2011 Rewind: When September started last season the Red Sox led the AL East and owned MLB’s best record. By month’s end they experienced the greatest collapse in baseball history. It resulted in the end of general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona’s reign in Boston.

The Good: Second basemen Dustin Pedroia is as good as it gets at second base. Not only is he the leader of the team, but he is a Gold Glove defender and is coming off a season in which he posted career highs in both HR (21) and RBI (91).  First basemen Adrian Gonzalez nearly won the AL batting title in his first season in Boston and centerfielder Jacboy Ellsbury is a 30/30 type of player who led MLB with 364 total bases in 2011.

The Bad: Injuries have taken their toll on the Red Sox, including third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who hasn’t topped the 135-game mark in any of the last three seasons. The team’s starting rotation has major questions after top-end arms Jon Lester and Josh Beckett. Carl Crawford was a huge disappointment after signing a $142 million contract prior to last season.

Biggest Loss: Closer Jonathan Pabelbon left for Philadelphia via free agency. Despite only saving 31 games (18th in MLB) last year, his strikeout-to-walk rate was amongst the best in his career.  Longtime captain, catcher Jason Varitek, called it quits after 15 seasons with the Red Sox.

Best Addition: After losing out on Pabelbon, Boston struck a deal for two-time All-Star closer Andrew Bailey. He has had success against AL East foes with a 2.18 ERA and 25 saves in 45 appearances. 

Fantasy Slant: David Ortiz is supposed to be slowing down at 36, but he’s still putting up some monster numbers at DH as he finished last year with 28 HR and a .964 OPS on his way to his fifth Silver Slugger award.  That warrants him serious consideration in the early rounds of a draft despite only being eligible at DH.  Free agent addition Cody Ross is expected to be the everyday right fielder and should provide nice depth for owners that take a stab at him late.

Final Take: The AL East is competitive of a division as there is and the Red Sox certainly are going to hand their hands full getting out of it. Scoring runs won’t be a problem. However, questions will have to be answered at the backend of the rotation and in the team’s middle relief if Boston is going to make a run at a pennant...2012 PREDICTION - 90-62 3rd Place AL East (AL Wildcard)

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2011 Rewind: The Tigers cruised to an AL Central title by winning 95 games a year ago, 15 more victories the division’s next best team.  Only three teams in baseball scored more runs than the Tigers’ high-powered offense and the club’s starting rotation was loaded at the top, but overall the team 4.04 ERA left the ranked in the middle of the pack in the American League. Detroit got eliminated in the ALCS by the Rangers.

The Good:  Ace Justin Verlander was the AL’s pitching Triple Crown winner and became the first starting pitcher since 1986 to win MVP as he went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA adding a no-hitter to boot. First basemen Miguel Cabrera laid claim to AL Batting Title by hitting a career-high .344 to go along with 30 HR and 105 RBI while appearing in 161 games for the Tigers. He remains as one of baseball’s elite hitters heading into 2012.  Catcher Alex Avila enjoyed a career season as he hit .295 with 19 HR and 82 RBI. Expecting similar numbers from this season may prove overly optimistic, but in this stout lineup he will get opportunities to succeed.

The Bad: Centerfielder Austin Jackson took a step back offensively in 2011, finishing with a .249 BA in his sophomore campaign.  He needs to cut down on the 181 strikeouts he had a year ago and not hit as many fly balls if he’s going to turn things around.  Brandon Inge lost his starting spot this offseason after the worst season of his career. The veteran hit just .197 and managed just a career low 3 HR and 23 RBI in 262 plate appearances. The team defense is terrible and did nothing to improve over the offseason.  That could translate into Tigers’ starters needing to get extra outs on a regular basis.

Biggest Loss: The biggest blow to the team this winter was the news of a season-ending knee injury to Victor Martinez. The DH/catcher hit .330 a year ago while driving in 103 runs batting in the heart of the order.  Veterans Maggilo Ordonez, Carlos Guillen and Brad Penny were not retained. 

Best Addition: The team made a big splash when they broke the bank to sign free agent first baseman Prince Fielder, easing the blow to the lineup left by the departure of Martinez. Fielder returns to his old stomping grounds in Motown after signing a $214 million, nine-year contract. Over the past six years the slugger has averaged 37 long balls per season while boasting a career 282/.390/.540 hitting line. To make room for Fielder at first base

Fantasy Slant: Left fielder Brennan Boesch is a trendy breakout pick for many fantasy websites this preseason and rightfully so. With a full-time job and good health on his side look for him to get 100+ more at bats this season. The 26-year old hit .283 with 16 HR and 54 RBI in just 428 at bats during a breakout sophomore campaign. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta enjoyed one of his best seasons of his career with a .299 BA, 21 HR, and 86-RBI performance.  Normally a good value option with multiple position capability, Peralta won’t come as cheap as he used to.  Closer Jose Valverde has top 10 potential. Starters Max Scherzer, Doug Fister, and Rick Porcello all possess upside and provide good mid-to-late round value.

Final Take: Just like last season, the Tigers will be the class of the AL Central. They will be hard-pressed to match last year’s 95-game win total, but winning the division by double-digit games could be within reach if they live up to their full potential.  If their pitching holds up the Tigers will be legitimate pennant contenders…2012 PREDICTION: 93-69 – 1st Place AL Central

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2011 Rewind: The Cardinals rallied from a 10.5 game deficit in the NL Wildcard race on August 24. However after finishing with a 23-9 record down the stretch St. Louis was able to overcome a struggling Braves team that went 9-18 in September to squeak into the playoffs. Once there, the Cardinals made the most of their post-season opportunity by winning series against the Phillies, Brewers and Rangers to lay claim to a World Championship.

The Good:  St. Louis got sensational production of Jaime Garica, Kyle Lohse, and Kyle McClellan in the middle of the rotation. The trio combined to win 39 games and were three of the team’s six starting to pitchers to post double-digit win totals.  One of the better acquisitions of last offseason proved to be the Cardinals free agent signing of Lance Berkman. During his first season in St. Louis Berkman batted with .301 with 31 HR and 94 RBI as he provided the team great production in the middle of the order. Catcher Yadier Molina hit a career-best .305 while posting career highs in HR (14), RBI (65), and runs (55) while being an invaluable leader for the team’s young pitching staff.

The Bad: Injuries hampered the Cardinals all season and none was bigger than the loss of Adam Wainwright, who was a 20-game winner in 2010, to Tommy John surgery for the entire season.  Third basemen David Freese (97 GP) and Matt Holliday (124 GP) also lost significant time to the injury bug. Early in the season the bullpen was atrocious, eventually causing the team to cut ties with closer Ryan Franklin. Eventually Jason Motte and Fernando Salas solidified the position, but the duo did combine to blow 10 saves.

Biggest Loss: No loss will be harder felt than Albert Pujols departure from St. Louis via free agency.  While a slow start and an injury of his own produced one of his worst offensive seasons, the impact of his loss from the middle of the order is significant. The retirement of manager Tony LaRussa along with the absence of pitching coach Dave Duncan is also going to have an impact, especially with the team’s rotation.

Best Addition: To help make up for the loss of Pujols in the order the team signed free agent Carlos Beltran. He will move into right field in St. Louis with Berkman sliding into first base.  Beltran showed late in 2011 that he was finally getting back to 100 percent following a major knee surgery a year earlier. He’s slated to hit ahead of Holliday and Berkman in the Cardinals’ order at the No. 2 spot. That should lead to him getting so good pitches to hit and solid numbers. A .270-20-65 batting line is a fair projection.

Fantasy Slant: Veterans Chris Carpenter and Rafael Furcal could both provide some great mid-round value. Carpenter’s regular-season performance was mediocre, but he was up to his old tricks during his post-season dominance.  His 273-inning workload a year ago is a concern, but for the money he’s a solid fantasy option. Injuries have hampered Furcal over the years and he’s one the tail-end of his career. Still, hitting atop of a lineup with the potency the Cardinals’ possess makes him an intriguing low-end starting option at shortstop.

Final Take: Don’t write off the Cardinals just yet. The off-season departures are well noted, but the rotation is still rock solid and the lineup is still in the upper echelon within the National League. The Reds have improved, but the Brewers have suffered their fair share of losses this off-season too. Expect St. Louis to approach the 85-to-90 win range be a contender in the NL Central.  The addition of a second Wild Card spot would only enhance the team’s post-season outlook...2012 PREDICTION: 87-75 (2nd place NL Central; NL Wild Card team)

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2010 Rewind: The Blue Jays led the majors with 257 homeruns, but finished with ninth in the A.L. in ERA leading to the team to fourth-place finish in the division despite finishing 85¬-77.  Legendary manager Cito Gaston retired after the season leaving John Farrell to take over the rebuilding franchise.

The Good: Jose Bautista hit a club-record 54 homers a year ago, becoming the first player to hit more than 50 since 2007. Youngsters Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow and Jesse Litsch all showed promise in 2010 and enter this campaign with upside. Romero went 14-9 during his second full season, posting a 3.73 ERA and striking out 174 batters over a team-high 210.0 innings.

The Bad: Second basemen Aaron Hill didn’t come close to matching his impressive 2009 totals. He did hit 26 homers, but only drove in 68 runs while hitting just .205.  Teammate Adam Lind also saw a big drop off in numbers a year ago as his batting average dipped from .305 to .237 and his power numbers fell.

Biggest Loss: The team dealt longtime outfielder Vernon Wells and opted not to resign first baseman Lyle Overbay. Last year’s opening day starter, Shaun Marcum, found a new home in Milwaukee and veteran catcher John Buck and outfielder Fred Lewis have moved on.

Best Addition: Toronto solidified its bullpen by adding former Rangers’ closer Frank Francisco, who will miss the first couple weeks of the season due to a pectoral injury, and veteran Octavio Dotel. Juan Rivera and Rajai Davis are newcomers in the Blue Jays' outfield. Jon Rauch and Carlos Villanueva both should help add depth to the team’s pitching staff.

Fantasy Slant:  Bautista offers an immense source of power at one fantasy’s thinnest positions, but be aware of his strikeout totals they factor into your league’s scoring. Hill and Lind could be nice bounce-back candidates, but temper your expectations. With the injury hanging over his head, Francisco should come at a nice value. Shortstop Yunel Escobar is a nice sleeper candidate. He hit .275 in 60 games after being dealt from Atlanta last season and showed solid promise as a Brave before getting into Bobby Cox’s dog house.

Final Take: The Blue Jays have some decent talent and are fairly balanced. If they were in any other division they might be a factor. However, the AL East is stacked again and that means so too are the cards against Toronto…2011 Final Record: 81-81, fourth place AL East.

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2010 Rewind: It was another typical season for the Nationals in 2010. Since moving to the nation’s capitol in 2005 the former Expos club has finished in last place all but once – they were in fourth in 2007. The team played winning baseball in April and was at .500 at the end of May before the real losing began. They hit the cellar on June 11 and never got out of it. But, the Nationals 69 wins was 10 more than each of the last two seasons and they are optimistic about the future.

The Good: Ryan Zimmerman won his second straight Silver Slugger award with 25 HR, 85 RBI and a .307 batting average. While those power numbers are down from the previous season, it was the first time he finished over .300 in a full season. There are a lot of great third baseman in the game today and Zimmerman is near the top of the list. On the mound, Livan Hernandez had a good year posting his best ERA (3.66) since playing for, well, the Expos in 2004. More importantly for the Nationals he logged 211 innings giving a weak bullpen much needed rest. Hernandez will take the ball on opening day for Washington in 2011.

The Bad: Although he had only pitched in a handful of games many people thought Stephen Strasburg should have been placed on the All-Star team. The young star struck out 14 batters in his debut June 8 and continued to pitch well through the summer. Unfortunately his season ended in late August with an injury to his forearm which led to Tommy John surgery in September. While the franchise still hopes Strasburg will be an ace of the staff for many years, he may miss all of 2011.

Biggest Loss: In his two years with Washington, Adam Dunn launched 76 HRs and drove in 208 runs. But his defense became a liability for the team.  He was relegated to playing only first base last season where he committed 13 errors, the second most in the NL. He became a free agent and signed with the White Sox. The team dealt much maligned outfielder Nyjer Morgan to Milwaukee as spring training wore down.

Best Addition: One of the biggest stories in the off-season was the Nationals signing of Jayson Werth. In the last three seasons, all with the Phillies, Werth hit 87 HRs with 251 RBI and a .279 batting average. The team will count on him for some power in the middle of the lineup.

Fantasy Slant: There are not many players better at third base than Zimmerman and he could put up better numbers than each of them. Werth may not be able to replicate some of his stats outside of the Philly lineup and he may be picked too early in a lot of fantasy drafts. Adam LaRoche will play first base every day for the Nats and could be a nice late pick to fill in a corner position.

Final Take: With very little depth at pitching, the Nationals don’t have much of a chance at a winning season in 2011. But the offense and defense should be better this year and they have plenty of hope for the future…2011 Record – 62-100, last in the NL East.

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2010 Rewind: 96-66, first place AL East. The Rays looked like they were going to be a mainstay in the highly-competitive AL East. Two of the last three years they won the division, beating out the big payroll Yankees and Red Sox. Could a team with a limited payroll hold up against the big spending rivals? It doesn’t look like it.

The Good: A lot went right for the Rays; great offensive production, good defense, clutch hitting, excellent pitching. Many of those positives are not in south Florida this year. David Price, one of the best left-handed pitchers in all of baseball is still a Ray and his future looks brighter than the Florida sun. Wade Davis, who is the same age as Price, looks to be a solid #3 pitcher in this rotation. Evan Longoria is the best third baseman in baseball and an elite fantasy option.

The Bad: BJ Upton wastes a lot of his talent. He has shown flashes of being a 30/30 guy, but then plays lazy, gets attitude with his coaches and was even allegedly on the trading block last year because of his antics. He’s still young so if he puts it all together, Upton can be a star. For now, the center field job is his, but he holds it tentatively.

Biggest Loss: Where to start? The superstars departed like Florida snowbirds in June. Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and Rafael Soriano are all on different teams. If you’re keeping score that’s your all everything outfielder, your 30+HR first baseman, your no-hitting pitcher, your steady eddy shortstop and your closer. How do you replace all of that?

Best Addition: With all that talent gone, the Rays management had to make some moves, so they went out and added veterans on the cheap. Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon are back in the AL East. How much impact can these two waning veterans have in Tampa?

Fantasy Slant: After Longoria and Price (who are both fantasy studs), the rest of the Rays lineup is a bunch of unproven young talent. Without a doubt the safest bet among the young talent is Jeremy Hellickson. This first round draft pick is the reason the Rays let Garza go to the Cubs. Hellickson could be a mid-to-late round bargain for your fantasy squad.

Final Take: With so much talent departing and aging talent coming in, the Rays take a step back. They just lost too much…2011 Record: 86-76, 3rd place, AL East

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2010 Rewind: It was a banner year for the Rangers in 2010. The franchise won just the fourth division title in its 50 years history and for the first time ever participated in the World Series. While a defeat at the hands of the Giants may be bittersweet, the Rangers are still a good, young club and should continue to have a bright future.

The Good: Offensive production has rarely been a problem in Texas and 2010 was no exception. Led by AL MVP Josh Hamilton, the club had the best team average in the majors (.276) and scored the fifth most runs (787). But it was pitching that made the difference for the Rangers. After posting a 4.38 ERA in 2010, and a 5.37 ERA the year before, the staff finished with a 3.93 ERA in 2010 – third best in the AL. They were led by 15-game winner C.J. Wilson. Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter were nice surprises winning 12 and 13 games respectively. The bullpen was also quite good thanks to AL Rookie of the Year Neftali Perez and his 40 saves.

The Bad: Injuries continue to plague Hamilton. After playing in just 89 games in 2009 he missed 19 games last year. Second baseman Ian Kinsler has only played in more than 130 games only once in his career thanks to injuries. Nelson Cruz also appears to be ‘injury-prone’ and had just 399 ABs last year.

Biggest Loss: Although his 20 starts with the Rangers last year were mediocre, the team looked to lock up Cliff Lee as the ace for the near future. But the Yankees, and then the Phillies lured the stud pitcher away. Vladimir Guerrero had a nice bounce-back year with 19 HRs and 115 RBI. But the team found him expendable and he left for the Orioles.

Best Addition: The Rangers let Guerrero go after signing third baseman Adrian Beltre. Last season Beltre hit 28 HR with 102 RBI and a .321 average with the Red Sox. Those numbers could get better in Texas. To try to replace the loss of Lee, the team signed former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb. Unfortunately Webb’s shoulder is not completely healthy and he looks to miss at least the first month of the season.

Fantasy Slant: The fact that the Ballpark in Arlington is definitely a hitters park makes it tough to pick anyone from the Rangers staff. But Perez should still be taken as one of the league’s best closers. There was some question of turning him back into a starter, but he will be getting the ball in the ninth when the season starts. On offense the Rangers feature a flurry of stud fantasy players. Hamilton, Cruz and Kinsler all have injury questions but their talent is remarkable. Michael Young will primarily DH this season, but will also play everywhere in the infield giving him great versatility. Mike Napoli will mainly cover first, but is eligible at catcher and could have a big year in Texas. Mitch Moreland is a sleeper-pick and should play some outfield while sharing time with Napoli at first.

Final Take: If the Rangers are to repeat as AL Champs in 2011 it will take the same thing as last year – pitching. The club is already an offensive power-house and everyone knows it. Not even injuries to major stars slowed them last year. But the pitching staff has to show up like it did last season. Webb getting healthy and throwing well will help a ton. And another July trade for a stud wouldn’t hurt either. Winning the division may be an easier goal. Neither the Mariners or A’s look to contend but the Angels are for real and look to overtake Texas for the title…2011 Record: 90-82, 2nd place, AL West.

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2010 Rewind: 92-70, first place NL West, World Champions. The Giants barely won the NL West but then went on an amazing run en route to winning their first World Series in 53 years. While they have a core of solid players, their lineup was a hodge podge of veterans and journeyman. The chemistry worked as they hoisted the trophy.

The Good: Brian “The Beard” Wilson became a superstar in the playoffs for his burly facial hair, but his stats were what propelled the Giants bullpen to the top of the NL. When the Giants had a lead late in the game, it was more than likely a win for them. Andres Torres replaced the very worthless Aaron Rowand in centerfield and went on to be near the top of the NL in doubles and extra base hits.

The Bad: Pablo Sandoval. The portly third baseman regressed in 2010 where his batting average fell from .336 to .268. The third base job is still his, but he’s going to have to bounce back to win over fantasy owners.

Biggest Loss: Juan Uribe. Uribe signed a three-year deal with the rival Dodgers. Shortstop will be filled by Miguel Tejada, who is more than capable of hitting Uribe’s 24 HRs, or he could bust. Between Uribe and Edgar Renteria, the Giants are missing two big clutch hitters.

Best Addition:  Other than the aforementioned Tejada, the Giants stood pat. They did manage to resign Mike Fontenot to a one-year contract and the middle infielder will provide some much needed depth, but has no fantasy value.

Fantasy Slant: The Giants are loaded with fantasy studs. Tim Lincecum is one of the top five pitchers in the NL. Buster Posey is the National League’s version of Joe Mauer and should be treated as such fantasy-wise. Two young players to watch are lefty Madison Bumgarner who has secured a spot in the rotation. Brandon Belt is the Giants first baseman of the future who will likely start the year in the minors.

Final Take: I don’t see any team in the NL West being able to contend with the defending champs. I do see the rest of the NL catching up with them and the Giants being unable to defend their title...2011 Record: 93-69, 1st Place, NL West

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2010 Rewind: The Cardinals finished the year with its fourth winning season in five years, but their 86 wins was only good enough for a second-place finish in the N.L. Central.  The team went in the tank at the end of the year blowing a first-place lead after going 3-20 against teams with a losing record after August 13. Tony LaRusa’s bunch finished 52-29 at home, but mustered just a 34-47 mark on the road.

The Good: Albert Pujols produced his typical stellar numbers in 2010 by batting .312 with 42 HR and 118 RBI.  Outfielder Matt Holliday also continued his steady bat by knocking in 103 runs and producing a .312 average. Colby Rasmus led all NL Central fielders with a .498 slugging percentage and is an emerging star. Right hander Chris Carpenter has gone 33–13 with a 2.78 ERA over the last two years.

The Bad: Brendan Ryan stint with the Cardinals was short after he managed to hit just .223 while committing 17 errors at shortstop. Kyle Lohse boasted a career-worst 6.55 ERA while going 4-8 in 18 starts before suffering an injury.  Catcher Yadier Molina was stellar behind the plate, but watched his batting average dip nearly 30 points down to .262.

Biggest Loss: After failing to reach an extension with Pujols, the Cardinals’ offseason got even worse when ace Adam Wainwright was shelved for the 2011 season due to Tommy John surgery. Wainwright was a 20-game winner a year ago and his void will not be able to be filled.

Best Addition: The Cardinals brought in former Astro Lance Berkman on the cheap and plan to use him in right field. Fed up with Ryan at shortstop the team brought in veteran Ryan Theriot to take up the middle. George Laird was added to help spell Molina and keep him fresh.

Fantasy Slant: Pujols is the No. 1 pick in any format. Holliday, Rasmus and Carpenter are can’t miss additions to any team. The sleeper picks could very well prove to be Berkman and third basemen David Freese, who was having a breakout rookie campaign before suffering a season-ending injury a year ago. Closer Ryan Franklin isn’t flashy, but he’s a good source of cheap saves.

Final Take: With the rest of the division improving, the Cardinals’ domination of the N.L. Central has come to an end. They’ll still compete, but without Wainwright the Cards are stacked against St. Louis. Don’t expect them to fare much better than last season’s win total…2011 Record: 85-77, second place NL Central.

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2010 Rewind: For the 18th consecutive season (a North American major sports record) the Pirates ended up on the wrong side of .500 as they lost 105 games, the most by the team since 1952. The Pirates finished dead last in the National League in ERA and 13th in HR, RBI, and AVG on their way to their fourth straight sixth place finish in the NL Central.

The Good:  Centerfielder Andrew McCutchen hit .286 for the second straight year while hitting 16 HR and swiping 33 bases. He’s one of the brightest young stars in the NL.  Third basemen Pedro Alvarez showed nice power, hitting 16 HR and driving in 64 runs in just 347 at bats after a mid-season call-up. Reliever Evan Meek was the team’s lone All-Star, finishing the year with a 5-4 record and four saves to go along with a 2.14 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 80 innings.

The Bad: The starting rotation lacks not only a No. 1 starter, but really doesn’t even have a No. 2 or No. 3.  Lefthander Pat Malholm (9-15, 5.10 ERA) is coming off his worst season as a pro. Righty Russ Ohlendorf suffered from a lack of run support and finished 1-11 a year ago.

Biggest Loss: Former ace Zach Duke was let go after a down season in 2010.  The Andy LaRoche experiment at third base has come to an end as the Pirates turned the page to Alvarez. LaRoche will now try to catch with the A’s.

Best Addition: Texas hitting coach and former Rockies’ manager Clint Hurdle is the Bucs’ latest skipper.  The team brought in veteran Lyle Overbay to take over at first base. Right hander Kevin Correia and lefty Scott Olsen were signed during the offseason in the hope of eating innings at the back end of the rotation.

Fantasy Slant: McCutchen and Alvarez are the only can’t miss fantasy players in the Pittsburgh lineup. Outfielders Jose Tabatta and Garrett Jones (also eligible at 1B) could provide depth in deeper leagues and NL-only formats.  Second basemen Neil Walker is a nice middle infield option after hitting .296 with 12 HR and 66 RBI last season.

Final Take:  Expect much of the same for the Pirates in 2011. They should improve on last year’s disastourous win total, but with the rest of the NL Central improving around them a fifth straight sixth place finish seems all but certain…2011 Record: 62-100, sixth place NL Central.

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