Red Sox are the defending Champs . Will they repeat ? Will the Angels have another disappointing season like the last two years ? Will the A's win 3rd straight divisional title ? The Tigers make the WS? Pirates make playoffs again ? Cubs actually be decent ? Dodgers win the Pennant ? Cardinals make a another WS appearance ? Opening Day is almost here !!
I am hoping to catch a Yankees game before Jeter retires . Hopefully watch a game in Denver and Miami.
Discussed with my son last night...will the Angels ever win anything with this nucleus they paid so much for?
They'd better hurry. Many players on the wrong side of 30 with huge contracts. If they don't do it this year, Scioscia is out and they'll find a way to blow it up. I expect the Mariners to surpass them and be in the top 3 with the A's and rangers. My pick this year is the Tigers.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...s-ticket-sales-are-ridiculous-per-stan-kasten <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Kasten: <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Dodgers&src=hash">#Dodgers</a> have sold 3 million tickets already this season, a week before home opener.</p>— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/statuses/449332061069783041">March 27, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> "Only seven teams in all of baseball -- aside from the Dodgers -- averaged more than 35,000 fans a game (Cardinals, Giants, Yankees, Rangers, Tigers, Angels and Phillies). Every other ballclub averaged fewer fans per game than the Dodgers will have sold season tickets this season. Eight teams didn't even average half that. On the three million mark in tickets for the season, only eight teams hit that figure all year in 2013 -- again, the Dodgers and the seven teams listed above. The other 22 teams failed to sell three million tickets all season and the Dodgers have already done so this season, a week before the first game in Dodger Stadium. Eight teams -- the A's, White Sox, Mariners, Royals, Astros, Indians, Marlins and Rays -- didn't even draw two million." It's the year of the Dodger, baby.
He's the best player in the game right now... and he's getting the going rate and duration for a contract extension. All players, even future HOFers, don't live up to their biggest contract in their final years... but if the team can afford to sign him, why shouldn't they? They also were ready to offer Scherzer a contract worth $160 million (which he turned down), and they're paying Verlander his $180 million. I think the Tigers can afford it with little "regrets" over future expected regression.
Were talking about an ownership group in Detroit that also owns the Red Wings, one of the three downtown casinos, and a hospital. Not to mention the pizza franchise (Little Ceasers) that allowed Illitch to gather his wealth and buy these teams. Tigers have been selling over 3 million tickets a year for the past 3-5 years now and have been making deep playoff runs in just about all those years too. They are not the Yankees or Red Sox, but they are a big money player now.
Mike Trout is the best position player in the game right now. That is not the rate and duration for a contract extension. A-Rod was a FA both times. Pujols was a FA Cano was a FA Fielder was a FA Only good comparison is Joey Votto who got 10/$225M. They shouldn't sign them 2 years away from FA at age 30 for full FA cost.
Most likely [knock on wood, of course]. Pittsburgh's pitching will likely carry them again even despite the loss of A.J. Burnett. Their roster moves from this point forward will likely mirror last year's approach: fill holes with trades and pickups. They have a huge hole at 1B so they'll have to find another Marlon Byrd. Fingers crossed
I'm predicting the Cubs get a top 4 pick again. :grin: We need some more pitching in our farm. Hopefully we can somehow grab Kolek in this year's draft and then get someone next season too.
@MLB, @MLB_PLAYERS jointly announce significant improvements to Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program: http://atmlb.com/1mbK3R3 A first-time performance-enhancing substance violation of the Joint Drug Program will now result in an unpaid 80-game suspension. A player’s second violation will result in an unpaid 162-game suspension (and a loss of 183 days of pay), increased from 100 games. A third violation will result in a permanent suspension from Major League Baseball. A player who is suspended for a violation involving a performance-enhancing substance will be ineligible to participate in the Postseason.
If you don't think Miggy Cabrera should be one of, if not the, highest paid players in the game... I'm not sure what game you're watching. Pound for pound, he's the best "extension eligible" hitter right now. Sure, Trout may get more when he ultimately gets to that point... but for now, Cabrera is the man and deserves to get paid.
He should be one of the highest. Not set a record deal when he is 2 years from FA. It was stupid on Detroit's part. Now they can regret it like the Yankees & Rangers both did with ARod. 10/$250M would have been about right, and they still would have come to regret it. 10/$300M was too much.
