Baseball ready for new year

It is never really too early to get excited about what is around the corner for baseball, and with the sun setting on 2007, this seems like the perfect time. This year brought many great stories in baseball, and discussing all of them in the depth that they deserve is far beyond the scope of this blog. With the good comes the bad, and we always have a few blotches that must be bleached out as well.

The 2007 year was graced with the culmination of the steroid era, and it is too bad that the zoo that is the Mitchell report has only begun. What a world it would be if I could go to sleep on New Year's Eve and wake up the next morning, the first of January, and be able to focus my eyes on the diamonds that we all love without the clutter of human growth hormone and disloyal trainers. This is a fairy tale world, one that may not be seen for another five or ten years, or even more frightening, never again.

The steroid scandal is baseball's morning cup of coffee. It is a ritual that is so engrained, life without it is unimaginable and cranky at best. To ask the new year to bring baseball's glory back, untainted at its core, is like asking Hollywood to get rid of the rehab-prone individuals who fill the pages of gossip magazines. What would life be like without the tabloids reporting the recent relationship struggles of the stars, where women and men turn to washups in their mid-twenties. Only one can imagine.

That would be my wish for the new year, only because I love the purity of baseball more than anything and believe that this game has much more to offer than stroy lines. It is a travesty to treat baseball like we treat those who are handed fame and then fall in the public eye. There is a certain level of reorting that must be down in any field, and I understand that goes with baseball as well. Steroids are a big part of the news these days and it would be wrong not to dabble in those waters at all.

But I feel there is a line of prosperity that is crossed all too often. Where does the line of reporting turn into the realization of flooding the game? I believe that baseball fans everywhere are utterly sick of the steroid scandal and would not care at all if we stopped putting it in the spotlight. Baseball and its heroes belong in the spotlight. The Mitchell report belongs on the backburner where it is investigated and the game is cleaned up, but without all the bells and whistles that we as a society have latched onto it.

We have failed in the sense reporting the news but talking about the things that fans actually tune in to sports for. Nobody is a sports fan so they can hear about more negatives in the world and that their safe haven may all of the sudden be tainted. That is out in the open and it is time to move on. High school is only four years long, fellas, and then it is time to graduate. Steroids has taken its final exam and returned its books. The only thing left to do is walk in the ceremony.

It is our fault as fans for letting baseball get so wrapped up in this. The media is responsible for what is printed in newspapers, what is talked about on sports radio, and what is seen on television. This is part of baseball, but it isn't what baseball is. We have lost sight of what the game actually is through this transgression. But, hey, this is has been a year that all of this was dropped on the game without warning. A tragic death in the baseball family. I get it. For that, 2007 gets a mulligan.

So for everyone who still wishes to get those last few thoughts about the Mitchell report, HGH, or Roger Clemens on paper, please use the final day of the year to do it. Because when that calendar says January 1, 2008, the baseball world is closing this chapter, damnit. We are moving on like Joe Torre to lands where your superior does threaten you.

January is the time of the year where we want to read stories about our favorite players getting their bodies in shape for the upcoming season and hitters picking up bats to be ready for Spring Training. By this time, we are delighted to hear about ptichers getting back on the mound so they are ready to report in another six weeks. We love to hear about the men whose bodies have failed them, but their hearts and minds pick them back up and give them another encouraing kick in the butt. What about these guys? Lets write some stories about the good guys in this game.

2008 wil be kicked off with reporting how Derek Jeter feels about the Yankees overturned rotation, how Travis Hafner is working out so he can rebound from his disappointing 2007, and how Hiroki Kuroda is adusting to the American lifestyle in Los Angeles. These players love the game of baseball and, because of their hard work and dedication, provide us with years worth of memories of sport.

You were a problem child, 2007, but you are still loved in the end. We accept the year for what it is worth, and look towards even brighter and healthier days ahead.

Here is to 2008 and returning baseball to its exalted throne!

Hamilton will thrive in Texas

If you are a sports fan, it is impossible to separate your heart and soul from feel good stories and athletes overcoming personal demons to rise up on the field. But as soon as we allow ourselves to get emotionally attached, the business side of sports is like the girlfriend who cheats after a happy couple of years. That is exactly what happened when the Reds traded Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers the other day.

I, like many others around baseball, could not help but root my heart out for the embattled slugger who was a "lock" to reach superstardom coming out of highschool. Hamilton's career was quickly derailed by drug abuse and many figured that he had wasted his shot at professional baseball. After the Reds took the outfielder in the Rule 5 draft, they gave him a short leash and a chance to rediscover the bounty of athletic gifts that were given to him.

Hamilton responded by having a solid season in the limited time he played, partly due to injuries. The slugger still has monster power to all fields, a cannon for a left arm, and playes great defense. The Reds took this above-average production and sold high. You cannot look at this move from a business standpoint and frown on what the Reds did. But it is indeed one of those stories that you only wished would have a fairy-tale ending.

Either way you draw it up, the Rangers and Josh Hamilton are good for each other. Texas was in desparate need of a centerfielder, and they found one without committing outrageous dollars to Torri Hunter, Andruw Jones, or Aaron Rowand. Relying on Hamilton to be the everyday centerfielder for the next five years may be the baseball equivalent of walking into the Taj Mahal casino and immdeiately putting 5 grand on red. It can be a bust, or you can hit the biggest jackpot yet.

I believe that all signs point up for Texas. If Hamilton can stay healthy, I believe he will be at worst a very solid major league player. At best he will become a perennial all-star. I would like to see Texas give Hamilton a full season in center in 2008 and then sign him to a multi-year contract next winter, given he has a good season and does not encounter any setbacks with his personal issues.

For Hamilton, this is a win-win situation. He is moving from one heaven to another. The Ballpark at Arlington is a great hitters park like Great American, and Hamilton will thrive as a lefthanded hitter. With the heat that englufs Texas for the better part of the baseball season, Hamilton can hit .300 and drop 40 bombs on American League pitching. Hamilton is still young enough and should be hungry enough to turn in some monster seasons.

Edinson Volquez, the pitcher the Reds got in exchange for Hamilton, shows a lot of promise but also has many question marks. The stuff is there for the righthander to succeed at the big league level, but there is only one thing that is spearating him for being a quality major league pitcher, and that is nothing more than command. Command, and ultimately command of the fastball, is what separates good arms in the minor leagues from equally good arms in the major leagues.

Assuming each player reaches their full cieling, I give the edge to Texas simply because of what type of player may possibly be hiding in that shell of Josh Hamilton. Volquez will not be an ace, and it would be hard to rate a pitcher over an all-star centerfielder who plays 150 games a year if that pitcher is not a bonafide number 1.

It will be interesting to follow the progression of the career of these two players, but there is no doubt that Christmas came early for the Texas Rangers.

Dodgers lean to the right

I thought baseball was a game of playing the percentages and playing the odds. Mixing and matching pitchers with the opposing hitters, and vice versa. Baseball is about answering the opposing manager's double-switch with a rebuttal of your own. What ever happened to mixing in a lefthander amidst a wealth of righthanders, to give the opponent a different look? Apparently those rules only apply to the bullpen, and even then they are under fire at times.

The Los Angeles Dodgers recent signing of free-agent righthander Hiroki Kuroda will serve them well over the course of his three year contract. Kuroda is suppossedly a horse who will eat up plenty of innings and provide consistent starts. Perfect. Exactly what the doctor ordered for the ol' Dodger Blue. Kuroda's addition to the Los Angeles rotation makes them a scary opponent in the National League West and will battle the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres for the best rotation in the West.

But, hey, the Dodgers sure aren't taking a secretive approach when it comes to managing a lineup. The projected starting rotation for the Dodgers on opening day includes these names: Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, Jason Schmidt/Esteban Loaiza. All of those pitchers are righthanded. Notta one will bring that lefthanded tail on the fastball, or above-average pick to firstbase, and more importantly, a different look and something to chew on for the opposing managers when making out their lineup cards.

What is going to happen to the Dodgers when they face teams with predominantly lefthanded hitting lineups is the question I really would like to know. I am curious to see if these righthanders can keep those types of offenses at bay and keep the Dodgers in the ballgame.

So much of baseball is about developing a rhythm, timing, and feel. It may not seem like much, but when teams are playing 3 and 4 game series', hitters can get confident and get locked in knowing that they will be facing four righthanders over the weekend. You may ask, how will one day have any affect on the player the next day? It is simply a different look and something else to adjust to. Hitters are like the Constitution. The last thing they want to do is change.

This may seem like nitpicking, and it quite possibly is, but I really am curious to see how the games are managed and how this minute detail may come to affect the Dodgers' season. Will it have an actualy impact? Hard to say. But I honestly believe that the odds of this playing a role in the team's success is higher than slim to none.

But with all of that aside and the southpaw nowhere to be found, I am a firm believer in putting the best product possible on the field, and it appears that is what GM Ned Colletti is doing. There is no sense in putting a mediocre lefty in the place of a solid righthander for the sake of giving the team a different look. It is nice, yes, but you want to throw your best at the opposing team each night. If they all happen to righthanded, so be it.

One way to combat this slight disadvantage is to have a greater lefthanded presence in the bullpen. Sorry folks, Joe Beimel is not going to get it done. The Dodgers need to add at least another quality lefthander to the bullpen, two would be ideal. Without these nutty lefthanders around, Joe Torre's options are limited when he wants to break down a game in the later innings. Every other team will be playing baseball while the Dodgers are playing craps. Blow the die a soft kiss and let them fly with fingers crossed. That will be the Dodgers in a nutshell.

I hope this isn't the case because, beyond what would be my own personal enjoyment, it would be thrilling to see a staff overcome what is known as "the book". "Playing by the book" is only worth a couple of cents if it brings you a championship. Without the titles, it's worth, well, say a car with a flat tire. A water bottle with a hole in it. You get the idea.

The Dodgers will be one of the more exciting teams to watch next year due to their influx of young talent. This roster is one you look at and can picture so many great things from, yet the possibility of flopping is fresh in mind after the debacle that was the September of 2007. For the sake of the baseball fans who flood Chavez Ravine, I just hope these starting pitchers can throw a fastball inside and a changeup away.

Players coming clean

In the wake of the Mitchell report, we are starting to see some players admitting their use of HGH or steroids. A handful of past-users have already come out and said so, and there will surely be more to follow. Major League Baseball is going to conduct interviews with at least fourteen of the players who were listed in the Mitchell report and ask them questions along the lines of what their checks were written for.

There are two sides to this progress. As for baseball, this is about the only way that they can go about cleaning up the game and cracking down on the players who have used steroids or human growth hormone. Without failed drug tests, the only evidence that is availbe is someone's word against the player's word. Baseball needs to get to the bottom of this so the game, and the players, can move on and we can go forward and shed light on the play that is exhibited on the field throughout Major League Baseball stadiums.

The complete truth will never be known, no matter how much investigation takes place or how many interviews are conducted. There will always be more players who used HGH or some form of steroid than we know about. To be fair, there will probably be players who have been accused of using these drugs, but are indeed innocent of such actions. Either way, this era will not be tainted simply because it is known as the "Steroid Era". This era could be equally deemed as the "Lying Era", the "Unknown Era", or the "Speculation Era". It is a shame half of the media space available today is centered around issues like these, but I supposse it is time to turn all stones once and for all.

From the players perspective, the best option is to come out and tell the truth. We have already seen Andy Pettitte, Fernando Vina, and Brian Roberts, among others, come clean and admit that they used steroids or HGH at some point in their careers. HGH was legal in baseball at the time that most of these players used it. That does not take into the account the legal ramifications involved with the means of obtaining HGH, but that is for another time, and someone more qualified, to talk about.

For the players that used these drugs when they were "legal" in baseball, it would behoove them to admit that and then defend their image. If that is all there is too it, then these players would not have the rest of these allegations held against them. They can admit that they used it when it was not banned, and most will contest it was for healing purposes, and they should not be labeled as cheaters. For those who put it off and deny it, only for it to be discovered later on, are only digging themselves a deeper hole, and one that is not necessary. The only players who really are in favor of heavily denying or hiding their history is the ones that have or still do use steroids, and those stories will be brought to the surface at some point.

Rowand's impact will lie underneath the surface

Two men who patrolled the outfield grass while dawning the black and orange regalia left an impact on this Giants organization that will probably never be matched in the organization's record books again. Willies Mays and Barry Bonds are, of course, the Giants that have put this club on the map, one representing the old-school baseball days, and the other hailing from the new-school. Both men played on teams that were good, at times great, and always fueled a certain level of competition. The Giants-Dodgers rivalry is one of the most historic in the game of baseball, and is an absolute treat if you can respect the history and the mutual hatred.

But in order for us to dig up the game's bad blood and fighting words of the past, the Giants need to resemble a club that will make a run for the National League West title, and contend for World Championships. As of today, the Dodgers are way ahead of their rival in that race, and may be on the brink of a 5-10 year dynasty out West.

These are not your old Giants, San Francisco fans, but rather a debilitated group of ballplayers who are fastened to the depths of underachievement. Comerica will never be the old Tiger Stadium, Dodger Stadium, as great as it is, is not Ebbets Field, and the new Yankee Stadium, no matter how alike it looks, will simply not be the House That Ruth Built.

Originals always tend to be the best version of a product in the end, but we know they do not seize to last forever. New and improved versions must come along, and with that progression, comes periods of change and rebuilding. This is that time for the fans in orange by the Bay. One era is being closed and interjected into history, while the San Francisco Giants plant the seed for a new day and age that will be based around dominating young pitching. Fastballs will plow into the smooth, sturdy leather of the catcher's mitt, detonating a sound that will scatter ripples across the surface of McCovey Cove. Gone are the days of baseballs raining from the heavens, providing free souvenirs for fans everywhere.

Aaron Rowand is a baseball player through and through; I love the guy. He had a career year in 2007, and he was able to capitalize with a $60 million contract partly due to the Giant's desperate need of offense, and partly due to the sheer free-agent market. Is it likely that Rowand will continue to put up the numbers, or improve upon them, that he did in 2007? Probably not. The odds are in favor of him regressing, to whatever extent that may be.

He will provide defense, but he is not a superb centerfield prescence that will cut down balls in the spacious gaps in San Francisco. Yes, the Giants overpaid for the true value Rowand provides, but I believe "overpaid" isn't even worth discussing in today's baseball world due to the prodigious growth in baseball revenues which is responsible for part of the reason why the free-agent price tags seem so out of wack. The game is prospering and that is a wonderful thing. It may be time for us to adjust our expectations and raise the bar on our "sensible limits" when it comes to committing dollars to players. It is possible the dollar isn't as worth as much in today's age.

Regardless of all of that, the biggest impact Rowand will make on this ballclub is not his physical tools or mental approach, which every player should strive to obtain, but will come in the form of the Giants starting rotation. By adding Rowand to the roster, the Giants can end the senseless speculation about sending Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain to a club to get a slightly above-average hitter because GM Brian Sabean is having nightmares about sending this lineup to Spring Training.

By hanging on to Cain and Lincecum, this organization has a fighting chance to make something out of themself in the next five years. Lincecum for Rios? Are you kidding me? That isn't idiotic. That is indescribable. If the Yankees want to offer Alex Rodriguez straight up for Lincecum or the Cardinals want to offer Pujols for the same deal, alright then pull the trigger. But anything short of that is nonsense, because losing a young pitcher of that caliber will set San Francisco back five years ontop of whatever ground the club already has to make up.

Brian Sabean should focus this club on its pitching in the rebuilding process, and put a formidable offense on the field, but don't worry about putting a great one out there. The Giants play their home games in a "baseball stadium" this side of the Grand Canyon, anyway. The vast pool of green grass is a pitcher's heaven. Pitching and defense will play up in this ballpark, so that is what the strengths of the Giants need to be.

This is America, a free country, so waste away your precious offseason pondering hours any way you please. But before you stamp a big question mark on the face of Aaron Rowand's contract, don't simply look at what he will bring to the table in the next five years. Look at what his prescence saves the Giants in the next five years. The deal is awfully good if you look at it that way. Besides, like I said, this isn't the game of baseball played in the early-90s with strikes threatening our pastime. The game is like a millionaire at Christmas time, a twenty year old winning the lottery, a celebrity donating for charity. There's money to spend. Pony up and cut stingy from baseball's list of values, the bar has certinaly been raised.

Mitchell report fuels speculation

So, this is really the best thing we have to talk about, huh? It is unfortunate during these somber months of winter hibernation, baseball doesn't take a small peak out of the hole to see if the snow has somewhat melted, providing us with some hope or joy or optimism. I would much rather spend my offseason talking about things like which core of young kids is going to lead their team to the 2008 National League West title? Or, what can we really expect from the Mets in 2008? Or, how are the Yankees going to respond to being knocked off their American League East perch, and how will they play under first-year owner Hank Steinbrenner? And if we really msut dig deep, we can even continue throwing out our crazy ideas about Johan Santana.

But the Mitchell report is absolutely the last thing I wish to address in the game of baseball. It is important, I realize that, because the steroid issue has gotten way out of hand in baseball, and it probably began somewhere in the mid-90s, not just when Barry Bonds went on a tear that nobody in baseball history can match up to.

But, hey, what does the Mitchell report really do for the game of baseball? It's my understanding that a whole list of names are going to be released who "allegedly" used performance-enhancing drugs. Even if they did use those PEDs, then what? Do we call in the Armed Forces to personally walk them out of their respective clubhouses and out of the annals of baseball forever?

I am all for an extremely thorough, and extensive drug testing program. I think baseball has taken steps forward in addressing that issue, begining with bulking up the suspensions for users. But I just have a hard time believing we are going to do anything but spin our wheels if nobody has concrete evidence that a player used steroids. Concrete evidence to me is a failed drug test. There is so much speculation and he-said-she-said going through the world today, how can any of that be taken seriously? Especially when a player's career and reputation are on the line.

I might be crazy, but I just don't see the logic in the Mitchell report. I believe the investgation was a waste of time. I only say that because I don't see where baseball goes from here, after the report is released. I don't see the next course of action that will be taken. The only thing that is definite about this process is that instead of the entire country continually throwing Barry Bonds under the bus, the country will have 50 other names to drag to the ground, wrap up in a chokehold, and force to tapout.

Baseball is consumed with constant stories, books, and columns about potential steroid users that it floods the beauty out of the game. Everything is over done that I really believe half of baseball fans around America could care less what happens with the Mitchell report and this entire investigation. They simply want this whole deal to pass over so we can get back to enjoying the game on the field, and not worrying about futile words that float through press rooms.

In that sense, I am eager for this report to come out. The sooner the better, if you ask me. That way, Thousands of writers can park their stories upon us and the complete and utter accusations will not simply fly through the air, they will be the air. Take a breath, take in another steroid story blaming a player for something that has yet to be fully proven. That's how the world is today and it is ridiculous. Once this all happens, the sooner baseball will be to coming out on the other side where we can actually talk about the game again.

But, if it was up to me, I wouldn't spend more thn five seconds looking over or thinking about that report. It will do nothing but add more fuel to the fire and provide more mundane story lines to be inked. There is no way that I am the only person in America who is completely sick of all of this steroid talk and what players allegedly have done. Now tell me, baseball fans, how about them 2008 Cubs?

Gagne makes good off of past

There once was a time when the lyrics of "Welcome To The Jungle" rocked the air that was hovering above the field in Dodger Stadium and everybody knew what was about to happen. Eric Gagne would come on, unmercifully expose the holes of wounded men, and record yet another save in succession. There was no wondering what would happen if a few men just so happened to find their way on base. Those thoughts didn't exist because they were as close to impossible as you can get without being a perfectly sure thing.

Those days are in the past and this is not the same Eric Gagne, but I believe the man can still do the job. Gagne got out of what was a personal nightmare in Boston, and reached an agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers on a one year, $10 million deal. Gagne will be moving into the National League Central, the weakest division in all of baseball, and will close for a team that could be the fronturnners to win the division.

The Brewers did not give that kind of money to Gagne based on his 2007, which was indeed a tale of two seasons. Gagne pitched well for half a season in Texas before being dealt to the Red Sox at the trade deadline. His time in Boston went about as horrible as it could go as his fastball was hammered, and Red Sox Nation never embraced him as part of the family. Rightfully so.

With that in the past, Gagne can focus this winter on getting ready for a brand new stage in his career that could take off with the Milwaukee organization. There isn't any doubt that he can return to his old form and dominate the ninth inning like he used to. This guy was the best closer in baseball for a period of four years. He had the best three season stretch of any closer in baseball histroy.

So it is not as if Gagne is an unproven piece who is being thrown into the bullpen to try to get some value out of his arm because he cannot cut it as a starter. Gagne will still run his fastball up to 94 mph, and his change up can still be a great pitch. It would help Gagne to mix in a breaking ball and throw the change up a little more often. This will make his fastball an even better offering, and he will be able to put righthanded and lefthanded hitters away with it.

The biggest factor of all is his health. Gagne has battled arm and back problems recently, and he needs to show that he can stay healthy for a full season again. I would assume that he is as healthy as he has been in years, or else the Brewers would not of put this kind of money on the table for him. If Gagne regains his confidence and stays off the DL, he can flourish in the National League and return to the status of one of the game's best closers.

Detroit hits the jackpot

In the wake of the blockbuster deal that was agreed upon Tuesday night at the Winter Meetings between the Detroit Tigers and Florida Marlins, we can now begin to speculate what may be when the players switch teams. The deal is not finalized, as it may be contingent on the players involved in the deal passing physicals.

Assuming that all physicals are passed and the deal is done, the Tigers get Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera in return for Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin, Mike Robello, and two minor league prospects. Both teams bring in a wealth of talent, but I am going to side with the Tigers on this deal based on one major principle: proven production.

If you are a baseball fan that is following the offseason whatsoever, you know by now that Miguel Cabrera is a 24-year-old super-stud who is capable of being one of the best hitters in the game, and possibly one of the best hitters of his generation when his career is all said and done. There is really nothing he cannot do on the offensive side, making the Tigers' lineup downright scary.

Cabrera's defense will never be that great, and the Tigers would be plenty happy if he can be average at the hot corner. There has to be some correlation between Cabrera's poor defense and increasing weight, though. Many sources have stated this offseason that Cabrera has already lost 15-20 pounds and looks like he is in the best shape of his career. If the guy comes into Spring Training with his body toned and weight under control, it may not be long before we are talking about Miguel Cabrera the all-around player, and not just the hitter than we know now.

The Tigers bought low on lefty Dontrelle Willis and really have an opportunity to uncover a nice gem in the former ace. Sure, Willis had a terrible 2007 that left many people questioning his diminishin stuff and whether or not he still has the ability to be a good big league pitcher. I think Willis can return to his 2003 form when he was dominant and turn out to be the second-best starter in this Detroit lineup behind Justin Verlander.

Willis is still plenty young to find his arsenal again, and it may just be that he suffered a down year in 2007. I do not ignore the red flags that come with Willis, but I believe that in terms of talking about having a "bounce back" season, he has a good a chance as anybody.

The Marlins essentially got a cheap, average starting catcher and two players who have a chance to be superstars. There is plenty to be excited about when it comes to Cameron Maybin, and Andrew Miller. Miller, Detroit's 1st round pick in 2006, has yet to throw 100 innings in the big leagues, but did get some valuable experience at the major league level in 2007. The big lefthander can run his fastball up to 97 mph and counter it with a devastating slider.

Despite his age, there is every reason to believe that the Marlins will stick him right into the rotation come Opening Day, and he could turn out to their best pitcher, given the health concerns of Annibal Sanchez. The only factor holding Miller back rght now in terms of value is that he really hasn't done much in the major leagues. His talent is off the charts, but until he proves that he can be an 18-20+ game winner in the major leagues, he will not reach the level of superstar that he is capable of. We, the baseball community as a whole, like to get so excited about young kids and blue-chip prospects who look like the second coming of Roger Clemens or Willie Mays that we throw reality right out of the window. The odds are never in a young pticher's favor to succeed in the major leagues or reach his touted "potential", because the majority of big-time prospects over the years don't pan out to anything close to what was expected. This is even more true for pitchers.

Cameron Maybin has the chance to a five-tool centerfielder in Florida for many years to come. He and Hanley Ramirez in the 3-4 hole would be a pretty scary tandem, but Maybin in only 20 years old and should probably begin 2008 in AA-AAA ball. He got a cup of coffee with the big club in 2007 and hit his first major league homerun off Roger Clemens in Yankee Stadium, although he struggled overall. It would benefit the yougster to spend another full season in the minors for more seasoning, with a September callup as a reward.

I am just not convinced that this is the plan of action that the Marlins will take. Why? Two reasons. The first is that the fans, however small the number is, are eager to see what the hype is all about regarding the kids they got in return for the face of the franchise. To trade away Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis and then put Miller and Maybin in the minor leagues while the big club flounders in despair amidst the bottom of the NL East pile would not sit well with the Florida fan base.

Second, the Marlins just might not have any better options. They certainly don't have five starters who are better than Andrew Miller, even right now, so the kid has got to get the ball. And who in the world is there to hold Maybin back? Alfredo Amezaga? I don't think so. As ugly as the near future may seem in Florid, it is reality and there really is nothing the Marlins can do about it except roll the pieces out there and cross their fingers.

Baseball brings buzz to Nashville

Writers, agents, and club executives gather in the thick of winter each year for four days that usually turn out to be the most active in the trade market. The Winter Meetings will be held in Nashville, Tennessee beginning Monday, December 3. There hasn't been an offseason in recent years that can say it is creating as much speculation as this one, as many big name stars are being tossed and turned in trade talks.

With Johan Santana, Miguel Cabrera, Dan Haren, and plenty of blue-chip prospects possibly on their way to new homes in the following week, there is plenty of buzz to rev the engines of baseball fans. Santana has been all but labeled as a Yankee or Red Sox, possibly a Minnesota Twin if everything falls through and the GM's of Boston and New York realize it is not worth trading a wealth of cheap, young talent for a soon-to-be outrageously paid superstar.

But regardless of what teams should be doing to aquire the ace, the focus should be on what teams, meaning the Yankees and Red Sox, should not be doing. The Yankees have already been mentioned in a recent blog, so this one offers up perspective on the World Champions.

The Red Sox look like they are a team built to contend for many titles within the next decade. For the sake of an arguement, say health will not effect any team next year and the roster they have on paper will be the roster that is used throughout the season. How can Boston not be considered the favorite to win it all again? I know assuming zero injury is silly because avoiding it entirely is impossible, but that is essentially how we can evaluate teams right now since the injury bug should not plague family vacations in the offseason.

The Twins want Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, and another minor league pitcher in return for Johan Santana. The Red Sox should turn and run as fast as possible from this deal. Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz are both true number one starters, Buchholz will be soon at least, and Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka as the 3/4 starters are far beyond what any club could expect out of those rotation spots.

Jacoby Ellsbury showed what he is capable of in the postseason and is ready to break onto the scene next year in his first full major league season, and will probably become one of the game's best centerfielders within three years. Minor leaguer Jed Lowrie is waiting in the wings and is suppossed to be a budding superstar shortstop destined for a great big league career. Justin Masterson, a candidate for the fourth player in the Santana deal, is a big right-handed horse who could be a frontline starter or dominating reliever at the back of the bullpen. Masterson and Papelbon? Forget about it.

I believe that Johan Santana is the best pitcher on the planet and that it is borderline crazy to not snag him when he is available. With that said, when does trading away a heap of talent become counter-productive? That is the position the Red Sox are in now. I think the Red Sox would be worse off, as crazy as this sounds, to trade for Johan Santana. They will not win as many games over the next 5-7 years with Santana as they would with Lester, Buchholz, Ellsbury, Lowrie, and Masterson all graduating to the big club and creating a nucleus of players that has the chance to be better than the group of Yankees that came up in the mid-90s, which included Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Much of negotiations is a game of cat and mouse, seeing which side is going to crack first. The Red Sox do not need to hold firm on their reluctance to trade Ellsbury AND lester for the sake of hoping that Minnesota will give in and settle for less. The Red Sox need to hold firm because they will be trading away the future success of the organization if they don't.