Kuzul

It’s that time of the year when baseball publications and blogs far and wide weigh in with their opinions as to which players deserve mentioning on their respective teams’ Top 10 prospects lists, and for the Los Angeles Dodgers, those number of listings are seemingly endless.

Periodicals such as Baseball America, Fangraphs, The Hardball Times, and a number of blogs from SB Nation are among only a few who have published prospect lists in the past week alone.

More than a month ago, Dodgers writers here at Bleacher Report compiled their own list of prospects based on their overall tools and readiness as to when their major league debuts will arrive. We’ve even gone as far as composing a slideshow which featured the Top 20 outfielders in the entire Dodgers organization who may make some type of impact in the near future.

In this latest installment, we’ve gone off the radar a bit and put together a list which features the Top 10 prospects in the farm system based on talent alone. While the overall speed, arm strength, power or superior glove work of a player may set them apart from others, sometimes the critical intangibles such as plate discipline, defensive range and overall savvy for the game take a number of years to develop.

Admittedly, most of the published lists themselves are nothing more than a random grouping of the top names on the farm, as each publication is subjective and has its own opinion. However, although entirely opinionated, the following list features a few statistical angles and facts about each player typically not known by the average fan.

Also, feel free to check back at Bleacher Report throughout the course of 2011 for periodical updates on how all of the Dodgers’ top prospects are progressing.

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Boston Red Sox: 13 Bold Predictions For The 2011 Season

You’d be hard pressed to find a team who did more to significantly alter their look this offseason than the Boston Red Sox. In fact, I’ll go on record right here: the Red Sox had the best and most momentous offseason of any team in baseball.

But that being said, there are a number of questions to be answered. Where do the new guys fit in? How will the rest of the squad be impacted? Who’s due for a good year in 2011?

Hopefully, I’ll shed some light on the state of all things Red Sox.

Also, pitchers and catchers report in less then a month…which sounds oh, so sweet. Theo knows what I’m talking about.

Dan is a Boston Red Sox and Celtics featured columnist. Follow him on Twitter by clicking this link.

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Some might say it’s baseball blasphemy for a die-hard San Francisco Giants fanatic to give opinions about our hated enemies to the south, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In fact, I know quite a few who will say that.

But bear with me for a second.

The blood rivalry—that is unfortunately a literal term when it comes to this particular pairing—between the Gents and Bums is an example of major-league contempt in its purest form.

Granted, the saying goes familiarity breeds contempt, but you could argue the converse is just as true.

That is, contempt breeds familiarity.

Add the fact that the unbalanced schedule in Major League Baseball tosses these two in a cage 18 or 19 times a year, and I’d wager that both fan bases have a pretty good handle on the other side.

The trick, of course, is removing the obvious bias from the assessment.

That’s difficult, but not impossible.

Especially in the case of the topic at hand—the whispers from baseball’s offseason that los Doyers are considering several of their young studs as bargaining chips to bring in fresh, equally talented faces.

Rumor has it that LA is floating such names as James Loney, Matt Kemp and Jonathan Broxton on the open-market waters to see what the franchise might get in return.

It’s also true (as you can see in the links) that Ned Colletti and company have said they will NOT move those same names at any point during the winter.

What’s the bottom line?

Well, you don’t hear anything about Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley on the trade winds these days.

By comparison, I’d say that means the Bums are at least considering the use of Loney, Kemp and/or Broxton as bait.

Consideration is fine; pulling the actual trigger on a deal would be monumentally stupid.

(So let’s hope it happens…)

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There has been very little to complain about during a monumental offseason for the Boston Red Sox. A team starving for interesting personalities and, more importantly, improved talent went out and landed a coveted slugger in Adrian Gonzalez and perhaps the best positional player on the free agent market in Carl Crawford. They are uniquely positioned for a major bounce-back season.

But no team enters a 162-game slate without a handful of questions. The Red Sox have plugged a handful of holes, but they are far from perfect. And, as the Sox learned last year when the team suffered through a remarkable rash of injuries, it often takes just a little bit of bad luck to derail an otherwise promising campaign.

The Red Sox may well be the favorites in the American League East, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few items to ponder as pitchers and catchers get ready to report in a little more than a month.

Such as…

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The Texas Rangers made headlines recently with the signing of Adrian Beltre. The next question they have to answer is concerning their former third baseman, Michael Young.

Young is not new to big league position changes, however. He’s had time at all infield positions besides first base, although it’s been some time since he’s had to consider a switch. In 2008 he spent time at SS, and back in 2003 Michael Young was primarily a second baseman.

One major hurdle remains. Michael Young won’t be a free agent until 2014, trading him might actually be harder then keeping him sparingly, or moving him to a different position. There has been talk about using him at DH, but for a guy like Young with plenty of years left as a solid defensive player, that might be somewhat of a downgrade as far as his rhythm goes. 

In a recent ESPN article, I came across the notion of Young becoming a Lance Berkman, who was traded mid-season and became a DH for the Yankees. It was obvious that Berkman wouldn’t play first base, a position anchored by Teixeira. The idea of Berkman becoming bored came up, in which he referenced the sheer awkwardness of simply not trotting out to your normal position.

For Michael Young, it may be a good thing. A better thing would be if he could use utilize his talented defense in a city that would love to make him an everyday player. As for now, and according to the Rangers website, Michael Young is officially a DH. I guess the playoffs proved fatal in his campaign to man the hot corner, as he made a handful of crucial mistakes.

Let’s take a look at some reasons why he’d be perfect for San Francisco should his time with Texas in the DH role become unbearable.

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The Cubs have agreed to acquire right-handed pitcher Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays for a package of prospects on Friday. The Cubs will send Chris Archer, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, Hak Ju-Lee and Sam Fuld to the Rays for Garza and a minor-league pitcher and a minor-league outfielder, according to Bruce Levine.

Garza is only 27, so he is a young pitcher who will be under club control for three years. So why would the Rays trade him? For one, they are trading from a position of strength. They already have a solid rotation  penciled in for 2011. 

Further, the Rays are in cost-cutting move and Garza is arbitration eligible. He earned $3.35 million last season and stands to earn around $6 million in 2011.

Plus, the haul for the Rays is terrific. They obtain arguably the Cubs’ top pitching prospect in Archer, whose ceiling is that of a No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the MLB, and a potential star in shortstop Hak Ju-Lee, who is only 20 and a defensive whiz with speed and an offense that may not be powerful, but should be effective.

The fact that the Cubs were able to make this trade without giving up Starlin Castro, Tyler Colvin or Andre Casher is somewhat of a coup for GM Jim Hendry. Still, this trade really strips the Cubs system bare. 

Let’s take a look at this trade from multiple angles, see why it was made and what it means going forward.

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Few teams in the major leagues have had as rough an offseason as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The team once aspired, perhaps with stars in their eyes, to sign both Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre this winter. After a flurry of moves during and shortly after the Winter Meetings left the Angels seemingly alone in the marketplace with Beltre, they seemed certain to get at least that consolation prize.

Not so. The Rangers swept in as the Angels dragged through negotiations, and Beltre signed on for five years and $80 million to play in Texas. It’s nearly impossible to imagine that the Angels can now enter the season as a favorite in the AL West.

Understanding that the team has some great pieces already in place, though, there is no reason the team cannot compete with the Rangers in 2011. Read on for 10 things the Angels need to do between now and Spring Training in order to shift the balance of power in their division back toward southern California.

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With spring training quickly approaching, several questions continue to linger in terms of how the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 25-man roster will shape up once the players arrive at Camelback Ranch to prepare themselves for the long journey ahead.

Although general manager Ned Colletti has been very active this winter with numerous new additions to the club, there are still players on the free agent market available who may have the skills or abilities to complete a roster with a few holes.

Right now, the buzz around Dodgertown suggests that the team’s biggest needs are an outfielder with power, a number-two hitter in the lineup, and a left-handed arm in the bullpen. While Colletti may indeed explore free agent possibilities or entertain trade options, the organization is rich with talent and there are plenty of components to assemble a formidable 25-man roster.

Several roster spots may be determined by individual performances during Cactus League play, most specifically the fifth outfielding spot and the sixth arm in the bullpen. While there will be tight competition to finalize these several spots, the new coaching staff will also look to establish chemistry and generate positive momentum heading into Opening Day.

Assuming that the roster stays relatively the same as the season approaches, the following slides project all 25 players who may find themselves on the 25-man roster, show a handful of players who will be in heated battles to earn a place on the big league squad, as well as recommend a starting lineup for Opening Day on April 1.

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The Tampa Bay Rays have gone through baseball’s version of a liquidation sale in the 2010 offseason. It is almost as if any player with any value has left the team or has been rumored to be traded with few exceptions.

Starting with the expected departure of Carl Crawford to the Boston Red Sox and the subsequent departures of players including Carlos Pena and Jason Bartlett the team will look very different in 2011.

When a fan asked David Price on twitter about how the team will be different in 2011, he responded jokingly by saying, “the field will still look the same.”

Here is an examination of the impact the departed players will have on the Rays in 2011.

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With the hot stove season already past its boiling point and the beginning of spring training less than eight weeks away, many teams across Major League Baseball continue to dot their I’s and cross their T’s while preparing for the long season ahead.

Buried deep within the trade rumors and the free-agent market are the teams’ farm systems, and for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the next generation of future stars is both extremely talented and very exciting.

Although the number of players on the Dodgers farm who are actually Major League ready is very slim, there are at least a dozen stars who may be prepared to burst onto the scene as early as the fall of 2011 or the spring of 2012.

The minor league teams themselves within the Dodger organization continue to shine. The Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers low Single-A affiliate, boasted the best record in all of the minor leagues in 2010. Led by Manager Juan Bustabad, the Loons eventually fell to the Lake County Captains in the second round of the Midwest Playoffs.

Under the guidance of first year manager Damon Berryhill, the Dodgers’ Rookie League affiliate, the Ogden Raptors, advanced to the Championship Series in the Pioneer League and eventually fell to the Helena Brewers in a tightly contested series of games.

Focusing on the players specifically, the talent level of pitching is tremendous—both in terms of starters and the bullpen. The number of infield prospects who set themselves apart may be a bit on the thin side, but the stars in the outfield are plentiful, and they showcase a blend of speed, power and exceptional glove work. The catching department is rebuilding, but within a full season it should be at its peak once again and have several rookies who are ready for the show.

The following slides show the Top 10 most valuable prospects heading into next season and offer a bit of commentary for each player. In addition to the Top 10, there’s a bonus slide included which features more than 15 players broken down by position who have also soared to the top of the farm and caught the eyes of both Dodgers managers and coaches.

For classification purposes, the list shown doesn’t include any players who have already made their Major League debuts. Also, the rankings are completely subjective and original, and they aren’t sanctioned or endorsed by any group or entity affiliated with Major League Baseball.

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