AL East Preview: Boston Red Sox

Will The Real Red Sox Team Please Stand Up

I am still trying to wrap my head around how a team can go from worst to first to worst in consecutive years, but the Red Sox proved that it can be done with finishing dead last in the AL East last season. And this is coming off a year that saw them winning it all in 2013. Just like the Giants have won the series in even years since 2010, the Red Sox may just pull off finishing first this season for one of the weirdest stats in baseball.

A Panda in Boston

Pablo Sandoval is in Boston to speak with team officials from the Red Sox as a potential landing spot for the free agent. It would be weird not to see him in San Francisco, but he has to go where he feels is going to be the most beneficial to him, both professionally, personally, and financially. With a possible addition of Sandoval, the Red Sox would be viewed as a threat to all other teams in the American League, not just the division. There always seems to be two teams not afraid to throw around their wallets and Boston is definitely one of those teams.

Bold Prediction

I see this team as is finishing third in the division, as you have the Yankees still in the division and a much, much improved Orioles organization. However, if the Orioles fall down back to earth and the team signs Sandoval, I can definitely put them in the running for the playoffs. As for now, I will put them in fourth position and missing the playoffs.

AL East Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

Jays Making Moves!

The Toronto Blue Jays have added to their nest! The team has agreed on a five year $82 Million dollar contract with free agent Russel Martin. Martin, who has spent some time already in the AL East when he played with the New York Yankees, is leaving a team that he helped reach the playoffs in the last two seasons for a team that hasn't reached the playoffs since winning the World Series all the way back in 1993. The Jays are hoping Martin can help end the Majors longest streak of futility. He will bring his bat to an already loaded lineup that includes Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera and the oft-injured Brett Lawrie. Will this be the piece that they need to get back to the postseason? Only time will tell.

More to Come?

It sounds like the team isn't satisfied with just signing Martin either. Word is that they are heavily pursuing free agent Andrew Miller who split time with both the Red Sox and the Orioles, helping the latter make the playoffs last season. They are also looking to lock up their own free agent Melky Cabrera as well as Howie Kendrick who played for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last season. If the team is looking to compete next season, signing one of these guys as well as a starting pitcher can go a long way at helping their cause.

Bold Prediction

In a division that lately has become anyone's division to win, the Blue Jays definitely can't be counted out. However as said before, they have to add pieces to the puzzle in order to have a legitimate shot to claim the division next year. I just don't see that happening next year and I predict that this team will finish fourth at best in the division and have another season watching the playoffs from home.

New York Yankees Preview: Replacing Jeter

          

           The Yankees came into last season expecting to make the playoffs after adding offensive bats during free agency like Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carlos Beltran. The Yankees problem was suppose to be their pitching but their pitching was what kept the team in the hunt for a playoff spot, while the offense did terrible and none of the free agents played to their full capabilities. During this off-season the team has come out and said they will not be spending a lot of money, which is surprising given the fact that they have needs that they can’t address with their farm system because they don’t have a lot of talent coming up.

Needs:

·      Starting Pitcher

·      Third Baseman

·      Right Fielder

·      Stay Healthy

·      Shortstop

Targets:

            While the Yankees did say they wouldn’t spend this off-season don’t be surprised if they make a play for Max Sherzer or Jon Lester, as they would fill a huge need for the Yankees. They can also look into resigning Brandon McCarthy who did a great job for the team down the stretch. The Yankees pitching is in a good place right now, they just need their pitchers to stay healthy.

            Alex Rodriguez is coming back but expect him to play a lot of DH so the Yankees need to look for a Third Baseman. They might look at getting Pablo Sandoval, but the move I see them making is resigning Chase Headley who they traded for last year.

            For right field they had Carlos Beltran playing there but he showed that his fielding has declined with age. The Yankees did resign Chris Young who was their best hitter when he got traded to New York but they could look at signing Cuban Outfielder Yasmany Tomas or signing Melky Cabrera.

            With Derek Jeter retiring the Yankees have a hole at shortstop and whoever plays their next year will have some huge shoes to fill. They could sign a player like Asdrubal Cabrera who has a good glove and would be a decent option. The most logical move would be to trade for Troy Tulowitzki, but the problem lies in whether they have the pieces to pull that trade off.

Projection:

            The Yankees still have a good team but their offensive hitters need to have a better year than last year. They also need to stay healthy in order to compete in their division. I predict that the Yankees will finish second but they could surprise people and finish first. They also face the daunting task of trying to replace the legendary Derek Jeter.

AL East Preview: Baltimore Orioles

Can Lighting Strike Twice?

At the beginning of last season the Orioles were predicted by many to finish towards the bottom of what was widely considered one of the strongest divisions in baseball. You had a team in the Red Sox who came in as the reigning World Series Champs, the Yankees who are always expected to be in contention for the playoffs, a Rays team that always seems to shock people, and finally the Blue Jays who no one quite knew what would happen with them. Then you had the O's who although had really good players, were just a dark horse team at best. Well lo and behold, 162 games later the O's were standing on top of the mountain, won the east and had one of the best records in all of baseball. If you had never watched this team, you would think that they were the Yankees or Red Sox in Baltimore uniforms. Nope, not even close. This is a team that lost platinum glove winner Manny Machado to a second knee injury in as many seasons, and an All-Star catcher in Matt Wieters. How did they get there you may ask? Buck Showalter and an unlikely cast of players who shed blood, sweat and tears throughout the season!

Manager of The Year

Sure there were a few other managers in the American League that were deserving of this award. You had Mike Scioscia out in Anaheim who led his Angels to the best record in the league. You had Ned Yost who took another unlikely team all the way to the World Series only to lose to the Giants. However, in this writer's opinion, there was only one man who should have won that award, Buck Showalter! From the moment he took the podium when he was announced as the new Orioles manager, you could tell he was the right man for the right team. He immediately let the world know that not only was he unafraid of the two big dogs on the street (Yankees, Redsox), he was going to take the fight to them. Most teams would falter after losing a couple of their star players but not these Orioles, not this manager. He took control of the ship, put the right players in the right positions, and led this team to the promised land.

Bold Prediction

If the team can bring back Nick Markakis, Nelson Cruz, or both and bring in a potential ace for the pitching staff, the sky is the limit for this team. However if they fail to capitalize they could fall back down to earth and not make the playoffs for the second straight year. I do see the Orioles as a hungry team and think that they will find a way to win the East again, finish with 95 wins, and actually make the fall classic for the first time since the days of Cal Ripken.

Home Plate Debate: AL East Preview

Miami Marlins Preview: Will Stanton Stay or Go?

          

         The Miami Marlins are coming off a good year and have some exciting young talent on their team especially their outfield, which is led by Giancarlo Stanton. The Marlins come into the offseason hoping to sign Stanton to a long contract but in my opinion Stanton needs to make sure that the Marlins are serious about being contenders and not trying to blow up the roster like they do every couple of years. They also need for Jose Fernandez comes back healthy from Tommy John surgery and pitch like he was pitching before it.

Needs:

·      Middle Infielder

·      First Baseman

·      Starting Pitcher

·      Stability

Targets:

            With their need in the middle infield the Marlins could look to sign a veteran at that position like Stephen Drew who can play all over the infield and give the team a much need veteran presence. They could also just hope that their in house options like Jordany Valdespin or Enrique Hernandez make that position their own and save the Marlins free agent money.

            At first base the Marlins could look at Adam Laroche who is coming off a good year but was deemed not needed by the Nationals, Laroche has a good bat and a great glove and he would provide a veteran presence in the Marlins clubhouse. He would also do great batting in front of Stanton and would put up decent numbers.

            In terms of starting pitching the Marlins don’t have the money to sign top tier starting pitchers like Max Sherzer but they can go after a pitcher like Edinson Volquez who had a great year with the Pirates and would be a nice option for the Marlins.

Projection:

            I predict the Marlins to finish fourth in the NL East but they can very easily finish second or third as they have a lot of good young talent and every thing goes right for them I can seeing them being contender for the NL East title. One their front office needs to decide is if they want to be a team that contends every year or if they want to keep rebuilding every couple of years.

- Elyson

NL East Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

Our last team we will be previewing for our preview series on the NL East are the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils found themselves at the bottom of the East this season and the outlook for next year isn't very great either. Sorry Philly fans.


Strike One!

The team tried to start off this offseason by retaining AJ Burnett this offseason. Burnett had a chance to exercise his $12.75 Million dollar option to stay with the team, but decided to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates by agreeing to a one-year, $8.5 Million dollar contract. Burnett decided that playing for a potential playoff contender was more important than money. Although Burnett is getting older, he still has the goods to help out a team with World Series aspirations.


Biggest Need(s)

Where to start? The Phillies, along with a few other teams would be smart to look at the future, not the present. As with all teams that finish last in a division, whatever they were doing was not working. With a shot in the arm from some young, but talented players, the Phillies can once again compete at the level that they once did. It just won't be this year. Whether it is by raising their talent in their farm system, or by trading away some of their big name players, they have to find a way to accomplish this.

Outlook

The Phillies are again looking to finish at the back of the pack again this year. I see this team winning, at the most, 70 games. I just don't think they have the pieces in place to compete yet. I give this team a few years and I may be changing my tune.

Randy

NL East Preview: Atlanta Braves

What Happened?

The wheels fell off on the Atlanta Braves bus this past season. A team that was supposed to contend for the NL East crown and possibly a World Series berth saw their season turn sour after the All-Star break. It didn't help that the Washington Nationals caught fire and overtook them to claim the NL East at the end of the season. The Braves ended up tied with the Mets, which was an end to a season that ended way too soon for Braves fans.

What's Next?

Many believe that the Braves will look to a rebuilding season this next year. In fact, it is believed that they are looking to move some key players including their star players Evan Gatis and Justin Upton. If the team wants to rebuild, this is a smart play on their part. Gatis and Upton can bring in some good young players to help the rebuilding phase.

Bold Prediction

If the Braves decide to rebuild, then the chances of them being contenders this year is highly unlikely. However, if they do decide to be a contender, then this is a team that can make some noise in an unstable NL East. For my prediction, I am going with a third place finish, and coming up with 75 wins this season.

Randy

Washington Nationals Preview: Is this Bryce Harper's Year

Courtesy of Standing Sports

            The Nationals come in as the division champions and are expected to repeat that feat in 2015. The Nationals come into the off-season with minimal needs and they addressed one of their questions early by declining Adam Laroche’s team option. That move was a clear indication that they are going to rely on Bryce Harper a lot this year, they will look for him to have a breakout season and carry the off-season. Another that was made clear when the declined Laroche’s option is that Ryan Zimmerman will move to First Base and Anthony Rendon will play Third Base this year.

Needs:

·      Second Basemen

·      Bullpen Help

·      Look at extending or trading players with expanding contracts

Targets:

At Second Base there isn’t a lot of good talent so the Nationals might look to trade for one like Howie Kendrick of the Angels. Another option they have is to re sign Asdrubal Cabrera who did a good job with the team or to give Danny Espinosa another chance but that is not likely to happen. They could go after some international players like Korean star Jung-ho Kang who is expected to be posted by his Korean team.

In terms of the bullpen the Nationals don’t have a big hole but they could bring in some veteran presence and there is also the possibility that they could go after David Robertson.

The Nationals have some top stars that are in their last contract year like Jordan Zimmermann and Ian Desmond. News has already been coming out that they might trade Zimmermann and look to extend Desmond.

Projection:

            The Nationals will finish first in the NL East again this year and they will be looking for Harper and Stephen Strasburg to have big years. This year could be the year they don’t falter in the playoffs and learn from their previous mistakes, but overall this year will be a good year and this is the year where we see if Bryce Harper can carry this team.

NL East Preview: New York Mets

Mets Get Their Right Fielder

For a team that gets constantly criticized for taking too long to make any kind of moves in the free agency market, the Mets didn't waste any time this year to make a splash. On November 10th, the team signed Michael Cuddyer to a 2 year, $21 Million contract to fill a much needed hole in right field. Although the Mets did have to give up their first round draft pick in 2015, they were able to keep a hold on their surplus of young, exciting pitchers. In the end, I think that this will be a good, but not great signing for this team. Time will tell though.

Biggest Need: Shortstop

I feel that this is their biggest need to help them contend for a post-season spot, and possibly a spot in the World Series. The team is currently testing the market, but also says that they are willing to stay in house to fill that position. I however feel that if they are to get significantly better, they definitely have to bring in someone through free agency or a trade. Ever since Jose Reyes left the team, there output from that position hasn't been very good. Offensively, they have to bring someone that is going to get on base a lot more than the two guys they had last year, Rueben Tejada and Wilmer Flores.

Outlook

In a division that definitely isn't going to raise eyebrows, I think that with the addition of Cuddyer, a new shortstop, and continued output from their pitching staff, I definitely see this team making some noise come October of 2015. Will they win the division, probably not. I do feel that they can make a run at one of the two wildcard spots though. If they can have a healthy David Wright, and if Curtis Granderson plays to his standards that he set when he was across town in the Bronx, the Mets will surprise a lot of people this year.

Bold Prediction
My bold prediction for the Mets this season: 90 wins, second in the NL East, and a loss in the National League Divisional series against the Chicago Cubs. Yes I said the Chicago Cubs. Time will tell if this Mets team is finally going to prove all the critics wrong and become a great team again.

NL East Preview: Sorry Phillie Fans Your Team is Old

Watch as we preview the National League East division on what they need to do during the off season. We also answer a couple of fan questions.

First VLog

I just uploaded a vlog for everyone to look at. It explains what Home Plate Debate is all about. Thanks everyone!

Tulo...If he gets traded, where may he go?

https://www.facebook.com/homeplatedebatehttps://twitter.comThe Rockies have just announced that they will listen to offers for their two stars, Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. The two main teams being mentioned as potential landing spots are both from the Big Apple. Its no surprise that the Yankees are in a huge need of a replacement shortstop as their long time and beloved star has hung up his cleats for the last time. The Mets are also in the hunt for a shortstop as their production from that spot has significantly dropped since losing Jose Reyes to the Miami Marlins a few years ago. The Mets, in my opinion may have some interesting pieces to ship to Colorado, as they have lots of young pitching prospects, however their issue is a financial one. Tulowitzki will bring a high price tag with him, which I don't think the Mets can pay. Now lets look at the Yankees. The Yankees have the money, and if they can work it out where they can trade some of their new international signings and a few prospects, they may just be able to replace the Captain. In my opinion, I feel that if Tulo travels east, he will end up signing with the Yankees. - Randy

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/MvylxID9CIG/Colorado+Rockies+v+Los+Angeles+Dodgers/AGFmoVfrzEy/Troy+Tulowitzki

From A-Rod to A-Fraud

Courtesy of NESN

Let me start by saying I use to be an Alex Rodriguez fan before he got caught using steroids and kept being in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. When A-Rod went to Yankees in 2004 many thought he would become the next Yankee icon and be up there with the likes of Derek Jeter and together they would bring a new dynasty to the Yankees. Fast-forward to today and Jeter and Rodriguez find themselves worlds apart from where we thought they both would be. Jeter is coming off his last season as a player and is being hailed as one of the greatest Yankees ever and a sure bet to get into the Hall of Fame. At the other end you have Rodriguez who just finished serving his 211 game suspension after getting caught using PED’s for a second time. The guy had the world at his feet but he kept finding new ways to make people hate him. He just got off the suspension and there was a report that he paid people off to keep quiet about his drug use. The man has become the villain of baseball, he was suppose to be the next Home Run king, instead he is the king of steroid use.  So I find myself asking is there any way for him to ever repair the damage he has done and the reality is there isn’t. He will collect the rest of the money he is owed and get booed at every stadium he plays then retire and live off the millions he made. But when he becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame sure he will have the numbers to get in but those numbers have been tainted by his poor decisions and he will probably struggle to get in. He will just become a cautionary tale of what not to do when you become a professional athlete. Alex Rodriguez wanted the glory and he tried to get it the easy way but he forgot one thing the truth always comes out one way or another and the truth is that in the eyes of many he is a fraud.