5 AL Players to Watch in 2012

There can be no ying without the yang, no Cheech without the Chong, no.... alright, you get the picture. I already profiled 5 NL players to keep your eye on in 2012 yesterday. The time has come to check out their AL counterparts and see what talent is out there. With no further adieu:

Austin Jackson - Detroit Tigers

When the Tigers decided to let Curtis Granderson go after the 2009 season, many people wondered if perhaps they should have considered picking up another center fielder "just in case" the young Jackson would not be able to handle the pressure of the big leagues.

Handle the pressure he did indeed. He came in 2nd in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2010 posting a .293 batting average with a .345 OBP and an even .400 SLG to give him an OPS of .745... pretty impressive for a rookie. He played in 154 games and offered the Tigers a player who could get on base and provided some speed on the base paths (stealing 27 bags in 2010, 22 in 2011.)

What I like the most about Jackson is the fact that he seems to have filled in for Granderson without missing a beat. This says a lot considering they are two different styles of baseball player. The best part for Detroit? Jackson is under team control until 2016, and not arbitration eligible until 2013.

Matt Weiters - Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles have themselves a blessing behind the plate. While most teams fight for quality catchers, the O's have developed their own in Matt Weiters. While only 25 years old, Weiters has played in 3 seasons and has already made his first All-Star team (2011) with a shiny Golden Glove to match.

Weiters has been on the radar of many baseball insiders since his minor-league days. While many teams have tried to lure the O's in to trading him away, ownership has seen the value that the young catcher has to offer their team. In his short career, Weiters is showing glimpses of brilliance. The numbers he has put up in his first three seasons remind me incredibly of Pudge Rodriguez - a little bit of power, dependability at the plate and a decent batting average. Sure, Pudge would go on to be a career .296 hitter, but in his first three seasons he posted a .265 BA, while Weiters is on the same path, with an identical .265 career BA.

Now, I'm not saying that Weiters is going to be the next Pudge, but he sure could be. Like Pudge's breakout 1994 season, I think Weiters will share the same success in 2012.

Michael Pineda - Seattle Mariners

If you've been reading me for a while you know that Pineda was my mid-season selection to be the AL MVP. I think the man is a beast. Pitching behind King Felix is no easy task, especially in a win-deprived Mariners organization.

Sorry Seattle, I know you're a baseball town. It's just been awhile.

However, Pineda is a bonafied Major League Pitcher and all I needed for proof was how well he handled his game in 2011. He posted a 3.74 ERA and a WHIP of only 1.099, which to me negates his 9-10 record. It is worth mentioning that his WHIP was good enough for 14th overall in 2011, behind a laundry list of 13 All-Stars and some future Hall of Fame players. No other rookie ranked higher. That says a lot to me.

The man is only 22 years old and proved in his first year he could pound the cheese. 2012 will allow him to prove his dominance in a week AL West.

Mike Moustakas - Kansas City Royals

Mike Moustakas was wildely considered to be the best third base prospect in Major League Baseball going into the 2011 season. While many (myself included) thought perhaps the Royals would use him as trade bait, they wisely decided to hold on to this young stud and ended up utilizing him in 2011 for 89 games.

While his numbers were less than impressive in 2011, all scouting reports indicate that this kid has the stuff to be a solid Major League third baseman. By many accounts, this may be my longest of shots as far as young talent goes. While in the minors, Moustakas was dominant. He showed excellent defensive flashes with an ability to get on base with a little bit of power.

Sure, playing in Kansas City might make it a little difficult to tangibly see the numbers to back up the development of this particular player. However, he is one to use your eyeball test on. From what I have seen on him play, the kid has a bright future. He is only 23 and still very wet behind the ears. It looks (doesn't it always) as though the Royals are trying to be competitive again in 2012, making a couple of minor moves that included trading away Melky Cabrera for pitching. Perhaps they think players like Moustakas will provide the offense their lineup would otherwise be missing with Cabrera's departure. Time will tell.

Last but not least....

Ivan Nova - New York Yankees

Look, I really didn't want to talk about any major market teams for this particular article, but looking at what Nova did for the Yankees in 2011, it is hard NOT to take a look at him.

As a Red Sox fan, I sat back at the start of the 2011 season and scoffed at the Yanks, rolling out "this Nova kid" in their rotation against the formidable offenses in the AL East. Yet, "this Nova kid" managed to put up a 16-4 record with a 3.70 ERA and a 1.331 WHIP. Last I checked, that worked out to be better than the Red Sox starting 5. While sure, Lester may have had a lower ERA and Beckett might have had a lower WHIP - that stat line would have been GLADLY accepted from any of the Boston starting five in 2011.

Nova has me very curious as to what he can do moving forward. Realistically, the man only has 38 games of service in the Majors, but his numbers have been out of this world. By all indication he will continue on the same path in 2012, making the Yankee search for a solid #2 starter behind CC Sabathia null and void. Realistically, they should be seeking a #3, as Nova, in my mind, has the stuff to be called an ace on most staffs, definitely #2 on the Yankees.

5 NL Players to Watch in 2012

One thing I truly love about the game of baseball is the never- ending revolving door of new and upcoming talent the game has to offer.

Every few years, a new class of player comes in and takes the reigns from those that came before them. Often times we ignore their talent while still basking in the excellence of the previous class. Baseball is starting to catch up to the idea of drafting the young talent rather than paying for it at the end of its prime.

While I'm sure we will still see teams vastly overpaying for players as they head into the twilight years of their careers (much like the Yankees did with Alex Rodriguez; offering a 10-year contract that will take him into his 40's carrying an average annual salary of $27.5million) I'm certain that we will see other teams draft well and be competitive with their young crop of players. Here are five players to watch in 2012 in the National League:

Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates

The 25-year old center fielder for the Pirates has emerged as one of the finer young talents in the National League. He is currently pre-arbitration eligible and under team control through the 2016 season. He came in 4th in 2009 in Rookie of the Year voting and has made his first All-Star appearance in 2011, not too bad for someone making $453,000.

What I like a lot about McCutchen is his consistent production and tenacious play. While he has three years of Major League experience under his belt (420 games to be exact) he has managed to hit fairly consistently and see an increase in his power numbers. His career batting average is .276, taking a dip after a low 2011 season batting .259. However, his home run total in 2011 was 23, 7 more than in 2010 and 11 more than his rookie year in 2009. Defensively, in 2011 his range factor was a 2.73, first in the National League for outfielders .

Mike Stanton - Miami Marlins

The Marlins are making a lot of noise this Hot Stove season, but some of the largest grumblings could come from their existing outfield. Stanton is just 22 years old, pre-arbitration eligible earning $417,000 in 2011, and is under team control until 2017. Stanton has only played in 250 games in the Major Leagues, but I feel he is on the cusp of really breaking out in 2012.

Entering the Majors in 2010 at 20 years old, Stanton made an immediate impact, belting in 22 home runs and 59 RBI's in just 100 games. While his batting average was just .259 his OBP was .326 and he slugged .507, giving him an OPS of .833, pretty good numbers for a rookie, let alone one so wet behind the ears. In 150 games in 2011 his numbers increased across the board. His stat line looked like this: 34 HR, 87 RBI's, .262 AVG. His OBP increased to .356, SLG to .537 and his OPS to .893. I think he is positioned for a large breakout this season. If the Marlins miss out on Pujols or Fielder, but manage to bring in Reyes - the middle of their lineup will be scary, anchored by Stanton.

Hunter Pence - Philadelphia Phillies

When the Phillies pulled the trigger to land Pence in 2011 at the trade deadline, I thought the move was brilliant. They needed to get younger and managed to land a solid rightfielder in Pence. While he may not take the spotlight from the stars surrounding him on the Phillies, his contribution in 2012 will certainly be felt.

Pence is a 2-time all star and a career .292 hitter. He has a career OBP of .343 and SLG of .485 with a .828 OPS. In other words, you know exactly what you are getting from Pence. His numbers come from four and a half seasons in the Astros organization that really had no threats around him in the lineup. Being added to such a deep lineup as the Phillies, in a full season I feel that we are likely to see Pence's numbers go up across the board. Just looking at his splits from last season, in 54 games with the Phillies he hit as many HR's as he did in Houston (11 each) but his BA went from .308 to .324, his OBP from .356 to .394, his SLG from .471 to .560 and his OPS from .828 to .954. I think this trend is only going to continue with a full season in Philly. Pence is only 28 and is in the middle of his prime.

Freddie Freeman - Atlanta Braves

Obviously I am high on Freeman, he was my mid-season pick to be NL Rookie of the Year. The man can play and I firmly doubt we will see any type of sophomore slump from the Braves first baseman in 2012.

He is only 22 years old, making $414,000 in 2011 and in my opinion, is already a stud. He placed second in 2011 Rookie of the Year voting, losing out to his teammate, RP Craig Kimbrel. In 157 games for the Braves, Freeman's stat line looked like this: 161 hits, 21 home runs, 76 RBI's, .282 BA, .346 OBP, .448 SLG and a .795 OPS. Defensively, Freeman only committed 6 errors, posting a .996 fielding percentage. Solid numbers from your first year first baseman.

It appears he is quite comfortable facing Major League pitching. If his first full season was any indication of what may come from the man, 2012 should prove to be impressive.

Last, but not least...

Justin Upton - Arizona Diamondbacks

You can make the case that Upton is already a star, but I feel the younger Upton brother is just starting to show the flashes of brilliance he has to offer. At just 24 years old, the D'Backs were wise to lock Upton up with a 6-year/$50million contract to keep him in the desert through 2015. Upton is a 2 time All-Star and a Silver Slugger winner. In 2011 he finished 4th in NL MVP voting. In short, Upton is a beast.

In 2011, Upton posted career highs in HR's (31), RBI's (88) and OBP (.369); he also managed a .529 slugging and .898 OPS, both were the second highest numbers in his career. What I like about Upton as well is his speed, swiping 21 bags. I don't want to over-step any boundaries here, but looking at Upton's young career reminds me of Barry Bonds from 1987-1991. Now, before you harp on me for that, I am a huge Bonds fan, I am well aware of his numbers for that time, and while Bonds posted better numbers than Upton, I am just trying to point out the similarities between the two.

Who is to say that Upton, again just 24 years old, can't have an MVP caliber career from here on out? After all, Bonds didn't get his first MVP until he was 25 years old.

Thankful for Curt Schilling

As a Boston Red Sox fan, today I am thankful for Curt Schilling. It was on Thanksgiving in 2003 that Curt decided to waive his no-trade clause from the Arizona Diamondbacks and agreed to come to Boston. Without Curt Schilling and his heroics, the 86 year curse may have not been broken yet and Sox fans hunger for a World Series championship would be insatiable. Thank you, Curt.

Ortiz Should Be Praying for Arbitration

There is a chance that David Ortiz could be back in Boston next season.

The Red Sox have until midnight tomorrow night to offer the slugger arbitration for the 2012 season, which would make David Ortiz mighty wealthy for one season's worth of work. As it stands, Ortiz would make in the area of $14million if he accepted the Sox arbitration offer to bring him back.

The plus side of the equation for Ortiz is that he will be making significant money to do what he has been doing well for so many years in Boston. The down side to accepting arbitration is the fact that the money he would be making is not guaranteed.

This could be cause for concern to Ortiz and his agent.

Let's look back to the 2009 season. Ortiz started off abysmally in April and May. He did not hit his first home run of the season until May 20th against Toronto, at which point he was only batting .210 with a .319 OBP. He finished the season only batting .238 but did manage 28 home runs and 99 RBI's with an OPS of .794 (his lowest ever as a full time player.)

In 2010, his April was as painful to watch as in 2009. While he managed to homer much earlier in this season (April 23rd to be exact) his bat was still a major concern. His batting average at the end of April was a dreadful .143 with an OPS of .524. Once again, he did rebound to have a fine statistical season, but in an arbitration year, he may not get a full season to turn things around.

Both years he was under contract, therefore his money was guaranteed. In an arbitration year, slow starts like in 2009 or 2010 could mean that the Red Sox would entertain the idea of cutting ties with Ortiz and have no obligation to pay him the salary.

On the other hand, if Ortiz opted not to accept arbitration, he likely could find another offer on the market in the 2-year, $14million ballpark. This offer could come from the Red Sox, but if he declines the arbitration I could see the Sox low-balling him with a 2-year deal in the $10million range. In the event he decided to walk away from the Red Sox, he is still considered to be a type-A free agent in the new collective bargaining agreement, so Boston would gladly accept the 2 draft picks that would come in his place.

They then would find another DH in that same $10million range and be quite content.

Though I have made it clear in the past that I believe it is time for the Red Sox to move on from David Ortiz, I do think that it would make sense for both parts to be active in getting an arbitration deal done. While it is more money than what I think Ortiz is worth for a one-year deal, it would be a nice compromise in that the Red Sox could keep him on the roster on a year-to-year basis with no fully vested monetary commitment should his statistics falter.

Valentine's Day for Red Sox?

It is being widely reported that Bobby Valentine will meet with the General Manager of the Boston Red Sox, Ben Cherington, today to discuss the managerial vacancy at Fenway.

It seems a bit unfortunate that Cherington is the last of the front office to interview Valentine; considering the fact that he has already met with Henry, Warner and Lucchino. This meeting seems arbitrary, with the assumption that the job is already Valentines and the meeting with Cherington looks to be for appearances.

This is the same goofy Bobby Valentine that was ejected from a Mets game, only to come back into the dugout in disguise in order to try and be a part of the rest of the game. No, he will never live that down.

This is the same Bobby Valentine that was fired by the Mets in 2002 after finishing 75-86 with a star studded team that included future Hall of Fame member Roberto Alomar, along side stars Mike Piazza, Mo Vaughn and Jeremy Burnitz. This was a team whose chief problem was laziness and motivation. That sounds awfully familiar Sox fans, doesn't it?

It is no secret that Bobby Valentine is a Larry Lucchino guy. Valentine has gone on record to say that his relationship with Lucchino is so, he would consider calling him a friend. That sounds awfully convenient to me. It also sounds like Cherington was set up to fail in his search for a new manager for the club.

I don't want to spend the entire article bashing Valentine. Obviously there is some merit to him being considered for the position, even if I'm not particularly fond of the idea.

Valentine did see significant success with the New York Mets in 1999 and 2000. Both seasons he managed the team to over 90 wins (97 in '99, 94 in '00) and made it to the World Series in 2000. He was a very good manager for the Mets in 1997 and 1998, recording 88 wins each of those seasons after taking over the club in 1996. His progress was significant, until the World Series loss, the team seemed to just slip away from him.

While many consider him to be a system guy that can relate to players, I seem him as a .500 manager. In fact, he only posts a .510 winning percentage in his 15 years managing in Major League Baseball.

Bringing Valentine in is, in my mind, a short term solution. The man is 61 and by just looking at his numbers, a decent manager. This is not a long-term solution by any means.

Perhaps the Red Sox are bringing in a guy like Valentine because they know what to expect from him. Perhaps this is just a move to keep the seat warm for a full-court press at Joe Maddon (whose contract is up after 2012) OR John Farrell, when he becomes available.

I have no idea what the brass is thinking here. What I do know is that the fan base is starting to get restless and are certainly tired of the beloved Red Sox being a laughing stock in the eyes of the rest of the league. Enough toying around, let's start getting some business done.

WHAT IF: Torre & LaRussa ARE Being Interviewed For The Sox Gig?

What if this line of "B" list managerial prospects is nothing more than a smoke-screen by the Red Sox front office?

What if, right now, behind closed doors somewhere, Larry Lucchino is on the phone with Tony LaRussa or Joe Torre, trying to convince them that they are the right candidate for the vacant Red Sox job?

What if the first round of interviews was nothing more than pandering, trying to buy time to work a deal with one of these two coaching legends?

Listening to the radio on the way home today I heard these possibilities being tossed around, and it made me curious. Both men have the cache' to want their names kept private in the event that neither landed the position. Torre, being under contract with Major League Baseball, has a bit more at stake than LaRussa, whom is currently retired.

What this would mean for the Red Sox is a bit complicated. First, it would tell you that Ben Cherington is really just a face. He wields no actual power and Larry Lucchino is pulling all of the strings behind the scenes. Why else would he allow Cherington to go through the charade of interviewing candidates for the position that nobody seems all too excited about?

What if the Sox are on the phone with Toronto, offering up Will Middlebrooks and Anthony Ranaudo so that they could offer the managerial job to John Farrell?

I am having a hard time believing that the finalists for the Red Sox managerial job are: Torey Lovullo, Sandy Alomar and Gene Lamont with the outside possibility of Bobby Valentine. I'm not buying it. Something is going on behind the curtain.

I can certainly understand discretion in the selection. The problem is, if any of these conspiracy theories prove correct, what does that tell us about Ben Cherington's role with the team?

AL West Is Now Astro Turf

Last night Major League Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig, announced that the sale of the Houston Astros from Dayton McClane to a group lead by Houston businessman Jim Crane.

The deal is reportedly for $610 million, which originally was slated to be $680 million, but was discounted because the Astros will be moving to the American League West division starting in 2013.

This takes Texas entirely out of the National League, bringing the Astros into the same division as their state rivals, the Texas Rangers, who play in Arlington. Aside from the elimination of the state of Texas in the National League, this approved sale, and switching of leagues is going to have substantial impact on how the game is both played and managed starting in 2013.

First things first, with Houston joining the American League, that now offers both leagues 15 teams/three 5-team divisions. In having this odd number of teams per league that will force there to be at least one inter-league series going on at a time. There are both pros and cons to this move.

The pros are pretty obvious - you get to expand the audience for every team in Major League Baseball. As a baseball fan, I can personally sit down and watch a game between the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers and be perfectly content. Most people can only do that if one of those two teams is their home team. Most, in fact, probably could not name more than 1 or 2 players from teams that they do not see on a regular basis. This is going to change that instantly.

The beautiful thing of this for me, is that while I live in an American League city, people around here are not familiar with truly how good the National League and its players are. There is a sense of superiority in the American League. I mean, it is hard not to think that way with teams like the Yankees and Red Sox in this division.

Now, the spectrum of talent will be eye opening to many. People who have no idea how brilliant players like Justin Upton are, for example, will finally get to see him play, albeit maybe once or twice a season. Those that don't know how Cole Hammels would handle American League batters, be prepared, his day is coming.

The cons - this will force inter-league play every day. To me, I don't see the down side to this. However, there are many American League teams that will feel the pain of it, much like the Boston Red Sox complained about in 2011 - not being able to play their DH in the National League parks. While I think in the long run, Major League Baseball will inevitably turn to the designated hitter across the board, for now, the rules are simple - you play by our rules in our house.

This can lead to the demise of the last of the one-dimensional designated hitters. David Ortiz anyone? Players like Ortiz will have little value in 2013 baseball. He is not the best fielder in the world, so teams would only be looking at him for his bat - something that will only be utilized X amount of times during the season, depending on how many inter-league games are actually played.

This brings back my argument from a week or so ago that the modern DH has to be one of versatility. It is the way baseball is headed, and I think it is the right way to go. While I have a deep appreciation for National League game play, I think that the American League has it right. Let your pitchers worry about pitching, and not being an almost automatic out, and leave the hitting to the position players.

Now, along with the announcement of the sale of the Astros, Selig also announced the addition of 2 wild card teams, starting presumably at the end of the 2012 season. This brings a total of 10 teams into the mix at the end of the season for a shot at going to the World Series. If this isn't incentive for those borderline teams to make moves this off season, I don't know what is.

By all accounts it appears that the 2 wild card teams would have a one game playoff to determine who would move on to play the division champions. This is a fantastic idea. How many times have teams been shafted, specifically in the American League, because one division has been so strong that the wild card gets locked up fairly early on? This gives teams a reason to fight, and I love it.

There we have it folks, Selig changing the game for the better right before our eyes. The landscape is changing. How the game is going to be played is changing. Everything is just going to be getting more and more exciting for the sport of Major League Baseball.