dye to the Reds for Homer Bailey and another player.  Ken Rosenthal says Dye's no-trade clause mostly covers teams in the northeast.  Perhaps the Sox can trade him to the Reds without his consent.  Ken Williams and Walt Jocketty matched up in July on the Ken Griffey Jr. trade.  It's known that Jocketty prefers trades to free agency.

ANGELS MAKING PITCH TO SABATHIA
The L.A. Times reports that the Angels have begun contract discussions with C.C. Sabathia. The authors believe the Halos could make an offer in the range of Johan Santana's six-year, $137.5MM deal. If the Angels do make such an offer, you have to imagine the Yankees will respond by upping their bid significantly. Despite the talks for Sabathia, Mark Teixeira remains the Angels' top priority.  They haven't made an offer yet, but Scott Boras seems to want ten years while the Angels are willing to do seven.

FURCAL DRAWING PLENTY OF INTEREST
Despite his durability concerns, free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal is one of the hottest names on the market. His return to the Dodgers seems unlikely and the A's appear to be the front-runners after rumors of a 4-year, $48 million offer, however their his a third "surprise team" that is believed to me in the mix.  Furcal is not only a stellar defensive option at shortstop, but when healthy he is one of the best leadoff men and baserunners in the game.  The Giants apparently are out of the running for his services. WFAN in New York reports that they have agreed to terms with Edgar Renteria on a two-year, $18 million contract. Renteria became a free agent when the Tigers declined his $12 million option for 2009 and reportedly will now replace Omar Vizquel in San Francisco. 

GRIFFEY'S AGENT SAYS ALL TALK, NO ACTION
John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports on his blog that Brian Goldberg, Ken Griffey Jr.s' agent, said he's been in contact with nine teams -- six AL teams, three NL teams. Nothing is close. Goldberg's theory is things will pick after Dec. 1. That's when club must offer arbitration to their free agents. Players have until Dec. 7 to accept. If a player refuses, a club gets compensation for him if he's A or B. The former Reds' outfielder doesn't appear set to retire.

CUBS OUT OF THE MIX FOR PEAVY
After resigning Ryan Dempster last week Cubs' manager Lou Piniella believes that the Cubs' pitching is set. When asked if the Cubs still might be pursuing starting pitching, such as the Padres' Jake Peavy or free agent Randy Johnson, even after the Ryan Dempster signing Pinellas told the Chicago Sun Times, ''No. Starting we don't need. We're set. We've got six good starters [including Sean Marshall], and they're all experienced. Getting Dempster back was the key. We're in good shape with our starting pitching. Bullpen-wise, [we're looking for] possibly one more experienced pitcher. We've got a lot of young kids out there.''

METS LOOKING TO BOLSTER BULLPEN
Mets' GM Omar Minaya today began reaching out to the agents for free-agent closers Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes, according to SI.com. The Mets are intent on landing an elite closer after their bullpen was the main culprit in their second straight September disappointment. It is believed Rodriguez is favored slightly over Fuentes, but they consider either pitcher an excellent candidate to take injured closer Billy Wagner's spot.

MLB white sox, reds, jermaine dye, homer bailey, a's, giants, dodgers, rafael furcal, ken griffey jr, angels, c.c. sabathia, cubs, lou pinella, jake peavy, randy johnson, ryan dempster

With the New York Mets climbing back into first place with a 10-game winning streak, the Philadelphia Phillies felt it was time to answer and they attempted to do so on Thursday when they completed a deal to bring right-hander Joe Blanton to town.  Blanton helps the Phillies where they need most - in the rotation.

David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News suggests that, "The acquisition likely means two things. First, Adam Eaton's tenure as a starter with the Phillies is, at least for the moment, over. Second, the organization believes Blanton, who is 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA this season after going 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA last season, can overcome some recent struggles to provide the Phillies with a solid No. 2 or No. 3 starter."

"Philadelphia was aggressive," Oakland assistant GM David Forst said. "They made it clear they needed a starting pitcher to help out and we were able to get the deal done."

The minor leaguers involved are left-hander Josh Outman, who was in Double-A, second baseman Adrian Cardenas and outfielder Matt Spencer, both players in Class A.

Blanton is only 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA this season, but the move to a weaker league and a better offensive club should help his numbers.

The Reds were talking about trading Jay Bruce or Joey Votto for Blanton during the off-season. Standing pat seems like a good move now. The Phillies, at least on paper, did come up off some top-notched prospects.

Cardenas, ranked among the game's top 100 prospects by Baseball America, was hitting .309 with six triples and 16 stolen bases for Class A Clearwater. A supplemental-round pick in 2006, he was considered to be the top position prospect in the organization, although not necessarily the most major league ready. The Phillies were willing to part with Cardenas in part because they have Chase Utley ingrained at second base, Cardenas' natural position.

Outman, meanwhile, participated in big league spring training this season and appeared to be adapting to his new role as a reliever. The 23-year-old lefty was 4-2 with a 3.22 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings of relief this season at Double A Reading.

Don't count on Blanton to make a C.C. Sabathia or Rich Harden-type impact, but the Phillies needed something and likely will continue to look for ways to bolster their rotation. 

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The Sabathia-to-Milwaukee deal made perfect sense.  The Brewers are in the playoff hunt, while the Indians are already looking toward 2009.  Sabathia was the best pitcher on the market, while Matt LaPorta is a top-notch hitting prospect.  (Not to dismiss them entirely, but the other three minor leaguers are a significant step down from LaPorta.)

It was a classic win-now vs. win-later deal, and both teams appear to have made out well.What I don't get is the Harden-to-Chicago trade.  Yes, the Cubbies are in the playoff hunt and want to upgrade their starting pitching, but the A's are also very much alive for the post-season.

Oakland sits 3.5 games out of the wild card and six back in the division, though their run differential is much better than the division-leading Angels.Sure, Rich Harden is prone to injury, but's he's pitching regularly and quite well right now.  And Chad Gaudin isn't shabby, either.  What A's GM Billy Beane received in return is nothing more than a menagerie of mediocrity.  Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton and Eric Patterson are merely adequate major leaguers.  John Donaldson is a single-A catcher hitting .217 - 'nuff said there.

Now, maybe this is Beane getting the best he can for a pitcher always one pitch away from the DL.  Maybe he sees some thing in Gallagher or Murton (an Oakland-type hitter) that others don't.  Maybe he doesn't think his squad can make another great second-half run.  But Harden isn't a free agent until after next season, so he's not a three-month rental, and you'd think a hurler with his potential could garner better quality in return than this.

Billy Beane is more often right than wrong, and this deal will take time to fully evaluate, but right now this move appears to signficantly favor the Cubs. 

MLB cubs, a's, billy beane, rich harden, sean gallagher, chad gaudin, matt murton, eric patterson

Just one day after their division rivals, the Miwaukee Brewers, traded for C.C. Sabathia, the Chicago Cubs struck a deal to acquire starter Rich Harden from the A's.

The Cubs received the right-handed Harden and righty Chad Gaudin for pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson, and minor leaguer John Donaldson, according to the Associated Press.

Harden, scheduled to be a free agent after the 2009 season, is 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA in 13 starts this season. He's scheduled to $4.75 million this season. The oft-injured righty missed a month earlier this season because of a right shoulder strain. It was his sixth trip to the disabled list in his six-year career.

Was this a reaction move by the Cubs, or was this something the team did just to steal some thunder back from the Brewers.

Harden could turn out to pitch extremely well for the Cubs and help them to postseason glory, but it wouldn't surprise anybody either if he makes 2-3 starts and suddenly starts feeling some pain.  The addition of Gaudin does also provide the team with some bullpen help, but in the end the A's got great value in the deal.

Harden has been impressive aganinst the senior circuit in his career:

Career vs. NL - 9 starts, 5-1, 1.81 ERA, and .146 opponents' BA
This Season vs. NL - 4 starts, 3-0, 0.68 ERA and  .132 opponents' BA

Fantasy Baseball, MLB cubs, a's, rich harden, chad gaudin, sean gallagher, matt murton, eric patterson, john donaldson