2021 Detroit Tigers Team Preview (30 Clubs in 30 Days) Torkelson Cuts Finger on Can?!

Today, it’s time to talk about the Detroit Tigers, a team that has been rebuilding for far too long after trading Justin Verlander back in 2017.  However, they are getting closer now with a huge inventory of young talent, one of which, their first overall pick Spencer Torkelson, has unfortunately suffered an injury and will miss some Spring Training games.  The problem?  Yes, it’s one of those injuries – he cut his finger while opening a can.  You couldn’t afford a good can opener with that $8 million bonus?  All joking aside, he should be fine and back very soon and is one of many massive talents that this team has in their system.  Today, however, we’re going to focus mainly on the 2021 team, which will feature newly hired manager A.J. Hinch, getting another opportunity after being let go by the Astros in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal.

Additions

• SP Jose Urena (FA/Marlins)

• C Wilson Ramos (FA/Mets)

• OF Robbie Grossman (FA/A’s)

• OF Nomar Mazara (FA/White Sox)

• 2B Jonathan Schoop (Re-Signed)

• OF Akil Baddoo (Rule /Twins)

• SP Derek Holland (Minors)

• C Dustin Garneau (Minors)

• 2B Greg Garcia (Minors)

• 1B Renato Nunez (Minors)

• SP Julio Teheran (Minors)

Jose Urena

New additions to this club include some recognizable names but no real game changers for 2021.  Jose Urena isn’t a signing I completely understand.  Not only has he not been very good with an ERA over 5 for the past 2 seasons, but he’s wild, he hits batters too often, he doesn’t have great strikeout numbers, and has dealt with controversy more than once.   Yet, somehow he earned a $3.25 million contract.  Whoever is agent is, he or she deserves a round of applause.  They signed Wilson Ramos for some much needed depth at catcher while some of their younger options get more development.  Robbie Grossman was signed to be a veteran presence in the outfield and he should get every opportunity to contribute on a daily basis in Detroit. 

Nomar Mazara struggled in 2020 with just one home run but is normally good for 20 bombs and at least a .250 average and close to a .320 on-base.  In a somewhat surprising move that I’m sure made a lot of Tigers fans happy, Jonathan Schoop was re-signed on a 1 year, $4.5 million dollar deal.  Schoop has 25-30 home run power over a full season and hit well in 2020. Finally, the Tigers snagged Akil Baddoo from the Twins in the Rule 5 Draft, a guy with great speed and a decent bat but hasn’t played above Single A.  He looks to trend more towards being a 4th outfielder and with all the good talent the Tigers have in their system, I would be surprised if he makes it through the entire season without getting sent back to Minnesota.  Other than that, you can see a few familiar names on Minor League Deals, all of whom have had big league in the past.  Renato Nunez has the biggest chance to contribute and he may end up in the Starting Lineup with 30-home run potential.

Lineup

1.       Robbie Grossman LF

2.       Jonathan Schoop 2B

3.       Miguel Cabrera DH

4.       Jeimer Candelario 1B

5.       Wilson Ramos C

6.       Mazara/Reyes RF

7.       Paredes/Nunez 3B

8.       JaCoby Jones CF

9.       Willi Castro SS

Bench

Harold Castro IF

Niko Goodrum IF

Christin Stewart OF

Grayson Greiner C

Jake Rogers C

Daz Cameron OF

Akil Baddoo OF

Willi Castro

Robbie Grossman should be the everyday left-fielder, with a career .350 On-Base-Percentage and power numbers slowly increasing.  He hit 8 home runs in 166 at bats in 2020 and stole 8 bases.  Jonathan Schoop, as mentioned, is a massive re-signing as he brings real power and on-base skills to his lineup while playing good defense.  In 2017, Schoop hit 32 home runs and over 100 RBI for the O’s, just to show his potential and he’s still only 29 years old.  Miguel Cabrera is still a feared hitter with an average exit velocity of 93.2 in 2020.  In 2021 he will be hitting his 500th home run and maybe even his 3000th hit.  He can’t run very fast but other than that, Miggy is some one you want in this lineup even at 38.   Jeimer Candelario is a switch hitter who makes good contact often and is a plus defender.  He hit .297 with 7 homers in 2020.

After that, there’s newcomer Wilson Ramos, a 2-time All Star who brings some experience to the catcher position after some disappointing seasons by Jake Rogers and Grayson Greiner.  Greiner is an obvious backup while Rogers might need more work in the minors.  Like I said earlier, Mazara has 20-home run power but Victor Reyes should get plenty of starts in the outfield as well as a switch hitter with good bat speed and some nice advanced stats from 2020 indicating good things to come, such as a 41% hard hit rate.  If Renato Nunez makes the team, he’s another big-power bat that hit 31 home runs in 2019 with another 12 in 216 at bats in 2020.  He’s got a career .248 average with a .313 on-base.  The downside is he doesn’t walk much, strikes out a lot and is considered a one-dimensional player.  Still, with that power potential, I expect him to make the team.  The other option is Isaac Paredes, a much more patient hitter with some pop who hasn’t shown much at the big league level yet but should get another opportunity in 2021.

Jacoby Jones has improved his patience at the plate with a career-high .333 on-base last season and .849 OPS.   He could be in line for the breakout season he’s been waiting for in 2021 if he can stay healthy.  Willi Castros is a switch-hitter who had an insane 2020 with a .349 average, hitting over .340 from both sides of the plate.  He won’t maintain that over a full season but obviously has strong bat to ball skills and some power as well with 6 home runs last year.  Another infield option is Nico Goodrum, who provides strong defense but strikes out too much at the plate. Overall, this lineup is better than one might expect from the Tigers, especially without Spencer in there yet.  There’s a lot of home run potential, decent speed, some good contact hitters and even a Hall-of-Famer mixed in.  There is currently a lack of young superstar talent and a lot rides on how JaCoby Jones and Robby Grossman will do.  Still, I’m going to give the Tigers Starting Lineup a decent score of a C+.

Rotation

1.       Matt Boyd

2.       Spencer Turnbull

3.       Michael Fulmer

4.       Casey Mize

5.       Jose Urena

6.       Tarik Skubal

Julio Teheran

Matt Manning

Daniel Norris

Franklin Perez

Matt Boyd

The rotation won’t be officially set until Opening Day and some guys like Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal might start the year in Triple A.  That said, the youngsters might be the only hope for this rotation.  At the top, Matt Boyd had the worst ERA in the American League last season.  His slider isn’t what it used to be and he has to prove he can still get it done in 2021.  A lot of Tigers fans have already given up on Boyd and think that General Manager Al Avila should do the same.  Spencer Turnbull has a good fastball/slider combo and can eat up some innings but gives up a lot of hits and struggles with fielding his position.  Michael Fulmer hasn’t looked great since his Tommy John Surgery but with another offseason of rest, he’ll get another shot to see if he can figure something out. 

Finally, there’s Casey Mize, the first overall pick.  He absolutely has to be ready as soon as possible for this rotation to be even serviceable.  He’s got a potentially elite splitter and obviously filthy stuff that made him the top prospect in the draft.  Now, he has to unleash that potential.  Urena, as I mentioned, for a $3.25 million deal is a head-scratcher and only provides some extra depth while the youngsters develop.  Tarik Skubal is the another major prospect who blew away his minor league competition in 2019, striking out 179 batters in 122 innings.  The big prospects don’t end there as first round pick Matt Manning should be about ready for an opportunity after an excellent minor league career.  Franklin Perez will probably start in the minors but is also a great looking young arm with strikeout stuff.  Daniel Norris might get another crack at the rotation if necessary, but he can also be a solid long reliever.

This rotation is tough to grade because there are two possible iterations – one with all these studs in the Minors while Boyd, Turnbull, Fulmer and Urena get lit up and the other with arms like Mize, Skubal, Manning and Perez in the rotation and living up to the hype.  The most likely 2021 scenario is somewhere in the middle as the youngsters complete their development and get some experience, it seems 2022 is the year where this rotation might actually look great.  So, for now I am going to assume the rotation will still be rough at least to start the season, but the future is starting to look interesting for this pitching staff.  I’m going to give this rotation a C- until the new phenoms start to kick out the old guard. 

Bullpen

• Bryan Garcia

• Gregory Soto

• Buck Farmer

• Jose Cisnero

• Joe Jimenez

• Kyle Funkhouser

• Beau Burrows

• Rony Garcia

• Daniel Norris

• Tyler Alexander

• Derek Holland

• David McKay

Bryan Garcia

Looking at the bullpen, Bryan Garcia has a nice rookie campaign in 2020 with a 1.66 ERA.  He creates soft contact with a hard sinker and plus slider.  Gregory Soto brings the heat with a high 90’s fastball and improving slider.  He struck out 29 in 23 but has some control issues.  Buck Farmer is a solid long-time Tiger with a solid changeup and will provide decent but not spectacular stuff out of the bullpen.   Jose Cisnero is a guy with swing-and-miss stuff with a nice slider/fastball combo.  Then there’s Joe Jimenez, who has a nice fastball but it’s not as good as it used to be and he gives up a lot of bombs.  There’s lots of long relief options like Daniel Norris, Tyler Alexander and possibly Derek Holland if he makes the team.  If the top 5 guys out of the pen all pitch to their potential, this could be a pretty good bullpen, but there aren’t a lot of guaranteed shutdown arms.  Overall, I’d say it’s around a C+ with room for improvement.

Overall, this Tigers team is not half bad, especially when all the prospects are up and contributing.  The rotation has B+ or even A- potential and the lineup will obviously be a lot better when Spencer is ready.  For now, although it will tough to compete with teams like the Twins and White Sox in the central, I won’t be surprised if this team crawls out of the basement in 2021 and finishes in 4th or maybe even 3rd place.  I’m going to give the Tigers as an overall team a C.

2021 Colorado Rockies Team Preview (30 Clubs in 30 Days) Worst in The West or Surprise Team?

Staying in the National West today, it’s time to talk about the Colorado Rockies, a team that had a 11-3 record last season and looked like they were gonna be serious competitors in the NL West in 2020 until things fell apart and they finished 26-34.  Their bullpen couldn’t hold leads, the big bats were struggling and things were just not happy in Denver.  Going into 2021, with the Dodgers and Padres stacking up their roster, can this team even hope to compete or is time to tear this thing down? They’ve already traded away Nolan Arenado for left hander Austin Gomber and some mid-tier prospects, which won’t improve their chances.  However, there are still some strong names in that lineup.  The question is can the pitching hold it together?  Let’s look at some of the newcomers in 2021.

Arrivals

• Dereck Rodriguez (FA/Giants, Tigers)

• Robert Stephenson (Trade/Reds)

• Austin Gomber (Trade/Cardinals)

• C.J. Cron (Minors)

• Jordan Sheffield (Rule 5/Dodgers)

Unfortunately, the Rockies aren’t making a ton of upgrades for 2021.  Dereck Rodriguez had an impressive rookie season with the Giants in 2018, but has slowly gotten worse since then until being released last season.  The Tigers claimed him but never used him.  He’s obviously got a good arm and if he can improve his control and get back to something that resembles his 2018 form, he could be a nice bullpen piece and start some games if needed.  They traded for some bullpen help in the form of Robert Stephenson, who has a nice slider with strikeout stuff but gives up a lot of fly balls, which might not bode well for him in Colorado. 

Austin Gomber looked great in 2020 but like everyone, it’s a small sample size.  Over 104 career innings, he has a 3.72 ERA but has great stuff and potential and at just 27, he could have a big season for the Rockies which would help justify trading Arenado.  C.J. Cron has a big bat that should produce a lot of big flies at Coors Field.  He’s a guy with power who usually keeps his batting average relatively respectable.  They did well to snag Jordan Sheffield, a 2016 Dodgers first round pick who has struggled with control in the minors but has a 10.2 strikeout per nine ratio in 211 innings.  In Double A Tulsa in 2019, he walked 32 batters in 37 innings but still held his ERA to 3.58 while striking out 48.  If he can hone his control skills, this could be a great pickup. 

Lineup

1.       Raimel Tapia LF/CF

2.       Trevor Story SS

3.       Charlie Blackmon RF

4.       Ryan McMahon 2B/3B

5.       Josh Fuentes 1B

6.       Elias Diaz C

7.       Hampson/Hilliard CF/LF

8.       Brendan Rodgers 3B/2B

Raimel Tapia

The lineup was definitely the strength for the Rockies going into 2020 and still looks pretty decent even without Arenado.  Tapia has improved his chase rate and hit .321 last year but doesn’t work a ton of walks and doesn’t offer much power.  He does have speed and at just 27, could continue to improve.  Trevor Story is one of the best shortstops in the game and has only gotten better over his career, striking out less and making more consistent hard contact.  He can also fly, leading the league in steals and triples in 2020.  Blackmon can rake when’s on, especially at Coors.  He was hitting over .400 for almost the entire first half of 2020 but then struggled the rest of the way, still finishing at .303 with a nice overall season.  He’s also going to crush 30+ home runs and have an on-base percentage of at least .350.

Ryan McMahon is another guy who can smash the ball but does strike out a lot and hits a lot of groundballs.  He should be good for close to 25 home runs and 80 RBI with at least average defense at second base.  Josh Fuentes hit over .300 in 2020 and is looking to do big things in his first full season.  He can crush off-speed stuff even when it’s not hanging, but he only has 3 walks in his entire career spanning 54 games and 153 at bats.  Elias Diaz was named the minor leagues top defensive catcher and had a nice 2018 with the Pirates, hitting .286 with 10 homers in 250 at bats but hasn’t repeated that performance offensively.  Dom Nunez is a homegrown catcher with some pop who will be a nice backup and occasional starter as well.

Sam Hilliard will get plenty of starts as a powerful and quick player who also needs to cut down on the strikeouts. Between MLB and Triple A in 2019, he hit 42 home runs, which is all you need to know about this guy’s potential.  Ian Desmond opted out of the season again and so Garrett Hampson could get some time in the outfield as well.  He can also fill in at second base and is very versatile but struggled at the plate in 2020, striking out 60 times in 167 at bats with a .234 average.  Finally, Brendan Rodgers should get his opportunity in 2021.  He has at least .300 average and 25-home run potential but far, he has only shown flashes of what the Rockies wanted out of the first round pick and has had injury issues but is apparently healthy and ready to go for ’21. 

Overall, this lineup has definitely lost some thump without Arenado along with some other names from last year like David Dahl and Daniel Murphy.  However, there is still plenty of big bats like Story, McMahon, Blackmon and potentially Rodgers.  There’s nice speed throughout and strong defense although again, without Arenado that takes a little hit.  The negatives are too many strikeouts, unproven talent and inconsistency, especially on the road.  Overall, I’m going to give this lineup a C+.

Rotation

1.       German Marquez

2.       Kyle Freeland

3.       Antonio Senzatela

4.       Jon Gray

5.       Austin Gomber

Ryan Castellani

Chi Chi Gonzalez

Peter Lambert

Dereck Rodriguez

Kyle Freeland

At the top of the rotation is German Marquez, who has a nice hard fastball with a great slider and curve.  In 2020, he had a 2.06 ERA on the road, which might be a more accurate indicator of his season.  He struggled at Coors Field, however, which is the story for most pitchers.  Kyle Freeland had a nice bounceback season after a horrific 2019.  He has a big arsenal of pitches and started mixing in more curves and changeups last season, which seemed to make a difference.  He ended up 2020 with a 4.33 ERA, which is about what you can expect from him again in 2021.  Antonio Senzatela is a ground-ball pitcher and won’t strike out a ton of guys.  He was great on the road with a 2.1 ERA and 3-0 record.  At home, he was 2-3 with a 4.62 ERA.  Story of a Rockies pitcher.  Jon Gray lost some velocity in 2020 and showed a big decrease in his strikeout ability.  He had a 6.69 ERA in 2020 and needs to figure something out for ’21.  Finally, the young Austin Gomber should get every opportunity to crack the rotation after a solid year with the Cardinals.  There are also other options but no major game changers.  For instance, Ryan Castellani walked more hitters than he struck out in 2020.  Like I mentioned, Dereck Rodriguez has a great arm but he hasn’t been good since 2018.  Ultimately, this rotation is shaky at best and doesn’t seem well constructed for a team that plays at Coors Field.  Jon Gray’s velocity drop is concerning, Kyle Freeland’s advanced stats don’t indicate great things to come, and Senzatela is great on the road but gives up too much contact for success at Coors.  Overall, there is a lot of nice talent here but for a Rockies rotation, I am going to give it a D.

Bullpen

• Daniel Bard

• Mychal Givens

• Scott Oberg

• Yency Almonte

• Chi Chi Gonzalez

• Tyler Kinley

• Robert Stephenson

• Phillip Diehl

• Ben Bowden

• Joe Harvey

• Lucas Gilbreath

• Yoan Aybar

• Antonio Santos

• Jesus Tinoco

• Jose Mujica

• Dereck Rodriguez

Daniel Bard

When your best option for a closer is a guy who retired 7 years ago, you might have issues.  That said, Daniel Bard was a great comeback story and at 35, he came back throwing high 90’s heat with a killer slider.  If he continues to pitch well, he could be the favorite to close out games.  However, Scott Obert is another solid arm who missed 2020 after a major surgery should be back in 2021 and if he looks good in Spring Training, he is a closer option as well.  Fomer O’s closer Mychal Givens also has good stuff with a mid-90’s fastball and wipeout slider.  After that, there’s Yency Almonte who was one of the few relievers to pitch well for the Rockies in 2020, keeping contact soft and limiting walks.  Robert Stephenson should help although he got hit hard last year for the Reds, he’s got a nice slider and over a long season, should be okay.  One left-handed option Phillip Diehl has great strikeout ability but has gotten lit up in the limited opportunities he’s gotten.  The big wild card for me is another lefty Ben Bowden, who is absolutely filthy and struck out 186 minor league batters in 127 innings.  He should make his big league debut in 2021. Tyler Kinely has potential but major control issues. Overall, this bullpen should be at least as good if not better than it was in 2020, but lacks reliable and consistent shutdown relievers.  There are several good arms though and a lot of depth with the rotation, meaning there will be plenty of long relief options.  Overall, I think this bullpen is decent but, at Coors Field, you’ll never have a bullpen with pretty stats.  So with that in mind, I’m going to give this bullpen a C+ because I like the names; I just don’t expect them to be great, especially at home.

So, there you have it for the Rockies.  This is a team that has a few nice bats in the lineup, a few good arms in the pen but I really worry about the rotation.  Also, with trading away Arenado, the players know this isn’t a team going for anything big and that can have a big effect on the field.  Overall, I’m going to give this team a C-. 

2021 Arizona Diamondbacks Team Preview (30 Clubs in 30 Days)

The Arizona Diamondbacks were a team that looked decent going in 2020 with a chance to compete for at least a Wild Card after signing Madison Bumgarner, Starling Marte and Kole Calhoun among others.  Unfortunately, things went in the opposite direction.  The D-Backs finished in the cellar, losing 35 out of 60 games while Bumgarner got lit up and other guys expected to produce like Eduardo Escobar struggled.  There were a few bright spots like Zac Gallen but overall, it was a massive disappointment of a season that led to trading away key players like Marte and closer Archie Bradley.

Additions

• Tyler Clippard (FA)

• Asdrubal Cabrera (FA)

• Joakim Soria (FA)

• Ryan Buchter (Minors)

• Carlos Navas (Minors)

• Ryder Jones (Minors)

• Trayce Thompson (Minors)

Tyler Clippard

Instead of trying again and going crazy in free agency, the D-Backs have been very quiet this offseason although they have reportedly come to an agreement with veteran reliever Tyler Clippard, who should definitely add some stability to that bullpen.  The deal is reportedly worth about $2.25 million with an option for 2022.  He pitched briefly for the D-Backs back in 2016 and has a career 3.13 ERA with an even 10 strikeouts per nine ratio.  He’s been incredibly consistent throughout his entire career and most recently had a 2.77 ERA with the Twins in 2020.  They also signed another Asdrubal Cabrera, who has a solid bat and can move around the infield, bringing some nice versatility and a big league veteran to help mentor some of the younger prospects.

Joakim Soria was also penned to a one year deal and the former Royals closer had a 2.82 ERA for the A’s last season.  All three of these signings are guys who have continued to perform well but they are also all older veterans who could begin to decline at any moment.  Some of their advanced stats are cause for concern, but then again, these signings are more for depth and experience than game-changers.  The D-Backs can’t really afford to make any major signings right now after the Bumgarner deal – so they seem to be in wait and see mode, making these veteran signings ideal for the moment.

Other familiar names might include Ryan Buchter, a very good left-handed reliever who has pitched well recently for the A’s and should have a good shot at making the team, long-time Giants prospect Carlos Navas, who showed some great stuff in the minors, former second round pick Ryder Jones, a talented infielder with power who battled injuries and never got a full big league opportunity, former White Sox prospect and power-hitter Trayce Thompson, who’s still hanging around after washing out of the big leagues a couple years ago and

Lineup

1.       Ketel Marte 2B

2.       Christian Walker 1B

3.       David Peralta LF

4.       Eduardo Escobar 3B

5.       Kole Calhoun RF

6.       Nick Ahmed SS

7.       Daulton Varsho CF

8.       Carson Kelly C

Bench

Asdrubal Cabrera IF

Pavin Smith C

Josh Rojas IF

Wyatt Mathisen IF

Tim Locastro OF

Stephen Vogt C

Eduardo Escobar

Here is an example of a starting lineup for the 2021 Arizona Diamondbacks, which looking at reminds me why I liked them so much a year ago.  Ketel Marte was the 2019 batting champ with power and was one of the key reasons I was hot on the D-Backs going into 2020.  He went from 32 bombs in 2019 to a grand total of 2 in 2020.  He’s still hit the ball well to all fields, had great speed and solid defense but it would be nice if he could find that power from 2019.  I am guessing he does find it again with at least 25 home runs in 2021.  Christian Walker will do the same while playing good defense at first.  He can work the walk, keep his batting average above .250 and threaten to go deep at any moment. 

David Peralta is great two-way talent who won a Silver Slugger in 2018 then a Gold Glove in 2019.  He doesn’t walk much but hit over .300 in 2020 and in his last full season crushed 30 home runs.  After all that it’s Eduardo Escobar’s turn.  He also had a massive 2019, hitting 32 bombs and 118 RBI then fell flat in 2020, hitting .212 with just 4 homers in over 200 at bats.  At 32, he could be better in 2021 than 2020 but don’t expect 118 RBI again.  Kole Calhoun continues to crush the ball while playing strong defense in the outfield.  He was the one guy who did not have a power outage in 2020 by smashing 16 home runs finishing 3rd in the National League. 

David Peralta

Nick Ahmed has usually been known as a gold glove defender with a decent bat, but has recently shown more power, hitting 19 bombs in 2019.  He hit .266 with a career high .327 on base in 2020 as well and is definitely a guy you want in the lineup.  Daulton Varsho is currently in line to be the centerfielder despite some struggles at the plate last year.  He was originally catcher but his speed and athleticism are above average and he has a powerful line-drive swing that should yield good results over a full season.  Carson Kelly is another guy who showed a drop in production in 2020 after hitting 18 home runs in 2019.  Stephen Vogt also struggled in 2020 as compared to his 2019.  This was the story of 2020 – massive underperformance as compared to what was expected based on the 2019 season.

There are some nice options off the bench like Tim Locastro, who has consistently shown amazing on-base and bat-to-ball skills and might end up starting more often than not.  Also newcomer Asdrubal Cabrera, as mentioned, can play all over the infield and handle the bat.  Overall, the lineup still looks impressive – especially if you get 2019 production.  However, every one is now 2 years older and most are coming off subpar seasons.  I do think you can expect most who struggled in 2020 to be slightly better but guys like Escobar need to be a lot better.  Based on 2020, this lineup is not nearly as scary as it should be, but just because of all the power threats and the possibility of this lineup averaging 20 home runs per, I can’t give it any lower than a B-.

Rotation

1.       Zac Gallen

2.       Madison Bumgarner

3.       Caleb Smith

4.       Luke Weaver

5.       Merill Kelly

Alex Young

Madison Bumgarner

The rotation for the Diamondbacks actually doesn’t look bad on paper, but upon deeper inspection has some issues.  Zac Gallen had a 2.78 ERA in 2020, averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine and would have been an All Star if there was an All Star Game.  His fastball has impressive movement and he has plus breaking stuff that make him difficult to barrel up.  Madbum is some one I’ll be rooting for even in a D-Backs uniform after a velocity drop caused him to get shelled to the tune of a 6.48 ERA and 1-4 record in 9 starts.  He gave up a startling 13 bombs in 42 innings.  The good news is he looked better after coming off the injured list with a back issue and surely has been working hard to do whatever he has to in order to be better in ’21.  I can’t say the DBacks will ever get vintage 2014 Bumgarner or not regret the contract but he should be better this year.   

Caleb Smith has a nice high-spin fastball and pitched well in 2020 but after only 14 innings of work with Miami and Arizona, that 2.57 ERA might be a little misleading.  He also gave up 3 home runs and 12 walks.  A better sample size might be 2019 when he was 10-11 with a 4.52 ERA.  He was still decent, throwing 153 innings and giving up 128 hits but he gives up a lot of fly balls, many of which are caught and many of which become a souvenir.  If healthy, he’s serviceable but don’t expect a sparkling ERA over a full season.

Luke Weaver has also been known to give up the long ball and this is becoming a trend in the rotation.  He gave up 10 bombs in 52 innings in 2020 with a horrifying record of 1-9 and a 6.58 ERA.  He’s still only 27 and certainly a candidate for a big bounce back season if he can slow down on giving up big flies.  Merrill Kelly might be the best option other than Zac Gallen just based on results.  He was 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 2020 and has a nice low to mid-90’s fastball with a nice mix of cutters and breaking stuff.  He hits his spots, limits walks and could be in line for at least a decent season in 2021 although I doubt he’ll be making any All Star Games.  Lefty Alex Young is another option and he isn’t going to blow any one away but is also serviceable.

I am fairly certain most realistic Diamondbacks fans are heavily concerned about this rotation.  So much rides on how Bumgarner will bounce back and if Zac Gallen’s 2020 was the real deal.  In my opinion, Gallen’s stuff is legit and he will be good again in ’21.  Bumgarner should be better but likely won’t be unhittable – unless of course the D-Backs make the playoffs and then never bet against Mad-Bum.  After that, the rest of the rotation if healthy should be serviceable but not great.  I’m going to give the D-Backs rotation, out of respect for Bum, a C-.

Bullpen

• Tyler Clippard

• Stefan Crichton

• Joakim Soria

• Kevin Ginkel

• Yoan Lopez

• Riley Smith

• Keury Mella

• Travis Bergen

• Taylor Clarke

• Taylor Widener

• Humberto Castellanos

Kevin Ginkel

The bullpen for the Diamondbacks was hurt by the departure of Archie Bradley but maybe not as much as originally thought as Stefan Chrichton stepped up the plate – I mean the mound – and converted all five of his save opportunities. He’s more of a groundball pitcher than a strikeout guy and will have some competition for the closer role in 2021 with the addition of Joakim Soria and Tyler Clippard, both veterans who should make the bullpen better, but as mentioned, are around the age where a decline could happen.  If healthy, Kevin Ginkel has great stuff and I don’t believe his 6.75 ERA in 2020.  He will be a lot better in 2021 if given the opportunity.  Speaking of not believing ERA’s Keury Mella had a 1.8 ERA in 2020 but that’s what a 10 inning sample size does.  Nevertheless, he’s a solid option while Travis Bergen, a former Giant, is a good looking lefty with a nice curve and low 90’s heat.  If there’s one guy who I’d pick for a breakout year it’s Taylor Widener, who throws heat and has strikeout stuff but only 20 innings of big league experience.

Overall, this pen has some nice options but it’s also a bit lacking in definite shutdown arms unless you count Clippard and Soria, who are veterans that should be past their primes.  Those signings are huge though, especially after losing not only Bradley, buit Junior Guerra as well.  The D-Backs did well to replace them with some recognizable names.  Overall, I’m going to give this bullpen a C.

So, that’s it for the Diamondbacks, who are clearly in line for a rough 2020 barring lots of good luck and perhaps a few miracles.  However, like most teams, in a best case scenario, this team could be excellent.  D-Backs fans should right about now be dreaming of Zac Gallen building off his great 2020, MadBum rebounding with his fastball back in 90’s and guys like Marte and Escobar crushing 30+ home runs with ease.  If everything goes perfectly, this team could surprise.  But the most likely scenario in a division with the insane looking Dodgers and Padres is a fight for 3rd or 4th place.  I’m going to give the D-Backs as an overall team a C+.

2021 Texas Rangers Team Preview (30 Clubs in 30 Days) Rangers Sign Ian Kennedy

Today it’s time to preview the 2021 Texas Rangers.  This is a team coming off of an extremely disappointing 2020 in which they finished 22-28 in last place.  Is there a chance that this team can bounce back in 2021 and compete for a playoff spot?  Well, the Rangers front office must not think so because they’ve traded their Ace starting pitcher to the White Sox for two younger pitchers.  Lance Lynn was not only their best starter but basically their only quality starter in 2020, especially after Mike Minor was shipped to Oakland.  Despite the struggles of the pitching, the offense was even worse, finishing dead last in the A.L. in runs scored.

Additions

• Ian Kennedy (Minors)

• Kohei Arihara (FA/Japan)

• David Dahl (FA/Rockies)

• Brett de Geus (Rule 5/Dodgers)

• Dane Dunning (Trade/White Sox)

• Nate Lowe (Trade/Rays)

• Khris Davis (Trade/A’s)

• Mike Foltynewicz (FA/Braves)

• Josh Sborz (Trade/Dodgers)

• Delino Deshields (Minors)

• Brock Holt (Minors)

• Charlie Culberson (Minors)

Dane Dunning

The Rangers did make a few additions in attempt to stay as relevant as possible in 2021.  This includes Japanese starter Kohel Arihara, who has a big arsenal of pitches and a solid career in Japan but isn’t going to blow any one away or win a Cy Young.  David Dahl could potentially be one of the best hitters on the team if he can revert back to his 2019 self, which is entirely possible.  Dane Dunning, one of the pickups in the Lance Lynn deal, is extremely promising and could develop into a great big league arm.  Nate Lowe will compete with Ronald Guzman for time at first base.  Khris Davis obviously has insane power but this lineup already has lots of high strikeout low average big power types as I’ll get into.  Mike Foltynewicz is a solid signing but he had a massive drop in velocity in 2020 and got DFA’d by the Braves.  He will have to reprove himself in Spring Training for Texas.  A few minor league deals also added depth with some familiar names, but no serious game changers.

Ian Kennedy

Lineup

1.       Leody Tavarez CF

2.       Isiah Kiner-Falefa SS

3.       Calhoun/Davis DH

4.       Joey Gallo RF

5.       Nick Solak 3B

6.       Lowe/Guzman 1B

7.       David Dahl LF

8.       Trevino/Garcia/Huff C

9.       Rougned Odor 2B

Rougned Odor

Let’s take a look at a possible lineup for the Rangers and at the top, Leody Tavarez offers the speed and defense you want in centerfield.  His bat needs work for him to be an ideal leadoff man as he struck out 43 times in 119 at bats and hit just .227 but he has 20-20 potential with 8 stolen bases in 8 tries with 4 home runs.  Isiah Kiner-Falefa should be the shortstop.  He’s an aggressive hitter that makes consistent hard contact.  He hasn’t hit a ton of home runs but has the type of swing and approach that could lead to the development of more power.  Defensively, he’s got a great glove with a strong arm, quick feet and soft hands.  It led to a Gold Glove in 2020.  Overall, this is a nice talent to have in the lineup. 

After that, Willie Calhoun should be healthy again after the unfortunate broken jaw he suffered in Spring Training last year.  He did come back but never fully got it going in 2020.  He’s got 30+ home run power if he can ever get a full season in.  Khris Davis is there and if he can return to his older form, which resulted in 48 home runs in 2018, he’ll find his way into the lineup as well.  Unfortunately, he strikes out a ton, like several of the bats in this lineup.  Take Joey Gallo, who hits next and in his last full season struck out over 200 times.  He was 4th in strikeouts in the AL in 2020 and hit just .181 but obviously he has great power and defense.  Is it enough compensation?  In some lineups maybe, but this one is already heavy on strikeouts.  Nick Solak should be the third baseman although Texas Tech product and 8th overall pick Josh Jung should get the call-up at some point.  He was an absolute best with the Red Raiders with an OPS over 1100 in both of his last 2 seasons there. 

As for Solak, he impressed in 2020 with 56 hits in 58 games and 23 runs batted in.  He is more than adequate for now as Jung develops and even then could shift to second place and replace Odor if he continues to hit well in 2021.  Nate Lowe was signed to compete with Ronald Guzman, who hasn’t exploded with the bat as the Rangers had hoped.  However, Lowe wasn’t much better than Guzman in 2020 – in fact, their stats are strikingly similar.  Guzman hit .244 in 2020 with 4 home runs in 78 at bats and 24 strikeouts while Lowe hit .224 with 4 home runs in 67 at bats and 28 strikeouts.  Based on 2020, I’m not sure how Lowe is an upgrade.  Guzman did tear it up in the Winter League and looks to be a man on a mission for 2021.

David Dahl has at least 20 home run potential and more than a solid bat when’s he’s fully healthy.  In 2019 he got in 100 games and hit .302 with 15 home runs.  Jose Trevino is a great defensive catcher who will likely start the season as the starter while Sam Huff develops a little more.  Aramis Garcia will be the backup and may earn more than just a few starts if he shows some of the power he showed with the Giants organization.  He looked on track to be a regular backup to Buster Posey until he had injury issues.  Sam Huff will eventually be the guy though after hitting 28 homers in the Minors in 2019 then hitting .355 with 3 home runs in 31 at bats for the Rangers in 2020.   Finally, Rougned Odor may be a power threat but is a .200 hitter and is striking out more than ever.  In 2020 that average dropped to .167 .  His on-base-percentage was .209.  He needs to show massive improvement or be supplanted.

Overall, there’s no shortage of question marks in this lineup.  Will David Dahl return to his 2019 form and stay healthy?  Can Willie Calhoun bounce back after is 2020 injury and down-year?  Can Odor and Gallo hit over .220 at least?  That said, there’s going to be a lot loud contact with solid bats like Kiner-Falefa, Taveras and Solak.  I also believe Ronald Guzman is going to be a lot better this year and maybe even earn more time at first base than Lowe.  With some young prospects on the way to enhance this lineup, I think it will be halfway decent.  Overall, I give the Rangers lineup a C.

Rotation

1.       Kyle Gibson

2.       Jordan Lyles

3.       Dane Dunning

4.       Kohei Arihara

5.       Mike Foltynewicz

Ian Kennedy

Kolby Allard

Kyle Cody

Taylor Hearn

Hyun-Jong Yang

Looking at some possible names in the rotation, Kyle Gibson had a terrible season although he did throw a shutout in 2020.  His slider was not as effective last year as it usually has been in his career and needs to figure that pitch out again.  He was 2-6 with a 5.35 ERA and is 33 years old so not exactly a guarantee to be great this year but he’s still their best chance at an Ace in 2021.  The good news is he did better as 2020 went along so if it was a regular season, there’s more than good chance he would’ve ended up with much better numbers.  Jordan Lyles  looked like he was throwing BP in 2020, giving up a league high 45 runs, resulting in a 1-6 record.  He gave up 12 home runs and walked 23 in 57 innings.  Still, he was recently successful with the Brewers and the Rangers staff should be working with him to get back to the pitcher he was then. 

Dane Dunning could be the best starter in this rotation if Lyles and/or Gibson don’t have big bounce-back seasons.  He looked fantastic through seven starts in Chicago with a hard sinker and slider combo.  At just 26 years, he has a huge ceiling and could make the Rangers look like geniuses for trading away Lance Lynn.  Kohei Arihara, like I said is a very solid and durable starter with lots of different pitches and ways to attack hitters.  He doesn’t have an especially hard fastball and won’t completely dominate hitters but will keep the Rangers in most games assuming his skillset translates to the big leagues.  Finally, Mike Foltynewicz was a regular in the Braves rotation up until last season when he lost his velocity and got DFA’d.  Word is he’s ramping that velocity back up to normal but until he proves it on the field, he’s a big question mark.

Other options include Kolby Allard, a 2015 first rounder who has a nice changeup but has to improve his overall control in order to set up the pitch properly.  Kyle Cody has similar control problems but is an intimidating presence on the mound with a a sick slider and hard fastball.  Taylor Hearn pitched well out of the bullpen for Texas last year and might get another crack at the rotation in 2020.  Hyun-Jong Yang is a pickup from Korea who can log a ton of innings as a starter or long reliver.  All around, this rotation has some potential if Gibson and Lyles at least somewhat return to form.  Dane Dunning should be at least decent if not fantastic.  After, that there are more question marks – such as did Folty really regain that velocity or is he going to get lit up in Spring Training?  Overall, this rotation at its best could be a C+ or B- but at its worse could be an F.   I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and give it a D+.

Bullpen

• Jose Leclerc

• Jonathan Hernandez

• Joely Rodriguez

• Taylor Hearn

• Josh Sborz

• Brett Martin

• Hyun-Jong Yang

• Brett de Geus

• Wes Benjamin

• Demarcus Evans

• Ian Kennedy

• Justin Anderson

Josh Sborz

Jumping into the bullpen, Jose Leclerc has great stuff but got hurt almost immediately in 2020.  If he can stay healthy, the stuff is there to be a shutdown closer.  Jonathan Hernandez is a solid reliever with high 90’s heat.  Joely Rodriguez was one of the few bright spots on the 2020 Rangers with a 2.13 ERA.  The bad news is, as for most relievers in 2020, the sample size is pretty small.  If Hearn doesn’t make the rotation, he’ll be a solid option out of the pen.  Josh Sborz is a long-time Dodgers prospect with nasty strikeout stuff and could develop into a setup man or even an option to close games if needed.  Brett Martin has been reliable more often than not over the past couple of seasons and then Hyun-Jong Yang is a nice long relief option out of Korea.  Rule 5 guy Brett de Geus was stellar in the low Minor Leagues with the Dodgers organization and will get every opportunity to contribute in 2021 as well.  All in all, this might be the strongest area of the Rangers even without Rafael Montero, who was shipped to Seattle.  There are a lot of reliable arms here but if that rotation can’t eat up enough innings, this pen could get overworked quickly and become a lot more susceptible.  Still, this bullpen is halfway decent and I’m going to give it a C+.

Overall, this team has a lot of good talent and even more on the way but as constructed on Opening Day, won’t be a major threat to compete for a playoff spot in my opinion.  Still, I don’t think this is a 100-loss team and if guys like Kyle Gibson, Jordan Lyles, David Dahl and Joey Gallo all have big seasons, they could even be a surprise team that can compete for a Wild Card spot.  That’s a lot of ifs though.  Overall, I’m going to give the Texas Rangers a C-.

2021 Baltimore Orioles Team Preview (30 Clubs in 30 Days) O's Sign FELIX HERNANDEZ

Continuing 30 clubs in 30 days, it’s time to take a look at the Baltimore Orioles who, whether you remember or not, were pretty good for a while in 2020.  They were in a Wild Card chase for a while and did not finish in last place as most expected. The O’s eventually finished with a 25-35 record but they showed significant progress and talent within the organization.   Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a lot of action this offseason for the Orioles as far as adding immediate help and so they don’t appear to be ready yet to seriously compete.  Instead, they are continuing to build their farm system through trades such as sending Alex Cobb to the Angels for Jahmai Jones and hope for young talent like Adley Rutschman and Heston Kjerstad to come along at the right time, which likely isn’t 2021, and that’s when the Orioles hope to be ready to compete.

Additions

• Freddy Galvis

• Yolmer Sanchez

• Felix Hernandez (Minors)

• Matt Harvey (Minors)

• Wade LeBlanc (Minors)

• Dusten Knight (Minors)

Wade LeBlanc

Nevertheless, there are some interesting signings and none more recognizable than the great Felix Hernandez, who reportedly joined the Orioles on a minor league deal to try to make the team and pad those career stats a little more and give him a stronger shot at the Hall of Fame.  While I understand that kind of sounds selfish in a way, it’s actually a realistic move for a guy with over 2500 career strikeouts, 6 All Stars, a Cy Young Award but only 169 career wins.  He hasn’t been great for a while but he’s only 34 years old and if he could get a little closer to 200 wins, he could get more consideration. His velocity is down but he’ll be trying to pitch smarter, working the corners and working in breaking stuff.  I’ll definitely be rooting for King Felix to have a nice year in Baltimore.

The O’s also signed Matt Harvey to a Minor League Deal, who rose to fame with the Mets as an elite All-Star talent.  His last productive year was 2018 with the Reds and since then, he’s pitched poorly for the Angels in 2019 and the Royals in 2020.  Wade LeBlanc was re-signed on a Minor League Deal after an 8.06 ERA in 8 starts last season.  He was a Minor League Deal for 2020 as well and made the team so he’ll try to do the same in Spring Training this year.  Dusten Knight is a former Giants prospect who had a nice minor league career but never got a shot in San Francisco.  He was 26-11 with a 3.06 ERA and a 10.2 strikeout per nine ratio.  I have no idea why the Giants never liked him.  Other than that, the only serious signing was Freddy Galvis, who has struggled offensively for the past couple seasons but has a great glove and some power.  He’s not going to be a big difference maker but at least they signed some one relatively young and talented to a big league deal.

Lineup

1.       Austin Hays CF

2.       D.J. Stewart RF

3.       Anthony Santander LF

4.       Trey Mancini DH

5.       Sisco/Severino C

6.       Ryan Mountcastle 1B

7.       Freddy Galvis SS

8.       Rio Ruiz 3B

9.       Yolmer Sanchez 2B

D.J. Stewart

Running through the lineup, Austin Hays is a solid defender with a great arm and decent bat that lacks power.  He can run like the wind though despite just 2 stolen bases in 2020.  D.J. Stewart does have power and hit 7 bombs in just 88 at bats last year although he had only 10 hits that weren’t home runs.  He does know how to work a walk with a .355 on-base despite a .193 average.  Next is Anthony Santander, who has still never played over 100 games in a season.  If he can ever get a full season in, he has 30+ home run power.  Trey Mancini is the best player on the team in my opinion and after beating cancer he’ll be back in that lineup.  He hit 35 home runs in 2019 with a .291 average and .364 on-base-percentage.  He is one of the few seriously great looking big-league hitters in this lineup.

Chance Sisco is a low-average high-on-base type who can work the count and get on base.  He doesn’t have a lot of power though.  Right-handed hitter Pedro Severino could also get plenty of starts against lefties and he doesn’t offer much more than Sisco offensively.  Both are just keeping the position warm for 2019 first overall pick, Adley Rutschman, who had ridiculous stats at Oregon State and I’m talking about hitting over .400 with power.  He’s one of the guys the Orioles are waiting on to help this team compete in the near future.

Ryan Mountcastle had a fantastic rookie season with a .333 batting average and 5 home runs in just 126 at bats.   He could be a .300 hitter over a full season with at least 25 home runs.  Freddy Galvis brings a nice glove and some pop to shortstop.  Rio Ruiz had just a .286 on-base last season and struggles with breaking stuff.  His defense can be questionable and times but he also makes some spectacular plays.  Ruiz is obviously not a long-term solution at third base.  Richie Martin and Pat Valaika are solid enough infield backups but neither have a ton of upside.  Finally, Yolmer Sanchez is a glove-first guy who won a Gold Glove in 2019.  He is not going to be great offensively over the long haul but did go 5 for 16 with a home run last year. 

I should also note that Chris Davis is still on the team but you might as well send me up there to hit.  All due respect to a guy once hit 53 home runs in a season, he just can’t hit anymore.  However, if a miracle happens and he figures something out, he could get some time as well.  Cedric Mullins is a speedester and great defender available as well but he’s also fairly light hitting. Overall, this lineup has some power threats with Stewart, Mancini, Mountcastle and Santander.  However, it does feel like it lacks thump when compared to some of the other teams in the league.  There are some good patient hitters who can get on base, but overall it will definitely will be a lot better in a couple years when some of these prospects are ready.  For now, this lineup gets a C-.

Rotation:

1.       John Means

2.       Keegan Akin

3.       Dean Kremer

4.       Jorge Lopez

5.       Wade LeBlanc

Felix Hernandez

Matt Harvey

Bruce Zimmerman

Jumping into the rotation, 27 year old John Means was great in 2019 but last season doubled his allowed home run rate and showed an increase in ERA.  Of course, it’s a relatively small sample with the shortened season and he also showed an increased velocity and better strikeout ratio.  He should be fine in 2021.  Keegan Akin is one of the young future talents on this team that actually should be about ready for a full big league season in 2021.  He struck out 35 in 26 and just needs to improve his efficiency and control.  The stuff is there and he could be in line for a breakthrough season.  Dean Kremer, one of the returns in the Manny Machado deal, is similar with great strikeout stuff but his control problems are even more serious.  He walked 12 in just over 18 innings last season.  He did show gradual improvement in his walk rate over his Minor League career so it may just be a question of settling in and gaining confidence. 

Jorge Lopez is a former Royal who was once a pretty big prospect but just gives up too much hard contact too often.  He’s got a career 9-17 record with an ERA over 6.  From this point forward, any of these pitchers could also end up in the bullpen or not on the team at all.  LeBlanc, Hernandez and Harvey are all big league veterans who will fight in Spring Training over a spot in the rotation.  They all have to prove that they’re not washed up and popular opinion is they probably each are.  Best case one of them rises to the occasion and gives the Orioles a decent season with an ERA around 4.5 and about 10-12 wins.  Bruce Zimmerman is a prospect who might get a crack at the rotation as well.  In 2019 he threw 2 shutouts and had a 3.21 ERA in 24 Minor League Starts.  All that said, this rotation could potentially have a decent ceiling if Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer both step it up and have a big seasons in a similar way to what we saw with the Marlins in 2020 with their young starters.  However, even if that happens, the 4 and 5 spots are iffy.  One or more of those veterans will have to stay healthy and effective while a prospect like Zimmerman will have to also be good.  There’s just a lot that has to go right for this rotation to be consistently good against the competition they’ll be facing.  I’m going to give to this rotation a D+.

Bullpen

• Hunter Harvey

• Thomas Eshelman

• Cesar Valdez

• Tanner Scott

• Cole Sluser

• Paul Fry

• Shawn Armstrong

• Dillon Tate

• Travis Lakins Sr.

• Evan Phillips

• Ashton Goudeau

Dillon Tate

The bullpen features first round pick Hunter Harvey, who took much longer than expected to get through the Minors but finally made in 2019 and looked good in 6 innings, allowing just a run and striking out 11.  He has dealt with a lot of injury issues and last season just pitched 8 2/3rds allowing 2 home runs, 2 walks and a hit by pitch with a 4.15 ERA.  He’s got 97 MPH heat and good breaking stuff but he hasn’t had a chance to prove what he can do because he’s always hurt.  Tanner Scott is another decent option and he also has a hard fastball with a nasty slider but has some control problems.  Cesar Valdez you might remember from the Diamondbacks way back in 2010.  He’s a journeyman who the Orioles snagged from the Mexican League and he pitched well in 14 innings last season but I don’t really believe that sample and doubt he’ll be that great over a full season but he does seem to keep hitters off balance and limit hard contact.  Dillon Tate was a 4th overall pick but never showed enough for a team to give him a chance as a starter.  He also pitched well last year so there’s some one to keep an eye on.  Paul Fry is a solid lefty that they have at their disposal and he was filthy last season with 29 strikouts in 22 innings.   Other than that, there’s lots of youngsters still developing and trying to prove they belong.  Some of those starters who don’t make the rotation could also help out in the pen.  There’s definitely a lack of consistency and convincing sample sizes.  There’s a also a lack in a definite shutdown closer until Hunter Harvey can prove he is not only good but can stay on the field.  Overall, not super-impressed with this pen but there are some decent options that will be able to hold a few games but will also probably blow more than a few as well. I’m going to gives this bullpen a D only because I like Paul Fry and Tanner Scott despite his control issues. 

So, there you have it – the Orioles simply rebuilding and 2021 isn’t the year for them in my opinion unless a whole bunch of young prospects make the roster but that’s very unlikely as too many are just barely getting started in their Minor League Careers.  The bullpen lacks reliable options, the rotation is super shaky and the lineup is the best part of this team, although it can use some upgrades as well.  There is enough talent and upside where if everything comes together this team could hang in there like they did in 2020 but sooner or later I think the difference in overall Major League talent on this team as compared to teams like the Blue Jays, Yankees and Rays will be made evident in the standings.  I’m going to this team a D+.

2021 Oakland Athletics Team Preview (30 Clubs in 30 Days) A's Sign TREVOR ROSENTHAL!

The Oakland A’s have done something about the face that their elite 2020 closer signed with the White Sox in Liam Hendricks and have now signed Trevor Rosenthal to a one-year deal worth $11 million per Ken Rosenthal and the Athletic.  He appeared in 23 games for the Padres and Royals last year and seemed to have a career resurgence after settling for a Minor League Contract.  He had a 1.9 ERA and looked absolutely dominant just as he did back in his days with the Cardinals from 2012 to 2017.  His best season was 2015 when he saved 48 games with a 10.9 strikeout ratio.  If you’re curious his strikeout ability these days, well that ratio was 15.9 last season and that’s the one area of his game that has never slowed down.  He just started to have major control issues after first having Tommy John Surgery and started bouncing around it looked like his career was over but no, he had at least one big season left earning him this contract and the A’s hope he can bring it in 2021.

Additions

• RP Trevor Rosenthal

• 1B/DH Mitch Moreland

• RP Yusmeiro Petit

• RP Adam Kolarek (Trade – Dodgers)

• OF Cody Thomas (Trade – Dodgers)

• SS Elvis Andrus (Trade – Rangers)

• C Aramis Garcia (Trade – Rangers)

• IF Pete Kozma (Minors)

• RP Dany Jimenez (Minors)

• SP Mike Fiers (Re-Signed)

Dany Jimenez

They have also signed first baseman/DH Mitch Moreland, a guy with at least 20+ home run power to plug into that lineup.  He had a pretty good 2020, hitting .265 with 10 homers in just 136 at bats for the Padres and Red Sox. So, the Oakland A’s are gearing up to compete again in 2021 after finishing 1st in the AL West in 2020 with a 36-24 record.  They have improved every year since 2016, going from .426 to .463 to .599 and finally a .600 winning percentage last season despite one of the lowest payrolls in the game.  The A’s also are bring back Yusmeiro Petit, maybe the most under-rated player in the game – he had a 1.66 ERA in 2021 and just incase you weren’t aware, he’s an MLB record holder, having at one time retired 46 consecutive batters with the Giants.  46 consecutive outs. He also came one out from a perfect game and continues to be a dominant arm out of the bullpen.

I was also shocked to hear they singed Pete Kozma, the former St. Louis Cardinal – I thought he was long retired.  He’ll provide extra infield depth and have a shot to make the team in Spring Training.  Of course, their bullpen was strengthened with Adam Kolarek, who they picked up in a trade with the Dodgers along with Outfielder Cody Thomas, who is now in the system and almost big league ready.  Another trade sent Khris Davis and a few others to the Rangers for Elvis Andrus and former Giant Aramis Garcia, a very powerful bat that gives the A’s more catching depth.  Finally Dany Jimenez, a former Giant as well and flamethrower was picked up for their system; he was a Rule 5 pick for the Giants and never really got an opportunity before getting shipped back to Toronto.

Lineup

1.       Ramon Laureano CF

2.       Mark Cahna LF

3.       Matt Chapman 3B

4.       Matt Olson 1B

5.       Sean Murphy C

6.       Mitch Moreland DH

7.       Stephen Piscotty RF

8.       Elvis Andrus SS

9.       Tony Kemp 2B

Sean Murphy

So, after all those moves, here is a new starting lineup example for the 2021 Oakland Athletics.  It still has Ramon Laureano in centerfield, an elite defender and dynamic player who brings energy and a powerful bat although he didn’t have a great 2020, hitting just .213 with 6 home runs.  I expect a bounce-back year from Ramon, who is just 26 and will have a better opportunity to prepare with a more normal – not completely normal, but more normal – 2021.  Mark Cahna is one of the A’s most valuable assets and he has 30 home run potential, which he proved in 2019 after hitting 26 in just 410 at bats.  Matt Chapman also had a down-year but was struggling with a bad hip that eventually needed surgery.  He is expected to be a lot better in 2021.  He not only has a potent bat but Gold Glove defense at third base as well. 

Matt Olson is another guy who can crush the ball but, like many of his teammates, had a dip in batting average last year.  His dropped all the way to .195 but also brings Gold Glove defense and is also some one I expect to bounce back.  What’s interesting is even with all these down-years, the A’s won the division.  Sean Murphy is another strong two-way player who proved he is a full time big leaguer in 2020.  He had a .364 on-base and 7 home runs in 116 at bats. Mitch Moreland replaced Khris Davis and should get on base more with far less strikeouts.   He might not have the 40+ home run power that Davis brings, but like I said, will still hit his share.  

Stephen Piscotty is another right-handed hitting outfielder who can crush the ball at times but doesn’t have the consistency of Laureano and Cahna.  He seems to be on a slow decline since his 2018 season when he hit .267 with 27 home runs.  He’ll get another shot in right-field but also look for Ka’ai Tom, a Rule 5 pick from Cleveland.  He hit .290 with 23 home runs in Triple A in 2019 and has nice defensive flexibility in the outfield and provides a powerful left handed bat.  Of course, Cody Thomas is another lefty-bat with some power who could get called up at some point if he plays well in Triple A.

Elvis Andrus is one of the pickups from Texas – a big name but hit only .197 and was on the verge of losing his starting job with the Rangers before the trade.  He hit the injured list twice last season but is only 32 years old despite having 12 years of big league experience.  He hit .275 with 12 homers as recently as 2019 so the A’s have reason to believe he can still have a nice season for them.  Finally, Tony Kemp is a veteran talent at second base who can get on base. 

Overall, I think the lineup is just as good if not better than last year and will be better performance-wise with a full Spring Training and improvements from a healthier lineup.  Sean Murphy should be even better in 2021, Matt Chapman will be healthy after the hip surgery and I love the pickups of both Ka’ai Tom and Cody Thomas for outfield depth in case guys like Piscotty aren’t getting it done.  The lineup is going to be powerful and amazing considering the low payroll of this team and that’s what the A’s do best.  I’m going to give this lineup an A-.

Rotation

1.       Chris Bassitt

2.       Jesus Luzardo

3.       Frankie Montas

4.       Sean Manaea

5.       Mike Fiers

Daulton Jefferies

A.J. Puk

The rotation looks pretty similar to last season although the order might change a bit.  Chris Bassitt has been amazing since his Tommy John Surgery back in 2016.  His 2.29 ERA last season might make him a favorite to be the Ace of this rotation, but I think based on some advanced stats that with a full season he’ll still be awesome but that ERA might be closer to the 3 range.  Jesus Luzardo has the nasty stuff and looked great more often than not in his rookie season.  He struggled in the postseason but look for a big sophomore season from Luzardo, who’s fastball and curveball/changeup combo is straight filthy.  Frankie Montas has good mid-90’s heat and a powerful slider when he’s healthy, but last year struggled with back problems and got lit up in a couple starts, which led to his 5.6 ERA.  He should be a lot better in 2021 assuming he can stay healthy.  Sean Manaea wasn’t great at the start of 2020 but settled down and showed great stuff later on in the season.  He’s a strike-thrower and doesn’t walk a lot of guys, keeps the ball on the ground and through a full season of starts, he’ll have much more impressive stats than the 4-3 record and 4.5 ERA he had in 2020. 

Mike Fiers was re-signed and will be back in that rotation after a so-so 2020 where he was 6-3 with a 4.58 ERA.  Fiers is always good for quality starts – he will give you 5-6 innings at least and give his team a chance to win.  He was the Ace going into 2020 after a great 2019 when he went 15-4 with a 3.9 ERA.  He gives the A’s another guy with plenty of experience who knows how to pitch while some of the younger prospects continue to develop and hone their skills.  1st Round pick Daulton Jefferies is an example and he had an 11.0 Strikeout per 9 ratio and a 1.05 WHIP in his minor league career.  Also A.J. Puk is still in the mix once he is ready after shoulder surgery.  He was also ridiculously filthy in the Minors and impressed in his small big league sample.

Overall, the A’s management are always good at finding a way to build strong rotations and they have one yet again.  This should be, like the lineup, just as good if not better than it was in 2020.  I’m also going to give the A’s rotation an A-.

Bullpen

• Trevor Rosenthal

• Adam Kolarek

• Lou Trivino

• J.B. Wendelken

• Jake Diekman

• James Kaprielian

• Paul Blackburn

• Dany Jimenez

• Burch Smith

• Miguel Romero

• Nik Turley

• A.J. Puk

Frankie Montas

As for the bullpen, yes, it’s a tough loss with Liam Hendricks but there was no way the A’s were going to pay $54 million for a reliever even if it’s one of the best.  Instead, it’ll be Rosenthal who was great last year but obviously has a higher chance of decline than Hendricks does.  Still, with the loss of Hendricks, it made re-signing Petit and signing Rosenthal all the more important.  A.J. Puk is also some one to keep in mind and if he doesn’t get a crack at the rotation he could be a legit bullpen arm.  Lefty Jake Diekman should also be big out of the bullpen and was probably the favorite to be the closer before the new signings.  He has a mid 90’s heater with movement and had an insane season to the tune of 31 strikeouts in 21 innings and a .42 ERA.  He could still earn the closer job depending on how things shake out in Spring Training.  Lou Trivino throws even harder and could play a major role and J.B. Wendelken also had a great 2020.  Finally, as I mentioned, Dany Jimenez has touched 100 and will also be available for the A’s.  Overall, the bullpen is live.  There are lots of flamethrowers, some with experience and some still developing, but overall, this bullpen should be able to hold plenty of games.  I’m going to give it a B+ for now only because I’m not sure if Rosenthal can repeat that great 2020 and, of course, they lost one of the best closers in baseball.

Overall, the A’s are again a solid team and should be at the top of the AL West for a lot of predictions out there.  Their competition has not been all that impressive other than the Astros, who started to heat up in the playoffs last year.  The Angels have a good team but the pitching isn’t there.  The Mariners are up and coming and could be a surprise threat in 2021 while the Rangers don’t appear to be on the verge of winning anything.  Therefore, the A’s still look to be favorites to win the division or at least be a Wild Card team in 2021.  I’m going to give the A’s as an overall team an A-.

2021 Cleveland Indians Team Preview (30 Clubs in 30 Days) Indians Sign Billy Hamilton

Today we’re going to take a look at the Cleveland Indians, a team that has been one of the better teams in baseball over the past 5 years or so.  However, there are some signs that perhaps that era is coming to an end as the Indians have traded away their franchise superstar and one of their better pitchers to the Mets for some decent players but nothing compared to what Lindor can bring.  And Carrasco was the last piece of that amazing rotation with Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber – and now they’re all gone.  Fortunately, Shane Bieber has come along but he can’t do it alone.

Arrivals

• 2B Cesar Hernandez (Re-Signed)

• 2B Andres Gimenez (Trade – Mets)

• SS Amed Rosario (Trade – Mets)

• OF Billy Hamilton (Minor League Deal)

• OF Eddie Rosario (FA)

• RP Blake Parker (Minor League Deal)

• RP Bryan Shaw (Minor League Deal)

• RP DJ Johnson (Minor League Deal)

• OF Ben Gamel (Minor League Deal)

Billy Hamilton

One nice move by Cleveland was re-signing second baseman Cesar Hernandez, who turned in an extremely strong 2020, winning a Gold Glove and hitting .283 while leading the league with 20 doubles.  He will be back in the Cleveland infield, which shows the Indians are not completely giving up after the Lindor deal which landed them Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez.  They are still bringing back Cesar Hernandez and still have Jose Ramirez so the infield should be pretty good even without Lindor.  Eddie Rosario was also a big free agent signing, bringing a power bat over from Minnesota on a pretty nice $8 million deal.  He hit 28 home runs in 2019 then 13 more last season in 210 at bats.  He has also apparently loved hitting at Progressive Field with a career .353 average and an OPS over 1.000 when hitting in Cleveland.

But the most recent notable signing is the speedster who was in Giants camp last season, Billy Hamilton.  He is only 30 years old so can probably still fly which is going to be his main asset, especially considering the horrific extra innings rule will be in effect in 2021.  With the Mets and Cubs last year, he could only muster 4 hits in 32 at bats with a home run to go along with 4 steals while being caught twice. Hamilton is no guarantee to make the team with some competition like Oscar Mercado and Bradley Zimmer, but neither were good in 2020 either so there will be some outfield spots up for grabs.

Lineup

1.       Cesar Hernandez 2B

2.       Jose Ramirez 3B

3.       Eddie Rosario LF

4.       Franmil Reyes DH

5.       Josh Naylor/Bauers? 1B

6.       Roberto Perez C

7.       Andres Gimenez SS

8.       Mercado/Zimmer CF

9.       Johnson/Luplow RF

Bradley Zimmer

Starting with a glance at the lineup, like I said, Hernandez was a huge re-signing to continue to have that bat and glove in the lineup.  Then it’s Jose Ramirez, who seems to just be getting better.  He finished second in the MVP race and absolutely obliterates fastballs.  He’s got quick hands and strong defense in the field and at just 28 years old, I am predicting he tops 40 home runs for the first time in his big-league career.  Eddie Rosario was another important signing just to keep pitchers honest with another power threat in there.  He’s always a threat to go deep and in the past was known as a good defender although he’s been declining a bit in that area. 

Franmil Reyes is a beast who averaged 92.4 exit velocity last season and will hit close to if not 30 home runs in 2021.  He strikes out a bit too much but also has good speed for his size and is a perfect DH to compliment some of the other power bats in this lineup.  Josh Naylor, a former Marlins first round pick, is just 24 years old and can also hit the ball extremely hard.  He’s a good baserunner and decent fielder as well.  Unfortunately, he’s never been able to show consistent home run power or adjust to good breaking stuff.  Jake Bauers did not play in 2020 after a rough 2019. He spent the season working to improve his plate coverage at the secondary location and should get an opportunity this season to make the team. Roberto Perez is there for his elite defensive abilities behind the plate – he can frame, block would-be wild pitches, throw out baserunners and if nothing else at the plate, can go deep, hitting 24 home runs in 2019.

Andres Gimenez is a strong fielder but a light hitter, especially compared to Francisco Lindor.  Nevertheless, he held his own at the plate last year, hitting .263 with a .333 on base and 3 home runs in 118 at bats.  In the outfield will be either Mercado or Zimmer unless Hamilton wins the starting job, which I highly doubt.  Zimmer was a pretty big prospect back in 2017 but since then has had some injury issues and has been pretty miserable at the plate.  He hit .162 in 2020 after going 0 for 13 in 2019.  He’ll be pushed by Oscar Mercado, who has a massive swing but rarely connects, at least last season.  He did hit .269 in 2019 with 15 home runs.   Finally, Daniel Johnson and Jordan Luplow will be in the mix for the other outfield spot.  Luplow went 2-for-31 to start 2020 and ended up hitting .192 while Johnson hasn’t gotten a big sample yet but hit .290 with 19 home runs in the minors in 2019.

The lineup is actually not as terrible as you’d think after trading one of the best players in the game for a couple of light hitting infielders.   There is some definite power threats but the lineup fizzles out after this first 5.  Still, that top 5 is pretty potent.  Overall, I’m going to give this lineup a C+ but if some one like Daniel Johnson or Oscar Mercado have a big year at the plate, it could be quite a bit better.  

Rotation

1.       Shane Bieber

2.       Zach Plesac

3.       Triston McKenzie

4.       Aaron Civale

5.       Logan Allen

Scott Moss

Logan Allen

Looking at the rotation, it still looks rather good even without Mike Clevinger and Carlos Carrasco.  It starts with one of if not the best in the game, Shane Bieber.  He won the Cy Young Award and has multiple elite pitches including one of the best curves in the game and a sick cutter.  His 122 strikeouts in 2020 looks like a typo given it was just a 60-game season.  He was also 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA by the way.  Next is Zach Plesac, who offers some nasty sliders with a plus changeup.  He had a dominant 2020 himself with a 2.28 in 8 starts giving up just 38 hits in over 55 innings.  After that, the success of the 2021 Cleveland Indians really rides on the arms of some of these youngsters.  2015 First Round Selection Triston McKenzie looked good in six 2020 starts and at 6’5” with a 95 MPH fastball and a plus curve, he could develop into a damn good if not elite starter. 

Aaron Civale has been pretty solid throughout his young career with a 3.69 ERA in 20 starts.  He’s not afraid to attack hitters and has a nice cutter and curve but hasn’t had a full season yet to prove himself.  Finally, Logan Allen has four solid pitches including a nasty curve and the “Vulcan,” his change-up.  His past numbers indicate more of a back-end of the rotation guy or long-reliever, but he’s got the stuff to become good if he can just hone his skills and improve his control.  Scott Moss is also in the system and should make his big-league debut in 2021.  He’s got strikeout stuff and minor league career 41-17 record with a 3.28 ERA.  All said, this rotation is outstanding though 2 and then you hope for the best with some arms that have tools but lack experience.  I believe McKenzie will be legit and after that they’ll be good times and bad times.  Overall, with a Cy Young Award winner, a great arm in Plesac and some serious potential with the rest of it, I’m going to give this rotation a B-.

Bullpen

• James Karinchak

• Nick Wittgren

• Emmanuel Clase

• Adam Plutko

• Phil Maton

• Cal Quantrill

• Cam Hill

• Kyle Nelson

• Blake Parker

• Heath Hembree

• Bryan Shaw

• D.J. Johnson

Cal Quantrill

Here are the names that could in that bullpen for the Indians, some of these guys like Heath Hembree and Blake Parker and D.J. Johnson are on minor league deals and could definitely make the team.  As for the main guys, James Karinchak should be the closer with his high heat and nasty curve that he used to strike out almost 50% of his opponents last year.   He has definitely earned the opportunity and could become a big-time MLB closer now with the departure of Brad Hand.  Nick Wittgren has nice stuff as well with a 10.6 strikeout rate in 2020 and just 6 walks to 28 strikeouts.  Emmanuel Clase was great with Texas in 2019 with a 2.31 ERA before a PED suspension.  He was hitting triple digits with high spin last time we saw him but it remains to be seen what he’ll bring in 2021 after his suspension.  Phil Maton can also bring the heat with spin and has a great strikeout rate but also a somewhat high ERA.  Cal Quantrill and Adam Plutko are solid options as well and look out for Rule 5 selection Trevor Stephan, a Yankees 3rd round pick, who has a nasty fastball/slider combo and showed great strikeout stuff in the Minors.  Kyle Nelson flew through the minors quickly for a 15th pick, showing dominance at every level.  He’ll have a good chance to make the team as one of the few lefties they have available.  Obviously this pen will miss some good arms like Oliver Perez and Adam Cimber and, of course, Brad Hand, but it’s still pretty good.  They could use more lefties and a lot depends on how Clase bounces back from missing 2020 but overall, I like his pen and I’m going to give it a B.

So, there you have it for the 2021 Cleveland Indians, a team that still has a lot of talent even after losing Lindor and Hand and others.  They’ve regained a lot of power and defense with Rosario and Herandez and they have other prospects I didn’t mention like Nolan Jones and Tyler Freeman on the way soon and could be ready at some point in 2021 if needed.  All around, this team is still good enough to be competitive but it’s going to be tough with the Twins and White Sox both looking amazing.  I still think this team has a chance to slip into the playoffs though and I’m going to give the Cleveland Indians an overall score of a B-.

2021 New York Yankees Team Preview (30 Clubs in 30 Days)

Today it’s time to talking about a baseball team you’ve might have heard of, they’re called the New York Yankees.  The team that has won more World Series than any other team including 3 straight from 1998 to 2000 and the 2009 championship, but since then it’s been a struggle to back into the fall classic much less win it and despite being one of the more stacked teams going into 2020, they lost the division to the Rays then lost to that same Rays team in the Division Series.  A lot of this can be attributed to injuries and the Yankees more so than any other team it seems just can’t stay healthy.   I don’t know if it’s bad luck or just injury prone players but it’s at the point where when making predictions you almost have to assume some of these guys aren’t going to be healthy all year. 

Additions

• 2B DJ LeMahieu (Re-Signed)

• RP Justin Wilson

• SP Corey Kluber

• SP Jameson Taillon (Trade – Pirates)

• RP Darren O’Day

• OF Greg Allen (Trade – Padres)

• OF/DH Jay Bruce (Minors)

• RP Kyle Barraclough (Minors)

• SP/RP Asher Wojciechowski (Minors)

• RP Tyler Lyons (Minors)

• RP Nestor Cortes (Minors)

• IF/OF Andrew Velazquez (Minors)

• OF Socrates Brito (Minors)

• SP Jhoulys Chacin (Minors)

• RP Adam Warren (Minors)

• RP Matt Bowman (Minors)

• C Rob Brantly (Minors)

• OF Ryan Lamarre (Minors)

• RP Luis Garcia (Minors)

• RP Lucas Luetge (Minors)

Darren O’Day

That said, the roster is still awesome and just got a little better with the signing of free agent left handed reliver Justin Wilson, who pitched out of the Yankees bullpen back in 2015 and was awesome with a 3.1 ERA, striking out 66 in 61.  The 33-year-old has continued to pitch well for the Mets the last 2 years and should be nice piece for the Yankee bullpen.  Wilson has a mid-90’s fastball with solid cutter and an occasional changeup and curve as well.  DJ LeMahieu will be back and this is beyond huge; it was absolutely critical that they bring back their best all around hitter and one of the few big talents who stays relatively healthy.  He led the league in batting average, on-base-percentage, OPS and OPS+.  Need I say more about LeMahieu? 

The Yankees have also signed to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training Jay Bruce.  This could be a sign that the Yankees might not re-sign Brett Gardner but I don’t know about that; the Yankees have done nothing but build depth through signing decent names Minor League Deals this offseason as we’ll get to, so this could be just another signing in case guys starting falling like flies in Spring Training.  Bruce is somewhat injury prone as well but still, he’s got 318 career home runs, hit 6 in 96 at bats for the Phillies last year and can provide a power bat if needed if, or should I say when, Hicks or Judge get hurt.  He could also compete for backup outfielder/DH role with guys like Mike Tauchman and Mike Ford, neither of whom had a great 2020.

Any holes in the rotation was addressed by trading for Jameson Taillon and signing Free Agent Corey Kluber.  The bullpen was improved not only with Wilson, but with the signing of Darren O’Day,  who appeared in 19 games for the Braves in 2020 and gave up a grand total of 2 earned runs for an ERA 1.1.  He also struck out 22 batters and earned this one year deal at the age of 38.  Other than that, the Yankees have singed an amazing amount of recognizable names to minor league deals and I’m betting that at least a couple of them if not more play an important role in 2021. Adam Warren is back in the Yankees organization, former Cardinals reliever Matt Bowman was signed, Rob Brantly and Kyle Barraclough who were with the Giants last year signed and they even signed some extra depth and choices for the rotation with  Asher Wojciechowski and Jhoulys Chacin, neither of whom have been great lately.  That said, if any team needs extra depth in case of injuries, it’s the Yankees.

Lineup

1.       DJ LeMahieu 2B

2.       Aaron Judge RF

3.       Aaron Hicks CF

4.       Giancarlo Stanton DH

5.       Luke Voit 1B

6.       Gleyber Torres SS

7.       Clint Frazier LF

8.       Gio Urshela 3B

9.       Gary Sanchez C

Giancarlo Stanton

Looking at a possible lineup when completely healthy, it is pretty damn intimidating.  LeMehieu is simply outstanding and after hitting .364 last season coming off an All-Star 2019 season, people can just put away the theory that he was only so good because he played in Denver.  There is no better on-base machine at the top of any lineup in baseball and he brings power as well.  Aaron Judge has played in just 63% of the Yankees games over the past 3 seasons and to be honest I thought it would be lower when I went to look that up.  Last season was a down-year for him when he was in there, but he still smashed 9 home runs in 101 at bats with 22 RBI.  Even at his worst he’s going to be a major threat in there.  The key for Judge is being in there.  Aaron Hicks is a consistent switch-hitter who will get on base more than enough to make up for his low batting average.  He also smashed 27 home runs in his last full season.  His defense isn’t the best but he’s got a cannon for an arm.  His main issue is also, like Judge, staying healthy.

The same can be said for Giancarlo Stanton, who has played in only 18% of the Yankees games over the past 2 seasons.  He was traded from Miami after hitting 59 home runs in 2017 and since then has hit 45 over 3 years.  That said, when he is in there he’s ridiculously dangerous if the Yankees will be using him almost exclusively as a DH to try to keep him healthy.  Next is Luke Voit, who hit more home runs than any one in the league with 22 bombs last season.  He does strike out a lot and doesn’t walk that much but if the tradeoff is that kind of home run production, the Yankees will take it.  The question is can he continue a similar pace in 2021?  Gleyber Torres will be looking for a bounce-back season after a drop in production but in his case, it may just be a product of the shortened season.  I expect better numbers in 2021.  However, his defense was also subpar and that is a cause for concern. Clint Frazier has amazing bat speed and pretty good defense as well.  He improved his patience and had a .394 on-base with 8 home runs in 39 games.  He should finally get a chance to play a full season in 2021 without getting demoted to Triple A. 

Gio Urshella continues to show that he’s a big league talent not only with the glove but also at the plate.  He followed up his impressive 2019 with another big 2020 hitting .298 with an .858 OPS.  Finally, Gary Sanchez at catcher had one big year in 2017 and has been basically horrendous ever since.  He’ll occasionally square one up and hit it a mile but otherwise just flails away with lots of swings and misses and poor contact.  In 2020, his batting average dropped to an abysmal .147.  If he can’t show immense improvement, the Yankees will have to go with some one else like Kyle Higashioka, who is a better defender and can’t be much worse at the plate.  Hell, I’d prefer Rob Brantly, who looked decent in Spring Training with the Giants last year and hit .314 in 236 at bats in Triple A in 2019. 

Assuming it’s healthy, this lineup is obviously very strong.  The main weakness is pretty glaring and to me, it’s Gary Sanchez until he proves otherwise.  Gleyber Torres also needs to be better.  Other than that it’s just about staying healthy and if they do so, this lineup is damn potent.  I’m going to give it an B+.

Bench

• Kyle Higashioka C

• Miguel Andujar IF/OF

• Mike Ford 1B/DH

• Tyler Wade IF

• Thairo Estrada IF

• Mike Tauchman OF

• Greg Allen OF

Kyle Higashioka is a solid backup but like I mentioned earlier, the Yankees have an issue at catcher so there could be moves on the horizon.  He has been a personal catcher for Gerrit Cole and that alone is a ton of a value.  Mike Ford hit just .135 last year and he’ll have to prove something at Spring Training to hang on to a roster spot.  The clock’s also ticking for Tyler Wade, who has gotten lots of chances to fill in for injured players but hasn’t been great lately, hitting .170 in 2020.  He’s got a strong glove and would have been a regular if the Yankees didn’t bring back Lemahieu. 

Greg Allen

Miguel Andujar is one of the most compelling cases as he is young and powerful and in a full 2018 season, he hit .297 with 27 home runs and 92 RBI.  If the Yankees don’t trade him, and assuming he performs halfway decently, he’ll probably get plenty of playing time considering how injury-prone the Yankees can be.  Greg Allen came over in a trade with the Padres and he provides nice defense and speed but not much of a bat.  Thairo Estrada wasn’t great in 2020 but showed promise in 2019 and will also be a nice backup infielder assuming he makes the team over Wade and other options the Yankees will have in Spring Training.  Tauchman is another guy who showed promise in 2019 then fell apart in 2020. Overall, the saving grace of this bench is Andujar but even he’s a couple of years removed from a big season.  It’s not the most impressive bench – I’m going to give it a C.

Rotation

1.       Gerrit Cole

2.       Corey Kluber

3.       Jameson Taillon

4.       Jordan Montgomery

5.       Domingo German

Deivi Garcia

Michael King

Clark Schmidt

Luis Severino (IL)

Asher Wojciechowski (Minors)

Jhoulys Chacin (Minors)

Jordan Montgomery

The rotation for the Yankees starts out with a bona fide Ace in Gerrit Cole.  He had another great season in 2020 posting his third straight sub-3 ERA year while having the best average velocity among American League starters.  No one can blame the 2020 Yankees season on Cole, who earned his money in his first year of the $324 million contract.  Corey Kluber is another major signing for the Yankees and he was one of the better pitchers in the game before injury issues in 2019.  He only pitched an inning in 2020 and had to have a showcase to prove he can still pitch.  Apparently, it was good enough for the Yankees and they signed him to a one year-deal.  If he can get back to his pre-2019 production, this will be a great addition for the Yankes and if not, there is plenty more depth as you can see.

Jameson Taillon was likely going to be the Ace in Pittsburgh before getting traded to New York.  He has had injuries and Tommy John surgery, which is not a good sign as the Yankees have been burned on similar trades for rotation help in the past, but when healthy he has been very good including a 14-10 2018 with a 3.0 ERA.  Reports indicate that he is feeling great and should be ready for Spring Training.  Jordan Montgomery is a solid strike thrower and should improve on that 5.11 ERA with a bigger sample size and being further removed from his Tommy John surgery.  Domingo German missed 2020 after a domestic violence suspension but was elite in 2019 with an 18-4 record and 9.6 Strikeout per nine ratio.

The issue with this rotation is simply the uncertainty how everyone except Cole will bounce back from missed time due to injury or suspension.  Assuming everyone is at their best, it’s going to be damn good.  However, if there are issues, the Yankees have more than enough depth to keep things stable.  Deivi Garcia is the Yankees best young pitching prospect and has great control with nasty stuff.  Clark Schmidt is another option waiting in the wings.  Michael King showed some brilliance in the minors although he hasn’t gotten it done in the big-leagues yet.  Luis Severino could be ready just around the time some of their main rotation guys could start getting the injury bug.  And then, as I said ,there’s some more options getting Spring Training invites.  Although there’s some baggage and injury prone guys in the main five, because of the excellent depth and young options like Schmidt and Garcia, I’m going to give this rotation an A-.

Bullpen

• Aroldis Chapman

• Zack Britton

• Chad Green

• Darren O’Day

• Luis Cessa

• Jonathan Loaisiga

• Albert Abreu

• Nick Nelson

• Justin Wilson

• RP Kyle Barraclough (Minors)

• RP Tyler Lyons (Minors)

• RP Nestor Cortes (Minors)

• RP Adam Warren (Minors)

• RP Matt Bowman (Minors)

• RP Luis Garcia (Minors)

• RP Lucas Luetge (Minors)

Jonathan Loaisiga

The bullpen for the Yankees should still be anchored by Aroldis Chapman, whose strikeout rate is still beyond elite.  His velocity has dropped slightly but when Chapman’s velocity drops a little, it’s still around 98-100 MPH so I think he’ll be just fine for 2021.  Zack Britton would be a closer for most teams and is absolutely sick with a sub-2 ERA for the past 2 seasons.  Chad Green and Luis Cessa are both great mid-game relievers with solid breaking stuff.  And the big signing to help replace Adam Ottavino who was shipped to Boston will be Darren O’Day, who hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.  He’s also had a sub-2 ERA for the past 2 seasons.  Jonathan Loaisiga has shown improvement every year of his career and Nick Nelson has big strikeout stuff and should be ready for a breakout year after a decent 2020 rookie campaign.  Pick one or two of their other options that might make the team out of Spring Training and it’s a decent bullpen.  I did want to mention Lucas Luetge as a big low risk signing who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues in 6 years.  He was lights out in 2019 in Triple A with the DBacks system with a 2.38 ERA and 9.8 Strikeout rate.  Not sure if there’s anything to that, but it’s some one to keep an eye on in Spring Training.  Overall, this bullpen is more than solid and I’m going to give it an A.

Overall, as a team, the Yankees are pretty stacked when you look at the names on the roster – Judge, Stanton, Cole, Kluber, German, Chapman, etc. The big issues is just staying healthy and hoping for a lot of bounce-back seasons from underperformance and injury.  Because of all those question marks and unknowns, I can’t give this team an A but because of all the added depth and great young talent on the way, I think they’ll be able to fight through any injuries and still be a playoff team in 2021.  All around as en entire time, I’m going to give the Yankees a B+.