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According to CSNBayArea.com, San Francisco Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez is almost certain to start the 2012 season on the disabled list. Not surprising, given his slow progress in regaining full health following surgery for his season-ending shoulder injury last year.

The crux of the issue in Sanchez’s road to recovery is indeed his arm strength. Having sustained a ruptured labrum in his right shoulder, the rehabilitation to recapturing his throwing velocity is indeed taking longer than anticipated. But it’s not entirely unexpected, considering the severity of the injury.

As a result, the Giants have found themselves at a minor fork in the road, and will likely take the route of placing Sanchez on the DL to start the season, according to MercuryNews.com.

This is debilitating news for San Francisco, who had hoped that Sanchez would be able to take the field at second base sometime sooner rather than later. Alas, Sanchez has yet to find the confidence in his right shoulder to play second base in a spring game, and he’s been fairly limited when it comes to taking infield practice.

As such, there remains no timetable to get him some action at second. Says manager Bruce Bochy, “…if he can’t go out there and play defense, the best thing to do is start him on the DL.”

Nothing is set in stone, and it’s possible that through some magic healing powers he could be ready by Opening Day. Realistically, the Giants are anticipating being without their starting second baseman for a decent amount of time.

In the event that Sanchez does not make the Opening Day roster, Bochy has clouded vision for which player could be his Sanchez’ replacement. Who would start in Sanchez’s stead?

According to Owen Perkins of MLB.com, San Francisco has fielded six different second basemen this spring, with Emmanuel Burris, Mike Fontenot and Ryan Theriot leading the way in appearances and innings played. Theriot and Fontenot have the upper hand in big league exposure—Theriot is in his eighth season in the majors, and Fontenot is in his seventh.  

Burriss, is the younger pup, with only 222 games under his belt, only 56 at second base. But he has been raking the ball this spring, sporting a robust .464 batting average in 13 games.

With such a scoring showing in training camp, Burriss definitely secures a roster spot—either as a backup middle infielder or as the starting second baseman pro tempore. Burriss’ speed would be a significant infusion in the lineup that is somewhat slow.

Placing Burriss towards the top of the order behind Angel Pagan could provide a dynamic 1-2 punch. Plus, his versatility as a switch-hitter is an added bonus.

However, based on past experience, it would appear that Theriot or Fontenot would get the nod over Burriss. The Giants are keen on keeping one of them as a backup middle infielder—at least one of them. Now, with Sanchez destined for the DL, the likelihood that both are on the Opening Day roster increases.

It’s hard to pick which of the two would be a better candidate to start at second base. Theriot has a career .987 fielding percentage at second base. Meanwhile, Fontenot owns a .981 career fielding percentage at the position. Both are fundamentally more sound on defense than Burriss, who produced a .972 overall fielding percentage last season.

Yet it is Theriot whose job security is undetermined. The 32-year-old is in a precarious situation. If he remains on the roster on March 29th, San Francisco will owe him his full $1.25 million contract that he signed as a free agent this past winter. However, if the Giants release him prior, they only have to pay him one fourth of that amount.

Still, with Sanchez’s indefinite recovery, it’s almost necessary that the Giants keep all three infielders—Burriss, Fontenot and Theriot. Especially when considering that penciled-in starting shortstop Brandon Crawford is only in his second big-league season, and, as a left-handed hitter, will likely sit out against left-handed pitching.

Which bodes well for the right-handed hitting Theriot.

With all of the uncertainty surrounding Sanchez, the race for backup middle infielders becomes more clouded. It’s undecided as to who will start in Sanchez’ place if he were to land on the disabled list.

But it’s becoming more evident that San Francisco will have to have that many able-bodied infielders to man the middle for the time being—or at least until Sanchez is ready to resume the full-time role.

Which could be a while.

With all that said, the Giants should insert Burriss, who’s wielding a sizzling bat this spring, into the Opening Day lineup as the starting second baseman. Should he falter in any way, Fontenot and Theriot are formidable options to platoon.

Follow me on Twitter: @nathanieljue

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Last year, the San Francisco Giants experienced several problems that hampered their quest to defend their 2010 World Series title. Notably, some devastating injuries prevented the team from even returning to the playoffs, highlighted by the collision heard ‘round the Bay—the mowing of Buster Posey last May.

As a result of the play, the Giants’ star catcher was knocked out for the remainder of the season. By itself, Posey’s absence would hobble any roster, but he was not the only player who suffered significant injury in 2011. In fact, Posey’s broken ankle and three torn ligaments is the least worrisome for San Francisco. Going into spring training, the Giants were confident that Posey would be able to bounce back from the horrific setback and would ultimately regain the form that led him to the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year selection.

In actuality, the more troublesome road to recovery is being driven by second baseman Freddy Sanchez, who sustained his own grotesque injury while diving for a ball last June. The result of the play was a torn labrum and capsule in his right shoulder, which ultimately required surgery performed last August.

Like Posey, Sanchez did not see action for the rest of the 2011 campaign. Unlike Posey, Sanchez has not been able to demonstrate during this spring training that he can perform at a high level. While Posey has seen action at his projected position of catcher, Sanchez has yet to take the field at second base, instead opting to work on his hitting while appearing as the team’s designated hitter in six games. Incidentally, he is batting .278 with a double and three runs scored so far this spring.

But the Giants, as we all know, are not an American League team; thus, no matter if Sanchez bats .923 for the rest of March, it won’t mean a heap of anything if he can’t take the field. As of Monday, Sanchez recognized that he is further away from complete health than he and the Giants would have liked and hoped for. According to CSNBayArea.com, Sanchez the likelihood of being ready to man second base on Opening Day is shrinking.

“We’re getting late,” Sanchez admitted. “It’s got to be in all of our minds, whether, ‘Hey, will I be out there or not?’”

The main issue in his defense is his ability to turn the double play. Obviously, handling the pivot requires some timing, agility and, above all, arm strength. Additionally, the torque that is used in throwing across the body can be extreme, especially when concerned with a shoulder injury. Recovery from such surgeries takes some time, and Sanchez is realizing that it might be a bit longer before he is able to play the field.

What would happen, then, if Sanchez is deemed not ready in time for Opening Day?

It’s probable that Sanchez will have to start the season on the disabled list. Until he is fully recovered, there’s no need for him to occupy a roster spot, especially since the team already has a couple serviceable middle infielders in veterans Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot. The question from there will be how soon will Sanchez get back to 100 percent health?

Make no mistake—Sanchez is a very important cog to the Giants’ defense and offense. He makes solid plays in the field and handles the bat well at the plate. It would be devastating for the Sanchez and the team if he continues ailing in his recovery. Posey and all of the other Giants who are coming back from off seasons or minor injuries will undoubtedly find their footing. But it’s Sanchez’ revival that means a lot to the balance of the Giants lineup.

As long as Sanchez is unable to play the field, San Francisco’s chances to win the NL West will be thrown out the window.

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One of the more important storylines in baseball this spring training is the health and bounce-back ability of San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey. If you recall, Posey was the roadblock who got steamrolled last season in a home-plate collision with the Florida Marlins’ Scott Cousins, which resulted in Posey’s season-ending surgery to repair a broken bone and three torn ankle ligaments.

Prior to that high-speed, high-profile collision, Posey was following up his 2010 NL Rookie of the Year campaign with a respectable sophomore season. In the 45 games played before he went down, he was batting .284 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in. Though his numbers did not exactly jump off the computer screen, Posey’s presence in the lineup far exceeds raw statistics. As the team’s cleanup hitter, he provides a legitimate right-handed bat to a famished Giants offense that ranked dead last in the league in runs scored.

The Giants sorely missed Posey’s production in the heart of the order. His replacements, Hector Sanchez, Chris Stewart and Eli Whiteside, combined for a .200 batting average in 2011. They were often clogging up the eight-hole in the batting order, and it forced manager Bruce Bochy to play “eeny, meeny, miny, mo” when filling out the rest of the lineup.

Needless to say, with Posey’s bat, the Giants could have at least squeaked into the playoffs as the NL wild card last year. And with him back to full strength this spring training, San Francisco has high aspirations in returning to the postseason this October. While the Giants are pinning the team’s success in 2012 on their slugging catcher, more importantly, the return of Posey bodes well for fantasy baseball owners. After all, there is a dearth of solid contributors at the catcher position throughout the MLB. Though Posey is only entering his third season, and has only 160 career games under his belt, the soon-to-be 25-year-old is still considered one of the game’s elite catchers—despite missing two-thirds of last season.

In fact, most fantasy baseball projections still forecast Posey as a top-five catcher. ESPN.com ranks him as the fifth-best catcher available, squeezed between Matt Wieters and Alex Aliva, and FantasyBaseballTools.com slots him in the top tier of catchers that includes Carlos Santana, Brian McCann and Mike Napoli. NYTimes.com, however, projects Posey to be the sixth-best catcher in 2012, behind Joe Mauer and ahead of Miguel Montero.

What does this all mean? Well, for one, the battle to be one of the top-five catchers in the majors is a tight one. Mauer, of course, is a lock, albeit only when he’s not on the disabled list. Unfortunately, his history of injuries prevents him from being a sure-fire top-five pick. In years past, Mauer could have been considered as a genuine first-round selection in some fantasy drafts. Now, it’s a tough call to predict a) how healthy he’ll be, and b) how many starts at first base he’ll draw.

The consensus is that Santana, McCann and Napoli will all be nabbed within the first four rounds. Assuming a regular 5×5 rotisserie league, Yahoo! Sports projects Posey to be a late sixth-round pick in its fantasy baseball mock draft. Solid estimates for his 2012 stats, according to NYTimes.com, include a .292 batting average with 16 home runs and 70 runs driven in—very similar to his 2010 Rookie of the Year résumé (.305/18/67). 

Those numbers are respectable, especially for a catcher. The only caveat is Posey’s own return to full health. True, it’s only spring training, but Posey has sparingly demonstrated his baserunning, as well as the endurance to catch a full nine innings on consecutive days. “He’s not there,” acknowledged Bochy. But there’s still time, obviously.

Fantasy owners, however, should be cautious assuming Posey will bounce back so quickly. Though he is a naturally gifted hitter who could probably sport a .300 batting average with one leg, Posey will have to get up to speed in his all-around game to be considered a higher pick on the fantasy draft board. Furthermore, in order to ensure that Posey performs at the offensive level he is capable of, San Francisco needs to make sure that he is protected throughout the batting order. According to the Giants lineup projected by Rotochamp.com, first baseman Aubrey Huff could potentially bat behind Posey, in the fifth spot in the order, followed by Brandon Belt.

Huff trudged through a World-Series-hangover-laden 2011 season, finishing with a terrible .246 batting average, 12 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He also scored an abysmal 45 runs, his lowest output since 2001. Belt, meanwhile, experienced one of those tortuous rookie seasons last year, staggering to a .225 batting average, with nine homers and 18 runs driven in, in 63 games played.

Yikes. Not the kind of protection one would hope for Posey.

Could Bochy consider moving the Giants’ only other bona fide hitter, Pablo Sandoval, to the five hole? Or bat Sandoval fourth and Posey third? If not, then look for a significant number of intentional walks for the right-handed-hitting Posey, as both Belt and Huff are left-handed hitters behind him. That certainly won’t boost Posey’s fantasy numbers all that quickly. Additionally, if new Giants leadoff man Angel Pagan is unable to set the table effectively at the top of the order, Posey may struggle to find himself in run-scoring opportunities.

Without a doubt, however, the question will be whether fantasy owners would want to gamble and pick up Posey earlier in the draft, ahead of other catchers like McCann or Wieters. McCann is a perennial All-Star, who has slugged over 20 home runs in five of the past six seasons, and over 40 extra base hits in six straight seasons. Furthermore, he posts a .286 career batting average. Though he gets plenty of rest in Atlanta—not starting in more than 133 games in each of the past three seasons—for the sake of this analysis, Posey is still the lesser picker.

Meanwhile, Wieters is the likely candidate to slip from his career season in 2011. His 22 home runs and 50 extra base hits were quite impressive, as was the fact that he scored more runs (72) than he drove in (68). Well, maybe not impressive so much as interesting. But if Posey is as healthy as he can be throughout 2012, it’s possible that he could outperform Wieters. The Baltimore Orioles are equally as likely to not scare their opponents offensively.

Can Posey be ranked higher than Wieters?

A good catcher is hard to find for owners, both real and fantasy. Picking up Posey in the late fourth round or fifth round would not be the worst idea in the world, considering that other positions have way more depth and are less predictable (starting pitchers).

Make no mistake about it: If Posey is given a clean bill of health heading out of spring training, fantasy owners might come away with a steal in their league drafts by picking him higher than projected.

Follow me on Twitter: @nathanieljue

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It’s true: Of all the important players on the San Francisco Giants—the superstars and celebrities—the X-factor this season will be a light-hitting 30-year-old center fielder who played with the New York Mets in 2011. Yes, the Angel Pagan.

This would seem to be a hyperbolic statement. After all, the Giants boast lights-out pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, a couple of dynamic sluggers in Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval and a beard that is attached to some dominant closer named Brian Wilson. The thing is, the team and its fans pretty much know what to expect out of those All-Star-caliber players.

Posey, despite suffering a devastating season-ending ankle injury last season, can roll out of bed and hit .300 with his eyes closed. His defense is still yet to be determined, but there’s little doubt that he can’t return to the Giants lineup and contribute at a high level again.

Lincecum is coming off a substandard 2011 campaign, however nobody questions whether he’ll be one of the top five pitchers in the National League. Ditto goes for Wilson, who labored through various injuries last year.

As for Cain and Sandoval, though expectations are high, everybody is full aware of their potential and not terribly worried about their production levels.

Which brings us to Pagan, who was acquired by San Francisco last offseason in the trade that sent Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez to the Mets. True, this wasn’t exactly the same splash that the two clubs made during the 2011 season, when the Giants traded for slugger Carlos Beltran, who ironically departed last offseason as a free agent. Instead, San Francisco looked to bolster its outfield with Pagan, who is seen as a more consistent player than Torres.

Though Torres was instrumental in the Giants’ magical World Series championship run two seasons ago, his stock fell sharply last year when he batted just .212 in 112 games with a whopping 95 strikeouts in 398 at-bats. Absolutely not the type of numbers one would hope for a leadoff hitter. This made it clear to the team that his 2010 campaign was the aberration, and that he would no longer fit in to San Francisco’s future plans.

This is a bit weird, because Pagan also experienced a dropoff in 2011. A career .279 hitter, Pagan strikes out less frequently and gets on base a tad more often than Torres. But both of them have above-average speed, are switch-hitters and can knock in a few runs from the leadoff spot in the batting order.

Yes, they have quite similar numbers over their careers, but that is what makes Pagan such an integral part of the equation for the Giants. Why would San Francisco trade a player for someone who is of the exact same mold? Obviously the Giants see something in Pagan that can ignite the worst offense in the National League last season.

Pagan has a little bit more seasoning in his major-league career than Torres, and he’ll need it in order to embark as the Giants’ full-time leadoff hitter. The book on Pagan, however, is that he’s pretty solid in the middle of the order, too, which bodes well for the Giants if they decide to shake up the lineup some time throughout the season.

As for now, Pagan will be relied upon to jump-start the listless offense by getting on base and wreaking enough havoc on the basepaths. Hopefully, with Sandoval and a healthy Posey back in the heart of the order, Pagan will be able to score more than 90 runs for the season—which is good considering he’ll be playing in a heavily favored pitcher’s stadium for 81 games this season.

Which brings us to his defense. The main question surrounding Pagan’s impact with the team will be whether he is able to patrol the vast expanse that is the outfield of AT&T Park. If there was one thing that Torres did well throughout his tenure in San Francisco, it was play a mean center field.

He quickly learned how to navigate the obtuse geometric layout that includes the notorious Triples Alley in right center field. Will Pagan be able to corral the hard-hit gappers and prevent extra-base hits? After all, Pagan ranked second in the National League with 10 errors. He’s effectively not a Gold Glove-type defender, which is something that San Francisco needs to improve in its 10th-ranked defense from a season ago.

Should Pagan be able to play an adequate center field and hit at a level that is consistent with the expectations and factors that come with playing in windy, cold San Francisco, the Giants will improve. Offensively, there’s nowhere else to go but up. So, Pagan just needs to play his own game and not deviate from what he is capable of; not try to do too much.

Needless to say, despite being a new addition to a team that has some of the most recognizable players in the National League, Pagan is in fact the most critical player on the Giants this upcoming season. Yes, above Posey, Lincecum, the Panda, et al, the diminutive offseason acquisition is the driving force that will push the Giants back into the postseason.

If the baseball gods allow for it, Pagan will be the team’s most valuable player this spring training. Yes, the Angel Pagan.

Follow me on Twitter: @nathanieljue

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Spring is a time of renewed growth, rebirth and rejuvenation. New blooms, new crops and new life are all a part of nature’s cycle.

Baseball is no different and no exception to the cycle of life, as teams, players and fans all look toward wiping the slate clean from last winter and beginning another season anew. The win-loss records are but replanted crops, ready to sprout; hitters’ batting averages and pitchers’ ERA records are newly sown. Most importantly, teams’ World Series aspirations are reseeded, ready to blossom throughout the summer.

One team that looks to rediscover itself this spring training is the San Francisco Giants. After surprising most of the baseball world with their 2010 World Series title, the Giants staggered their way to an 86-76 record last season, finishing in second place in the National League West and four games back of the wild-card spot. Much to the dismay of their fans, the Giants were unable to defend their championship, not even reaching postseason.

Perhaps their World Series hangover lasted longer than expected. Maybe it was the loss of several key players due to injury, free agency and under-performance that kept them from repeating their magical performance from 2010. Whatever the case, the San Francisco heads into the 2012 season looking to prove that in fact their championship achievement two seasons ago was not a fluke and that they are fully capable of contending for  another—that last season was actually the aberration.

With that in mind, this spring training offers the Giants a fresh start to the year. Players are all healthy, recuperated and anxious to turn the page on a new season. So let’s take a look at six reasons why they will contend for the NL West title in 2012.

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If any other baseball player on the planet saw his batting average fall to .272 for the season after hitting nearly .330 for his entire 10-year career, there would be maybe only a slight cause for concern.

But Seattle Mariners‘ right fielder Ichiro Suzuki is no ordinary ball player. Thus, there are some major issues to address regarding the future production of the Mariners’ superstar.

Can he rebound from an un-Ichiro-like 2011 season, one in which he batted .272 with an abysmal .645 OPS? Or was last year the signal of an eminent decline for the 38-year-old?

If Ichiro played in a larger media market, this would be a huge story. But being tucked in the damp and cozy confines of the Pacific Northwest, the prognostication of Ichiro is only slightly on the radar of MLB’s hottest topics.

Last week it was announced by ESPN.com, that Seattle manager Eric Wedge is seriously considering moving Ichiro out of his famed leadoff spot. There is a strong possibility that the speedy Ichiro will slide down to the No. 3 slot in the order come Opening Day.

It would be the first time in Ichiro’s 11-year MLB career that he wouldn’t be the clear-cut starting leadoff hitter.

Part of this move is to ignite some life into the motionless Seattle offense that has set several records for futility over the past two seasons. One intention is to move Chone Figgins to the top of the lineup in order to improve his production.

Hitting ahead of Ichiro instead of behind him may provide Figgins with better pitches to hit, while giving Ichiro the opportunity to drive in some runs instead of hitting with the bases empty so often.

But a latent function of Ichiro moving down in the order would be to provide him with more patience at the plate. Having runners on ahead of him—or at least the possibility of such—would give Ichiro a chance to start sitting back and waiting on pitches instead of aggressively applying his patented chop swing early in the count.

With the opposition pitching out of the stretch more frequently, Ichiro can wait to see a fastball—or a certain pitch—and do with it what he has done throughout his career: disrupt the defense.

With Figgins setting the table, and possibly Dustin Ackley or Michael Saunders as candidates for the two hole, Ichiro can initiate some offense, either through hit-and-run executions or simply driving in runs himself.

Last season, Ichiro logged 47 RBI, roughly the same as his career median output. While his overall batting average slumped by his own high standards, he did hit a respectable .302 with runners in scoring position, and his on-base percentage climbed to .401. By comparison, Ichiro batted a sorrowful .249 when leading off an inning. Yikes.

This 2012 campaign will be an interesting one for the Mariners and Ichiro. He is in the last year of his contract, one that will see him earn $18 million this season. Will Seattle extend him to another long-term deal?

Given his age (38), Ichiro needs to prove that last year was an aberration. Most athletes are on the decline by the time they reach Ichiro’s age. Though he still has some bat and foot speed (40 stolen bases), the M’s have to be concerned about how he’ll perform this season in assessing his future moving forward.

If Ichiro truly bounces back to his prototypical form, the Mariners will gladly ensure that he finishes his career in Seattle.

It’s a bit tricky to evaluate how productive Ichiro is, however. After all, he has set the bar so incredibly high in his career that it’s hard to truly determine that a season in which he tallied 184 hits, stole 40 bases and scored 80 runs is completely terrible.

Especially when taking into consideration that the team as a whole ranked dead last in all of baseball in nearly every major statistical category.

Yet Ichiro and his ball club knows that this is a very important season for him. Ichiro is a tremendously proud person and baseball player. He knows that there is a lot riding on him: if he demonstrates his ability to recover from last year, he can finish his career on his own terms in the next three to five years. 

Unfortunately, if he racks up numbers similar to last year, or somehow regresses even further, it’s possible that this could be his last year in an M’s uniform. Even if Seattle does attempt to retain him, it will not be even close to the $18 million pay rate that Ichiro has been accustomed to for all these years.

Make no mistake, if there’s any player who can iron out the kinks and smooth out the hitting mechanics, it’s Ichiro. But the Mariners as an organization must make stronger efforts and longer strides in becoming a successful and winning ball club as a whole.

Otherwise, Ichiro will continue to lose interest in the excitement for playing for such a dreadful team. After all, who wants to play for the worst offense in the history of baseball?

It’ll definitely be a story to follow all season. Can Ichiro regain his all-world form? Tune in and find out.

Follow me on Twitter: @nathanieljue

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Though Thanksgiving has come and passed, the period of giving thanks and self-reflection for what we are fortunate to have in our lives continues.

Athletes, sports franchises and owners are no different. Once in a while, they need to set aside some time for introspection. And in the end, they get to cherish all that they have going for them in the tumultuously wild world of sports ownership.

Surprisingly, the Oakland Athletics organization, one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, has a lot to be grateful for. Despite the worst five-year stretch since their move to Oakland, the A’s should be happy this holiday season. Here are five things the Athletics organization is thankful for.    

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With the release of the film Moneyball earlier this year, many fans have learned about the fascinating economics of the Oakland Athletics. Specifically, the viewpoints on what the A’s deem to be important—and unimportant—pieces of a baseball roster and the best way they can attain the highest return on their investments. The central theme, obviously, is how to stretch the very little amount of money they have and use those pennies to create the most competitive roster possible.

Every year, the cash-starved Athletics use their food stamps to collect oft-injured free agents or to acquire aging veterans through trade. But under Billy Beane’s tenure as general manager, one specific area where the Athletics seem to be the most frugal is the role of closer.

In Beane’s 14 seasons with the Athletics, eight players have been designated as the true closer, with several others filling in as injury replacements along the way. It’s been a revolving door during this entire period, as no closer has held onto the role—nor stayed with the team—for more than four full seasons. Given recent history, the tenure of the Athletics’ current designated closer, Andrew Bailey, might not last much longer.

That should not come as a surprise. Rumors are circulating that the Athletics are shopping Bailey, their former Rookie of the Year and All-Star closer. Beane has always been outspoken on his belief that the role of the closer is overrated and, more importantly, overpaid.

Because closers are valuated almost entirely based on at most an inning of work each appearance, the A’s believe that they can get any good relief pitcher to come in and fill that role. At least for a couple of years. Then management finds another reliever, either off the dregs of the former-starter scrap heaps or through their farm system.

Rinse and repeat.

With this pattern embedded into Oakland’s business model, it’s likely that Bailey will be shipped out this winter. Particularly because the Athletics’ stadium status is up in the air. The A’s want to conserve their reservoir, reducing payroll in the next couple of seasons to put money back into their (potential) new ballpark.

Bailey has already reported to have drawn interest from the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox, that latter team looking to replace the recently departed Jonathan Papelbon. Should the A’s pull the trigger and let go of their fan-favorite reliever?

Obviously, Oakland will trade him sometime this offseason. Their best bet is to acquire a lot of minor leaguers in return while Bailey’s stock is still high. Despite his injury woes the past couple of seasons, Bailey is experienced enough in his role and young enough (27) to last for a long while at an All-Star level.

With the Athletics’ farm system trudging along with mediocre crops (see lifelong minor leaguers Chris Carter and Michael Taylor), it’s a great time to replenish the well. Especially since the A’s have not been able to cultivate a legitimate position player through their garden in nearly a decade.

And even though Bailey has been a solid closer in his term, he has shown small signs of decline, notably his 5.40 ERA last September and .289 opponents’ batting average in August. The A’s have several candidates waiting in the wings to replace Bailey, specifically Fautino De Los Santos and Joey Devine—who was Oakland’s next in line until his slew of injuries the past few seasons.

Giving up Bailey wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. It’s just a matter of who they’d receive in return. The Red Sox are renowned for their shallow minor league system. But the Blue Jays could offer some help: outfielders Eric Thames and Darin Mastroianni; first baseman Michael McDade; and starters Asher Wojciechowski and Griffin Murphy could all be of service.

To be sure, Bailey’s departure is inevitable. Based on the Athletics’ tight wallets this winter and disfavor of closers in general, Bailey will not be in an A’s uniform next season. From all angles it makes sense for Oakland to maximize his value and get as many prospects in return as they can.

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An American League team playing small ball? Is that for real? Is it possible to win that way?

With their 2-1 Game 2 victory in this year’s World Series, the Texas Rangers proved that not only can they play small ball, but, yes, they can also do so in order to win a ballgame.

Truthfully, though, it should not come as a surprise.

To be sure, the Rangers are no ordinary American League team. Although, they are one of the most potent lineups, sporting an AL-best .283 team batting average, while ranking second in home runs, total bases and OPS and third in runs scored. However, as they proved throughout the season, the Rangers are a versatile squad.

Fearsome at the plate, Texas also demonstrated their ability to play fundamental station-to-station baseball, ranking fourth in the AL in stolen bases and fifth in sacrifice hits. Furthermore, they are natural contact hitters, striking out the fewest number of times. Essentially, the Rangers are built for small ball.

Last year’s team floundered against the pitch-heavy San Francisco Giants. Critics pointed to the Giants’ otherworldly starting rotation as the kryptonite to the Rangers’ bats. The Rangers were held to a minuscule .190 batting average, and critics pointed to their inability during the series to manufacture runs at the right moments.

Though ultimately there wasn’t a lot to be done against Tim Lincecum, et al., the Rangers took to heart the need to generate offense when their bats were not working.

That meant running more and playing sound, situational baseball.

True, Texas has thus far clobbered 14 home runs this postseason—Game 2 of the World Series was an example of what the Rangers can do when not playing long ball. As a result, Texas swiped the game from the clutches of the Cardinals in the ninth inning, tying the series going back to Arlington.

Fortunately, for the Rangers return home to their launching pad at The Ballpark. But it’s inspiring to know that the team has the fortitude and skill to make things happen when their bats aren’t smoldering fastballs. Undoubtedly, Texas will likely not stay sizzling hot the entire way.

At some point, there will be a close game that requires one team or the other to make a move, assembling a run in a variety of methods. The Cardinals, behind manager Tony La Russa’s mechanical devises, will certainly be able to manufacture a run the old-fashioned way—but Texas, with their incredibly balanced lineup, can build runs of their own. 

Shortstop Elvis Andrus handles the bat well, and has two sacrifice hits in the postseason. Meanwhile, Josh Hamilton is the most clutch hitter, providing three sacrifice flies so far in the playoffs. Moreover, the team as a whole has eight stolen bases—but a more telling sign is their willingness to run, as the Rangers have 14 total attempts.

Yes, Game 2 was a display of how far the Rangers have grown as a team from last year. In the 2010 World Series, it’s difficult to envision the team coming back against the Giants bullpen in the ninth inning without trying in vain to swing for the fences. 

Instead, there is no panic. The Rangers are aggressive yet patient; risk-takers yet confident; powerful yet speedy. Their balance is one of the most admirable and exciting aspects of this World Series.

Watching manager Ron Washington construct his counterpoints to La Russa’s intense stratagems is inspiring. Hit-and-runs, stolen bases, walks, bunts. Washington has signaled them all. Every step of the way, the Rangers have pulled through.

If their bats are not mashing home runs, the Rangers are dashing on the bases. It’s one of the many reasons to root for them. When the long ball gets tough, the tough play small ball.

And that is why this time around, the Rangers will win the World Series.

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The National League Championship Series has had its fair share of drama, excitement and sensational performances. Currently tied at two games apiece, the battle between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers is only going to get more intense as the stakes increase. After all, winner advances to the World Series. 

For casual fans who are just tuning into the postseason, the Milwaukee Brewers are a young and surprising team, with many reasons to root for them. 

But sometimes baseball fans who follow the playoffs don’t necessarily cheer for a specific team—especially if their own favorite no longer is in the running. In fact, many opt pick an allegiance based on who they dislike the least, choosing instead to root against a particular team. 

That said, here are five reasons not to root for the Milwaukee Brewers this postseason.

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