Kuzul

As the MLB season heads into the dog days of summer, we all sit in anticipation to see what big names will be moved at the deadline.

Will the New York Yankees get their top of the line pitcher? Will the Milwaukee Brewers make another surprising splash like they did in acquiring C.C. Sabathia in 2008?

We will find out soon.

At this point, we can just sit back and hold out hope that our respective teams can keep winning ballgames—pleading that they are in position to make a bold move at the deadline.

On the other hand, it doesn’t always work out as planned—as no one wants to be on the losing end of a bad deal.

We’ve seen many lopsided deals over the last 20 years—although in most cases it takes years to determine the winner.

Here are the 13 Most Lopsided Deals Since 1990.

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This is a slideshow on the top 10 Yankee performers right now.  Keep in mind that the entire show is not based on past seasons’ performances.  It is only based on the future, which I think is the most relevant tool that we can look to at this point.  Thus, don’t be surprised if you see some major names kept off of this list.

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Overall, the upcoming MLB free agency class for the 2011 offseason is fairly weak.  Unlike 2010 when baseball fans anxiously watched to see where pitcher Cliff Lee and All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford would end up, 2011 will figure to be a quiet offseason.

Yet, among the 2011 free agents, one name stands out.  For the first time in his career, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols will be on the open market.  Given how he is only 31 years old and already has a career batting average of .330, 414 home runs and 1,242 RBI, he will surely command big money.

The Cardinals attempted to negotiate a new contract with Pujols this past offseason and into spring training.  Pujols actually set February 14 as the deadline for a new deal, otherwise negotiations would end.  No deal was reached, so it’s clear that Pujols’s next contract will set a new standard for free agents in future years.

Here are 11 potential free agents whose next contracts will be shaped by the conclusion of the Pujols saga.

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For the past decade, the All-Star teams have been highlighted by the same players year after year. Players like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Ichiro, Albert Pujols, and Chipper Jones have appeared in the starting lineups every year and it’s starting to get old. Between now and 2014, a new generation of faces will emerge as baseball’s best and brightest and the old ones will begin to fade. Four All-Star Games from now, a few of the old faces will still be there, but many new ones will shine on one of baseball’s biggest stages.

We all know that in 2014, many of these players probably won’t be on the same teams they are on today, but for the sake of the article, let’s imagine they all stayed put. Since the 2014 All-Star Game will take place in an American League stadium, there will be a Designated Hitter in each lineup Enjoy. 

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In baseball today, fickle fans have a fascination with speed when it comes to pitching.  Unless a pitcher can throw a fastball upwards of 94 miles per hour, it seems that he is not worth one’s total attention.  While the fastball is certainly a fine pitch, I would prefer today to talk about a horse of a different color: the changeup.

All in all, the changeup is the same as the fastball in terms of movement.  It moves straight, but a special grip required to throw it makes it a different pitch entirely.  Rather than overwhelm an opposing batter with high velocity, a changeup moves much slower than a typical fastball and most batters swing at it too early.

While many of today’s pitchers do have great fastballs, many of those same pitchers rely heavily on a changeup in order to be effective.  One pitcher who uses this pitch very well is Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay (pictured at left), whose changeup just seems to improve season after season.

Here are 10 pitchers in baseball today, Halladay included, whose changeups are extremely stifling.

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Stephen Strasburg and Adam Wainwright would have been two of my answers to this column’s question before they were both sidelined with elbow injuries that will keep them off the diamond for most, if not all, of this season.

A team’s rotation is pretty fluid throughout the course of a year. In a 162-game season, teams will be plagued with injuries and most of these injuries will find pitchers sitting on the DL picking their noses with their good arms while their team pushes forward in an effort to make the postseason. Strasburg will do that this year as his teammate and fellow hurler Jordan Zimmerman did last year. 

Who will catch the injury bug is impossible to predict. I thought that Justin Verlander would have thrown his arm out of the socket by now considering how many innings and pitches he throws. He is overused in my opinion yet he still keeps trucking along at an amazing pace, throwing upper 90 fastballs and chalking up W’s for the Tigers.

I was counting on Adam Wainwright to anchor my fantasy team this year until his arm called it quits and forced me to draft John “lackluster” Lackey and Brian Matusz in an attempt to compensate for the loss. Matusz is now injured as well, nursing a hang nail or something.

Needless to say I am getting my grapes stomped thus far in fantasy but I’m not here to whine about that. I’m here to let you know who is going to garner the most wins per team this season and why.

You may disagree with me, as a lot of you so often do, or you may agree 100 percent with me as nobody ever does, but either way I won’t know if you don’t leave a comment. So please let me know your thoughts on this matter in the comment section. Thanks and enjoy. First up is the AL East. 

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It has been almost four years since the Indians last finished a season with record of .500 or better. The last time, in fact, was 2007, when the Indians won the AL Central with a record or 96-66. Since that time it has been all down hill for the Tribe,  81 victories in 2008, 65 in 2009, and 69 in 2010. Had it not been for a hot 7-3 finish the Tribe would have finished in the AL Central basement for the second consecutive season.

Bad news for Tribe fans: this season may not be much better than any of those.

Gone are the Cy Young Award winners and the sluggers of yesteryear. They have been replaced with the words; hope and potential.

The hope is that the potential will finally show this season.

Players like Matt LaPorta, Justin Masterson, Mitch Talbot, and Carlos Carrasco all have unlimited potential, but have only shown it in spurts.

LaPorta has been the most disappointing thus far in his short career. The key player in the CC Sabathia deal, LaPorta in 162 games as a pro (52 in 2009 and 110 in 2010), has hit 19 home runs with 62 RBI while hitting a lowly .232.

Masterson, who was the key to the Victor Martinez deal, is entering his second season as a full time starter, and has shown that he can be a very good starter at times though his 7-20 record with the Tribe would show otherwise.

Talbot and Carrasco will enter this season with a chance to prove that they belong as they will be full time members of the rotation.

There is hope though as players like Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana, and especially closer Chris Perez have shown the ability to be all-star caliber cornerstones.

With that here is a look at the way this 2011 campaign may go for our Tribe.

Projected Rotation

1. Fausto Carmona (2011 projection 14-15, 3.89 ERA)

2. Justin Masterson (12-15, 4.60 ERA)

3. Mitch Talbot ( 11-12, 4.01 ERA)

4. Carlos Carrasco (9-12, 4.55 ERA)

5. Josh Tomlin (10-12,  4.20 ERA)

Overview: The starting rotation may be the weakest part of the club. Carmona, the veteran of the group, may also be the most speratic of the bunch. After having a great 2007, where he went 19-8, he followed with 13 wins in the next two seasons combined. Last year, the 6’4” righty bounced back having a very good season, despite finishing with a 13-14 record. Masterson, as I stated earlier, is a wild card. He is very capable of establishing himself as a quality starter in this league, he just hasn’t quite figure out how to do it consistently, yet. Talbot began last season strong with a 3.99 ERA in the first half of the season, but was much less effective the second time around, with a 5.29 ERA in the second half. Carrasco, who was acquired from the Phillies in the Cliff Lee deal, will be given his first opportunity to be a part of the rotation for a full season, along with fellow righty Josh Tomlin who looked impressive at times with the big league club last season.

It seems that the key to improving the weakest part of the club is maturity, and with maturity, let’s hope consistency isn’t very far behind.

Closer: Chris Perez (2011 projection 4-1, 1.89 ERA 35 Saves)

Overview: Perez was lights out last season finishing with a 1.71 ERA. To put that into perspective, The Sandman, Yankee closer Mariano Rivera finished with 1.80 ERA. Perez has the ability to be a dominating closer in this league for years to come. He has the moxy, the make up, the insanity, and the arm to be a great closer in C-Town, and I project this will be a huge breakout year for the big righty out of The U.

As for the rest of the bullpen, Vinnie Pestano will be given his first chance to be a quality contributor to a major league squad, and will join Frank Herrman, Rafael Perez, and Tony Sipp in what could be a very good bullpen for the short and long term.

Projected Lineup

1. Grady Sizemore, CF (2011 projection .270 12 HR 50 RBI)

2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS (.310 9 HR 44 RBI)

3. Shin-Soo Choo, RF (.320 26 HR 95 RBI)

4. Carlos Santana, C (.299 27 HR 93 RBI)

5. Travis Hafner, DH (.266 19 HR 63 RBI)

6. Orlando Cabrera, 2B (.289 8 HR 45 RBI)

7. Matt LaPorta, 1B (.240 20 HR 60 RBI)

8. Jason Donald, 3B (.273 12 HR 59 RBI)

9. Michael Brantley, LF (.287 9 HR 41 RBI)

Overview: The lineup has many spots that, if potential is filled, can give the Tribe a formidable lineup for years to come (or until there is a good time to trade them). Sizemore and Donald will begin the season on the DL, and when they come off will immediately make the team better. In Sizemore’s absence Brantley will play CF, and hit lead off which will mean Austin Kearns will begin the season most likely in RF. Donald was well on his way to being the Indians opening day 3rd baseman (though prospect Lonnie Chisenhall outplayed him) during spring training only to have a hand injury shut him down for the immediate future, in his spot journeyman Jack Hannahan will get the reps at the hot corner. The 2-3-4 hitters, Cabrera, Choo, and Santana are the heart of the lineup with each player showing that he is highly capable of hitting over .300, while Choo and Santana have shown the power to hit 25 homers or more. The wildcard’s in the lineup are Hafner and LaPorta. Hafner who in 2006 hit 42 homers and had 117 RBI, has not come close to those numbers in the past few seasons, due to injuries and loss of bat speed. LaPorta, as I stated earlier, could break out this season, and the Indians are hoping that is the case, but he just has not shown the consistency to make me believe that will happen. The more I see LaPorta the more I believe he is AAAA player. The type you see who kill AAA pitching but struggle in the big show.

Season Projections:

• Carlos Santana will pick up where he left off and have a very productive season
• Santana and closer Chris Perez will be All-Stars
• Hafner will start slow but then show improvement down the stretch
• Prospect Lonnie Chisenhall will start at 3rd for Tribe by August
• Sizemore will look like the Grady of old, but not until late in the season
• The team will finish 76-86, fourth in the AL Central

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Opening Day is lurking right around the corner and teams are preparing themselves to make a run for the World Series.  Many people always say that pitching is the key to success, and that saying has held true for the past few seasons.  Here is a ranking of all 30 Opening Day starters.                                                                                                                                                            

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Satire

The Indians got a bit of surprising news this morning when former Indians ace Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn announced that he was planning a comeback to Major League Baseball.

Vaughn was quoted as saying the come back is all about “winning and bi-winning.”

It was welcome news to a pitching staff that was a combined 69-93 with a 4.30 ERA in 2010.

The 45 year-old pitcher broke into baseball in 1989 with a terrific rookie year. Discovered in the California Penal League, Vaughn’s raw talent earned him a spot on the Indians spring training roster.

He had some control issues early, but once corrected, he anchored the rotation that also featured Cy Young award winner Eddie Harris. 

On why he decided to come back: “It’s always kind of bothered me that I retired a year before the Indians made their run in the 1990s.  When Lou [Former Indians Manager Lou Brown] died, I had to take a serious look at my life,” Vaughn said. “I called Jake [Taylor] and we got together over the offseason and started working on some stuff. You know, getting back into shape.”

He has also been working out with former Indians Gold Glove Award winner Willie Mays Hayes.

The workouts have been intense, but that has not deterred Vaughn: “I have a different constitution, I have a different brain, I have a different heart. I got tiger blood, man.” Hopefully that Tiger Blood will translate into victories for the Tribe.

With an inconsistent Fausto Carmona as the opening day starter, there are a lot of questions heading into 2011. There is some promise with the likes of Justin Masterson, Carlos Carrasco and Mitch Talbot, all under 28 years old. None of them are proven starters.

Ricky Vaughn has said he’d like to compete for a job as a starter, refusing to entertain the notion that he would be relegated to bullpen duty.

When asked about the Indians pitchers, Vaughn clarified by saying, “They’re the best at what they do and I’m the best at what I do. And together it’s like, it’s on. Sorry, Middle America [American League Central].” That kind of positive thinking will be a welcomed addition to current skipper Manny Acta.

Slow starts have plagued the Indians in recent years. If Ricky’s aging arm can stand up to the rigor of a full MLB season, this might be the year they get it turned around. Wild Thing was not ashamed when he talked about what he expects from the upcoming 2011.

He said “It’s perfect. It’s awesome. Every day is just filled with just wins. All we do is put wins in the record books. We win so radically in our underwear before our first cup of coffee, it’s scary. People say it’s lonely at the top, but I sure like the view.”

Not everybody is drinking the kool-aid. The groundskeepers at Progressive Field in Cleveland were quoted as saying “They’re still sh**** [crappy].”

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Spring Training is a great opportunity for teams to find out what type of talent they’ll have on their side as they prepare to embark on a 162-game journey.

Players are excited to get back into the swing of things, and the slates are wiped clean as every team is in preparation mode.

It’s hard to look too deeply into statistics during spring training, as this time is more often used to fine tune habits and learn how to work with new teammates.

That said, here are a few players whose slow starts this spring won’t likely be an indicator to their regular season successes.

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