Kuzul

When even the most adherent fan scans over the list of this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame candidates, they will see the usual big names: Roberto Alomar, a surefire candidate who missed induction by one vote last year; Bert Blyleven, fifth all-time in strikeouts, who finished five votes away from Cooperstown last year; Jeff Bagwell, a surefire eventual candidate trying to get in on his first year on the ballot.

Yet no name on the ballot may have more significance or wonder connected to it than Rafael Palmeiro.

On the surface, Palmeiro, with 569 homers, 1,839 runs batted in, and 3,020 hits, is the type of player who should coast into the Hall.

But this year, with the addition of Palmeiro to the ballot, what has been speculated and debated for nearly six years will finally bubble to the surface, and baseball will finally stare its demons in the face.

For those who do not know, on March 17, 2005, an adamant Palmeiro famously appeared in front of Congress, stabbed his finger in the air, and defiantly stated, with the trademark confidence that he showed at the plate throughout his career, “Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don’t know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never.”

Less than three months later, Palmeiro was handed a ten-game suspension for testing positive for what the Washington Post called a “serious” performance-enhancing drug. To this day, Palmeiro remains dumbfounded as to how he became the highest-profile player ever to be suspended for PEDs.

Now, Palmeiro will again be the dubious groundbreaker, as he becomes the first steroid user to take the ballot with what are viewed as sure-fire numbers.

Now, many will say that the voters have expressed their views towards steroids by keeping Mark McGwire, the Cardinals hitting coach and former slugger who hit over 500 long balls and once held the single-season record, far from induction to baseball’s most hallowed hall.

Since being admitted to the ballot in 2005, McGwire has fallen well short of the 75 percent needed for induction, with 23.5, 23.6, 21.9 and 23.7 percent.

However, there’s no guarantee that McGwire has the numbers for induction anyway. His 1,626 hits would be the third fewest among Hall of Famers.

Palmeiro, on the other hand, is a member of the elusive 500-3,000 club, whose other three members, Willie Mays (94.7), Hank Aaron (97.8), and Eddie Murray (85.3), all soared over the competition in their first year on the ballot.

Interestingly, Palmeiro never really held the characteristics of steroid user. He was consistent, piling up 11 seasons with 37-plus homers, 10 seasons with 100-plus RBI, and 11 seasons with 30-plus doubles. He showed a characteristic level-headedness, on and off the field, and he never had the ballooned physique associated with steroids.

So when he, perhaps the least juicer-like juicer ever, stands in front of the Hall of Fame selection committee, he will be poked, prodded, and poked again. His candidacy will be viewed and reviewed more times than any other in history, because it will not only decide whether or not Palmeiro gets in, but also the fates of several other men.

Because if Palmeiro gets in, how can we keep Barry Bonds out? How can we keep out Roger Clemens? Manny Ramirez?

Or, conversely, if we keep Palmeiro out, who has all the statistics of an all-time great, how can we let these other convicted rule-breakers in?

With Rafael Palmeiro, the problems that baseball has pushed aside will finally reach the surface. Here and now, the floodgates to the Hall of Fame may either be opened wide for a rush of players in the future, or locked for good, shut tight.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Today’s baseball players simply have no idea the leverage and position they hold in negotiations thanks to sacrifices of some of the game’s greatest players such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays.

Before Curt Flood and the reserve clause, players either played or sat out.

Ownership held all the cards and ownership wasn’t afraid to clench its teeth when it came to salary negotiations with some of the game’s most loved and important icons.

The very frugal Horace Stoneham, who owned the New York and San Francisco Giants, demanded Willie Mays take a salary cut in 1961 after the team finished fifth.

Despite filling the stands with his taxpayer-built Candlestick Park to the tune of 1.7 million fans, Stoneham fired Bill Rigney and looked to his new Latino players such as Juan Marichal and the Alou brothers to lead the team with smaller salaries, despite the fan allegiance to the great Willie Mays!

In 1938, Joe DiMaggio asked for a pay hike to $40K only to settle for $25K and just a $5,000 raise. He would be booed by Yankee fans at his first at-bat of the season.

In 1959, Mickey Mantle batted just .285 with 31 homers and 75 RBI. General Manager George Weiss asked Mantle to take a $17,000 pay cut from $72K to just $55K!

Negotiations with Mantle had become so strained that trade rumors with Cleveland rocked the Bronx as it seemed Mantle would be shipped to the Indians for pitcher Herb Score and Rocky Colavito!

In the end, Mantle would absorb a $7,000 pay cut in 1960 after all.

In fact, even former New York Yankee shortstop, teammate and color man Phil Rizzuto would go public against Mantle and side with Weiss and Yankee management in these tense negotiations.

With just 10 homers, 67 RBI and a .270 batting average, how does an aging Derek Jeter justify a $22.6M salary in these waning days of his career?

Yes, Jeter will become the first Yankee to reach 3,000 hits in 2011, but where is the market for an aging shortstop with limited range and a 60-point drop in his batting average?

Consider the fact that the game’s best player, Albert Pujols of the St Louis Cardinals, led the National League in homers (42) and RBI (118) while flirting with a Triple Crown run most of the 2010 season only earns a mere $14.5M and has finished first or second in MVP voting six times, the most since the legendary Ted Williams.

So who is Derek Jeter negotiating with?

Will the Yankees offer their captain a ridiculous salary increase and extension simply to keep him in a Yankee uniform?

The great Eddie Matthews hit 493 homers as a Brave in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta only to be shipped to the Houston Astros, where he would eventually hit his 500th homer in 1967 and end his career in the American League with the Detroit Tigers in 1968.

When the New York Yankees acquired the contract of DiMaggio, they moved Gehrig in the lineup to accommodate their new hitting star despite Gehrig’s Hall of Fame resume in pinstripes.

Manager Joe McCarthy announced DiMaggio, not Gehrig would hit third.

For better or for worse, Derek Jeter’s greatest days are now behind him.

The popular Yankee captain and arguably the fifth greatest Yankee of all time (Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle and Berra before him), he needs to understand his new role as the team’s elder statesman and behave accordingly.

It will be how Derek Jeter conducts these negotiations and how he’ll be ultimately perceived as one of the finest Yankees ever to wear the uniform.

His No. 2 will be retired and he will go to Cooperstown. The question is will his exit be graceful and memorable or undignified and disruptive?

That is a decision for Derek Jeter to make.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Yankees are one of the most decorated and historic franchises in sports.

Names like Mickey Mantel, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra and the Babe are just a handful of the historic names to don pinstripes.

“Winning Championships” is the Yankees motto. Baseball is a team sport, which makes individual accomplishments merely an added bonus. Awards for anything other than a World Series will not absolve a season’s failure.

The Yankees have housed 22 MVPs, five CY Young winners, eight Rookies of the Year, 12 World Series MVPs, eight ALCS MVPs and two Triple Crown Winners (Home Runs, RBI, Batting Average).

The franchise itself has won 27 World Series Championships and has been witness to every kind of individual player accomplishment except one.

That one is a hitter’s most elite club. Membership is only given to a player who reaches 3000 hits over his career.

There are a mere 26 members in this section of the Hall Of Fame, but not one of them has worn New York pinstripes.

Well, the chance for a Yankee to be represented on this list has come again, and this time the player could not be more fitting: It’s Derek Jeter.

Jeter is a homegrown Yankee who has been the Captain of the pinstripes since 2003.

In 1996, his first year in the pros, Jeter won the Rookie of the Year Award.

In 2000 Jeter was both the World Series MVP and the All-Star Game MVP.

Jeter has played in 11 All-Star Games, won five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, two Hank Aaron awards, a Roberto Clemente award—and that is just the top of the list of awards.

Decorated to say the least, Jeter also has five World Series rings as a Yankee, which is well beyond any expectations.

So, how perfect if the name Derek Jeter were to be the first New York Yankee to grace the 3000 hit list?

Well, what seemed like destiny for Jeter, who has just 74 hits till 3000, is no longer.

Jeter is no longer tied contractually to the pinstripes, a slight predicament which no one imagined would ever be the thing standing in his way.

If the Yankees and Jeter could find a happy medium, then a New York player could be represented on yet another exclusive list.

It would make the Yankee fans ecstatic if it were our Captain Derek Jeter.

Vince Lombardi once said, “It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it.”

The Yankees should give this chance to Derek Jeter, who has done so much for the team. He deserves to have all his triumphs cemented in his pinstripes.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I’ve always been a thankful Cleveland Indians fan.  Perhaps the feeling is based in being a fan of this baseball team in the dreadful 1970s.  Not a single Tribe team during between 1970 and 1970 finished above fourth place in A.L. East, and only two teams finished above .500.

It just got worse in the 1980s, with the Indians never finishing above fifth place, with only one team finishing above .500 (the now infamous 1986 Tribe, that led SI to put them on the cover of their 1987 preseason baseball issue, only to have the Tribe lose over 100 games).  No, it wasn’t pretty at all.

Growing up with those sad-sack teams has made it very easy for me to find the silver lining of just about any baseball club that Cleveland can field.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said, “Yeah, but he’s scrappy,” or “Sure he can’t throw a strike, but he hits 95 on the gun!”  I’ve learned to cope in a world in which coping is the only way to remain a fan.  No, the current version of the Indians aren’t going to remind anyone of the 1927 Yankees, but there certainly is a lot of good, mixed up with the bad.

Here are 10 reasons we all can be thankful for as Cleveland Indians fans.

No. 10: Asdrubal Cabrera could possibly be Cleveland’s version of Derek Jeter.

We all know that Cabrera didn’t have the year he could have had if he didn’t break his forearm last May.  We all know that Cabrera struggled a bit in the field for the first time in his career.  No, he wasn’t horrid, but compared to year’s past, he wasn’t up to par.  With that said, Cabrera did improve after struggling immediately after his return in mid-July.  His stick improved in both August and September, some of his power returned, and he began stealing bases again. 

In other words, the real Asdrubal Cabrera began to show up.  This kid is a slick fielder.  No, he’s not Omar Vizquel (who is), but he’s really good.  Offensively, this is a kid that can hit for .300, can steal 20 bases, can score 80-100 runs (on a good Tribe team) and can be to

the Tribe what Derek Jeter was to the Yankees, a quiet leader (no, not a guy asking for $24 million a year when he’s 37).


No. 9: Tom Hamilton really is one of the best announcers in baseball.

We have been blessed to have had Tom Hamilton announcing Cleveland Indians baseball games for the past 20 years.  It’s hard to believe that it has been that long.  I was talking to my Dad the other day, and he said, “You know, maybe we had all those good teams in the 90’s to make sure that Hamilton would stay in Cleveland.”  While I’m not going to go that far, it’s a good bet that Hamilton would have found a new home.  There was a day when San Diego, or San Francisco (can’t remember now) offered the great Hamilton a deal to become their play-by-play man, but Hamilton stayed. 

Now, his signature drive reverberates through my mind whenever I think of Indians baseball, “A swing and a drive, deep left center, awaaaayyyyy back…GONE.” As a matter of fact, one could make a case that the only entertaining part of Cleveland baseball is Hamilton these days.  The bottom line for me with Hamilton is that he embodies everything that is being a Cleveland Indians fan.  When things are going bad, being upset oozes out of his mouth like cement being poured out of a cement truck.  When the Indians are winning, he announces like the fans are feeling, with his emotions on his shoulder.  Here’s to you Tom Hamilton, the best announcer in baseball not named Vin Scully.

No. 8: Tim Belcher, are you “the one?”

I was never a Tim Belcher fan when he was a pitcher.  There was something about him that always annoyed me.  He was a cocky, in your face, I’m better than you kinda pitcher, that always used to just rub me the wrong way.  Let’s fast-forward a bit to 2010, and Tim Belcher was hired as the Indians pitching coach. 

Prior to that, he spent the past eight years working for the Tribe as a special assistant, helping instruct big-league and minor-league pitchers in spring training, instructing pitchers in the minors and doing advance scouting for the big-league club.  He’d been with the club for years and knew this organization.  Go figure, the very thing that irritated me when he was a player is what makes him a solid pitching coach. 

He teaches the Tribe pitchers to pound the strike zone and attack the hitters.  Virtually every pitching statistic improved by leaps and bounds from the year prior.  Still, his most impressive feat may have been his remaking Fausto Carmona into a big league pitcher.  There were moments when the kid looked every bit as good as he did in 2007.  No, Belcher didn’t have any Cy Young guys to work with, but sometimes that’s when a pitching coach really proves his mettle.

No. 7: Terry Pluto is one of the good ones. 

There are some really cruddy journalists here in the city of Cleveland, and many of them report on our very own Cleveland Indians.  Fortunately, in the midst of most of that fodder is perhaps the best Cleveland sports writer in recent memory. 

Pluto never jumps the gun, and almost always has original thoughts on what the Indians should have done, is doing, or what they might do.  He never falls into the typical entrapments of the other local media that just aren’t as informed or always reporting the next pratfall.  Instead, Pluto reports with sense and a bit of sensibility.  He also mentored Brian Windhurst, who is one of the best NBA reporters in the business, even if he did leave Cleveland for the murky waters of Miami and ESPN.

 
No. 6: Chris Perez has the stuff to become one of the best closers in baseball.

Cleveland has had closers with a lot of saves over the years (Joe Borowski and Bob Wickman), but rarely have they had a closer that was equated as their best reliever.  Perez likely could be that guy.  He has a plus fastball and slider and has a similar matter-of-fact mentality with regards to closing that Mariano Rivera and Joe Nathan have. 

No, I’m not putting Perez there, but he’s less of a weirdo and more of a “get-the-job-done” kind of guy.  He was dominant last year, saving 23-of-27 games and rolling out a 1.71 ERA, a 1.08 Whip and an 8.9 K per 9 innings.  We all know the volatility of the closer position, but at the very least, we’ve got this kid locked up for four more years.  With a solid group behind him and the likes of Rob Bryson, Cory Burns and Nick Hagadone waiting in the wings, things will only get better.

No. 5: The Diatribe and the Indians Prospect Insider are the best thought out blogs in the land of the Tribe.

I’ve followed the Diatribe faithfully over the past five years, and if you haven’t had a visit yet, you need to.  While I don’t subscribe to Sabrmetrics, I do subscribe to the view that there is some validity to their usefulness.  Still, reading a blog about the wonderful world of sabr is about as exciting as watching Michigan football. 

Paul Cousineau (formerly known as Pat Tabler) writes with the emotion of being a lifelong Cleveland fan on his sleeve, while adding a solid mix of sabr to match his thoughts.  It’s not exactly off the beaten path, but Cousineau is way ahead of the curve of most Indian writers, Pluto included. 

As a matter of fact, in recent days, PC has “scooped” Pluto and his thoughts.  For example, PC recently commented on the potential of the Indians going after Kevin Kouzmanoff.  A couple of weeks later, there is Pluto, talking K2.  When you have the best writer in Cleveland following your lead, well, it doesn’t get much better than that, does it.

Tony Lastoria started off at Swerbs Blurbs/ The Cleveland Fan, before developing his own site, Indians Prospect Insider, to continue developing his thoughts on the Tribe’s minor league system.  IPI is now the definitive Tribe minor league site, with substantial information on all levels of the Tribe system.  You can currently find Tony’s work at the Ashtabula Star Beacon, as well as at Sports Time Ohio, where he’s writing an independent blog entitled, Minor Happenings.

Seriously, it’s rare for big market teams to have two quality sites like The Diatribe and Indians Prospect Insider (Don’t miss out on The Cleveland Fan either).

No. 4: A side order of Jason Kipnis, Carlos Carrasco, Lonnie Chisenhall, Austin Adams, Cord Phelps, Alex White, Nick Weglarz, Matt Packer, Joe Gardner and Chun Chen, if you please.

These certainly aren’t all of the top prospects in the Tribe’s minor league chain-of-command (and I haven’t even mentioned the 2010 picks), but these should be at the top of the pecking order heading into the 2011 season.  I’m not going to give you a play-by-play today of all these guys, but they are good. 

My personal favorites on this list are second baseman Jason Kipnis, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, right-handed starter Alex White and big lefty, Joe Gardner.  The system is loaded, and there are potential superstars waiting in the wings.  Now, if these draft prospects pan out, and the Indians begin to fix their draft program, it can only get better.

No. 3: Thank goodness for the 1948 Cleveland Indians, led by Lou Boudreau!

I recently received an e-mail asking me why I had a Cleveland Indians blog named Bringing Back Boudreau.  After picking my jaw up off the ground, I replied, “Type these three items into your search engine—Lou Boudreau, 1948, and World Series.”  Boudreau was the player/manager of that team in 1948, which just happens to be the last time the Tribe won the series.  I wasn’t anywhere close to being alive then, but hope upon all hope that I can someday change the name of this blog to, “Brought Back Boudreau.”

No. 2: Shin-Soo Choo, the most unsung baseball player in the majors.

I am certain that if you asked 50-of-100 baseball fans about Shin-Soo Choo, they would say bless you.  Choo is a good ballplayer.  Wait, that doesn’t do the kid justice.  Choo is a fantastic ballplayer, and without him on this team over the past two-and-one-half seasons, I’m not sure if there would be any offensive players of note over that same time period. 

He hit .300 again last season, with 22 homers and 90 RBI.  He had a .484 OBP and an .885 OPS.  He stole 22 bases for the second straight year and scored 81 runs in only 144 games.  Choo isn’t all that unsung, as he did finish 14th in the MVP voting, but boy, you do have to wonder just how bad it could be without our favorite South Korean.  Choo also gained exempt status from the South Korean military this offseason just as tension escalated with North Korea.  Lots to be thankful for here. 

No. 1: A main course of Carlos Santana.

Santana only played in 46 games last season but did manage to prove that average doesn’t mean a thing.  He “only” batted .260, with six homers and 22 RBI.  He walked a stellar 37 times, while only striking out 26 times.  His OBP was .401, and his slugging was a stellar .467.  He’s got a cannon for an arm, calls a good game and can play in the infield, with rumors everywhere from first base, to returning to third base. 

Santana is a prodigious talent and has the potential to be a special, special major leaguer.  Think back to when Manny was coming up; he’s that kind of player.  You can tell he was built to be a ballplayer, and he’ll be the centerpiece of the Tribe offense for years to come.

You see what I mean…if you close your eyes long enough, finding 10 reasons for us Tribe fans to be thankful isn’t all that difficult, now is it. 

Remember, at least we aren’t Pirate’s fans…;)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

No one suspected that New York Yankee captain Derek Jeter’s contract negotiations would start to resemble a page out of the Alex Rodriguez biography.

The new Yankee regime sans “the Boss” has made it very clear that this is a business decision and not a personal one. The rumored offer made was somewhere in $45-$50 million range for a period of three years.

Whatever exactly was left on the table did not go over well in Jeter camp, as Jeter’s agent Casey Close stated he was “baffled” over it.

Close’s public statements did not go over well. Yankees GM Brian Cashman, along with Hank Steinbrenner defended the decisions with an attitude that if the offer is not generous enough than Jeter should go test open market, and hear the other 29 teams offers.

This has caused pandemonium in Yankee Universe, as neither the media nor the fans can rationalize whose side to take. Unfortunately, I am having this same dilemma.

The predicament remains is it Jeter or the Yankees that needs to take a step back and get real? Will you be wearing a “TEAM JETER” or “TEAM YANKEES” t- shirt?

Speaking for myself, I can’t imagine life in Yankee Universe without Jeter, but than maybe Jeter is not the man I thought he was….

TEAM-JETER

Many feel the Yankees are victimizing Jeter, as Cashman and the Steinbrenner brothers’ open lack of appreciation for someone who is the face of the franchise.

What seems more insulting is the lack of respect for the Captain of the team, who single handily made the Yankee brand what it is today.

Justifying the significant salary reduction for Jeter makes no sense. This is an organization notorious for over-paying players and out-spending every other team in baseball.

Now is not the time for the Yankees to become spending thrifty. Jeter is a special athlete, in a world full of cheaters and quitters and he should be treated accordingly.

The Yankees are officially under new ownership with the passing of “the Boss” but his sons’ reassured fans that there dad’s motto and passion for winning would never change.

Hal Steinbrenner once described the Yankees big spending as “I look at it as reinvestment for the fans sake, like we always due”.

If that statement bears any truth than Derek Jeter would be back in pinstripes already. Jeter is a winner through his leadership. The Yankee fans get to be arrogant and proud because of Derek Jeter.

Derek Jeter is the Captain every other fan base, franchise and fellow players want because he makes baseball better at time when the game has taken it’s biggest fall.

Up next….MLB Hot Stove: Why New York Yankees Fans Should Choose Team Yankees.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Rumors rumors everywhere.  Where will Cliff Lee land?  The Yankees, duh.

It seems every off season that pitching is the biggest issue for those teams looking to make a big splash in free agency.

The Atlanta Braves are looking at a 2011 season that very much like 2010 will include much depth at starting pitching.  Carl Pavano, Andy Pettitte, Jorge de la Rosa, Javier Vazquez, and Chris Young are just a few names that come quite popular upon the signing of Cliff Lee if and when Brian Cashman signs him to come to the Bronx.

The biggest need of the offseason was fulfilled with the trade for Dan Uggla on November 16, 2010.  His right-handed power will bring a much needed boost to the Atlanta Braves offense.

It is safe to say, I don’t see the Braves shopping for any above average starting pitching this offseason.  If anything, the Braves could consider adding a veteran arm to their bullpen.

Let’s take a quick peek at what the Braves have to look forward to in 2011 when it comes to starting pitching.

1.) Tim Hudson (Prediction: 210 IP, 18-9, 2.95 ERA, 135 Ks)

What can you say about Tim Hudson in 2010?  17-9 with an ERA of 2.83.  He does walk a batter from time to time but he held hitters to a .229 BAA last season.

What was the most significant part of 2010 for “Huddy”?  228.2 IP.  Not bad for a guy that just came back from major surgery the season before.  You could certainly make a case that Tim Hudson is as good as ever right now and that his only season better than 2010 was when he pitched for the A’s back in 2003.  He may very well be in the Cy Young race yet again in 2011.

2.) Tommy Hanson (Prediction: 215 IP, 15-10, 3.10 ERA, 200 Ks)

2011 will very much be a breakout season for the young Tommy Hanson.  Next season Tommy Hanson will be listed first and Hudson second.

Hanson has a knack for getting in trouble and blowing up, but he has also pitched his way out of trouble several times.  This is typical for a young star.  I don’t think he will compete for the Cy Young just yet in 2011, but in 2012 he will be running the show against the big boys.

2010 showed that Hanson has good control when he is on his game.  His K to BB ratio was right around 3:1.  With a little more run support, I think Hanson would have been able to log a few more innings this season and get very close to 200 Ks.

3.) Derek Lowe (Prediction: 190 IP, 15-12, 4.10 ERA, 125 Ks)

If Derek had only been as dominant all years as he was in the month of September he would have been an easy pick for the Cy Young.  In the final month of the season Lowe went 5-0 with a 1.17 ERA.  With a little run support in the playoffs, Lowe could have pitched the Braves to a NLCS if he had just had a little more run support from an injury plagued lineup.

I think Lowe has reached his peak, but feel he will give the Braves one more good season.  His 2010 numbers aren’t out of reach, but I’ll suggest he will be slightly above average and more consistent this season.

4.) Jair Jurrjens (Prediction: 185 IP, 14-10, 3.80 ERA, 140 Ks)

If I were a betting man (which I’m not) I would suggest J.J. will be more similar to his 2008 and 2009 self in 2011.  Between his injuries (June through August) JJ carried a 6-1 record with a 3.75 ERA in 12 starts.  By September, Jurrjens was already beginning to feel the effects of his injuries.  I feel like this section of the season more clearly portrays what a healthy Jair Jurrjens will pitch like in 2011.  One day, Jair will be one of the most recognized pitchers in the league alongside Tommy Hanson.

5.) Mike Minor (Prediction: 165 IP, 9-13, 4.80 ERA, 155 Ks)

Mike Minor will be the man until Kris Medlen comes back from injury.  If Minor pitches well enough, Medlen upon his return could be used as a valuable bullpen arm in August or September of 2011.  Brandon Beachy may give Minor a run for his money in spring training, but the former Vanderbilt stand-out was drafted to be a Braves pitcher for several years to come.  My prediction will be based on a full season.  This is subject to change depending on what Fredi Gonzalez does with Medlen when he returns.

Aside from the five starters above, others will likely see some time in the rotation with a spot-start here and there.  Brandon Beachy as mentioned will give Minor some competition but will likely be used as a long reliever or a spot starter.  If he isn’t traded, Kenshin Kawakami may see some time on the big club if he can regain some form at AA early in the season.

What I believe most fans hope for is a late season return by Kris Medlen.  Medlen was a great benefit to the team last season and would be an excellent late season addition to what is expected to be a competitive Braves squad in 2011.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I know I am about week late with this, but with a busy work schedule and all the other things that went on in baseball last week, I couldn’t get to it.  I just wanted to comment on the St. Louis Cardinals re-signing RHP Jake Westbrook.

Kudos on both sides on getting this done.

Westbrook is a perfect fit in St. Louis

Kudos to Westbrook and his camp on knowing where his bread is buttered. As we have seen in the past with this retread pitchers in St. Louis, they don’t realize where their bread is buttered. Jeff Suppan, Jeff Weaver, and Joel Pineiro I am talking to you.

After coming over from the Cleveland Indians in July, Westbrook had a 3.48 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 62 percent Groundball Percentage in 75 innings. The last stat is why Westbrook is a perfect fit St. Louis.

A groundball pitcher plus a legendary pitching coach who emphasizes pounding the strike zone and throwing groundballs plus facing weaker National League lineups equals success. At the age of 33, Westbrook has the chance to be very successful in a Cardinals’ uniform in 2011 and 2012.

Kudos to the Cardinals and their staff for bringing back Westbrook at a reasonable cost. A two-year, $16.5 million contract for a pitcher like Westbrook is a pretty fair deal.

With Westbrook sliding into the No. 3 or 4 spot in the rotation on a regular basis, the Cardinals have one of the deepest starting rotations in the National League. Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and Westbrook is a very formidable rotation.

It’s a rotation that should help the Cardinals compete with the Cincinnati Reds for supremacy in the NL Central. I do think the Cardinals need to figure out a way to make their lineup more balanced in order to reclaim the top spot from the Reds. Right now, their lineup is very top heavy.

Westbrook has a 4.29 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, and a 59 percent Groundball Percentage in 10 seasons with the New York Yankees, Indians, and Cardinals.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Terry Collins has been selected as the new manager of the New York Mets, a source confirmed to MLB.com on Sunday evening.

He wasn’t my first choice to replace Jerry Manuel, but I’ll support him and trust that Sandy Alderson and Co. have made the right decision.

Now the Mets have a manager for the 2011 season, there’s work to be done and Collins will have a busy offseason.

Some things will take time, such as learning how to deal with the media. Others might be a little simpler, like immediately moving Carlos Beltran to right field. Whatever happens, let’s hope Collins has a successful first year, because 2012 is when the Mets could really come into their own when payroll dead weight is slashed.

Fans, both before and after his two-year hire, have had things to say on the state of the club. James Stewart-Meudt said fans should just let events run their course as they play a “sit and wait” game. Sammy Makki has written a great article on what to expect next season and featured columnist Robert Knapel has posted a piece about why Collins was the wrong man for the job. Jim Mancari has also written an article about ways the Mets can look to improve.

Still, he’s here and he will be introduced to the media over the next day or two. Here are 10 things Collins needs to sort out as soon as possible.

Begin Slideshow

Immediately following the World Series, the New York Yankees announced the termination of pitching coach Dave Eliand, which came as no surprise.

There were many guessing games of who might be Eiland’s replacement. The front-runners looked to be current bullpen coach Mike Harkey; Rick Kranitz, who has worked with Yankees skipper Joe Girardi before; and Scott Aldred, who currently serves the role in Triple-A Scranton for the last two seasons.

Fans were suggesting that David Cone, Al Leiter or Mike Mussina might bring their experience on the mound to the other side. Since none of the three have ever coached, the likelihood was slim.

Then the decision was announced that Chicago Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild was now bringing his talents to the Yankees.

It was a tad confusing because minimal interest had been expressed about Rothschild coming to the Bronx, as the Cubs had him signed through 2011.

The Cubs let Rothschild out of his contract stating that Rothschild wanted to spend more time near his Tampa, FL home. Since the Yankees train in Tampa, this move for Rothschild was exactly what he was looking to make.

No doubt Yankee fans should be elated to get Rothschild, who comes with 36-years of professional baseball experience and also coached Girardi as a player in Chicago back in 2002.

Rothschild has a reputation of being a noteworthy communicator, who does his homework but continually does the extra-credit. A lot of the qualities that Girardi brings as a manager, so Rothschild should fit perfectly on the staff.

As part of the interview process, Rothschild had to analyze video on AJ Burnett and give in detail how he would fix the Yankees pitching staff’s black sheep.

Considering Rothschild had just finished his eighth year helping the Cubs, last season’s correlation of hotheaded and unpredictable Carlos Zambrano might have helped in his answers.

Rothschild also made it clear that his motto is “repeat deliveries,” as it leads to better location and control. Well, lucky for Rothschild that Burnett is the poster child for disaster on the mound and his theories will be tested from every situation.

This move is a positive one for the Yankees, as obviously Eiland was having off-the-field issues that were more important and distracted him from doing his job.

Rothschild has coached twice on World Series Championship teams in 1990 for the Cincinnati Reds and in 1997 for the Florida Marlins. This definitely played a factor for the Yankees, who like guys who have been to the big stage and had success on it.

In his first day in pinstripes, Rothschild called each pitcher to schedule training dates prior to the start of 2011 Spring Training.

Hey, nothing feels better than hiring a real go-getter. It would seem that Rothschild wasn’t going to waste a minute.

Trust me, Rothschild has his work cut out for him with Burnett alone.

Without a doubt, all we know is that Rothschild knows how to win, and that is what Yankee Universe likes to hear.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In last week’s episode of As The Werth Turns, writers and fans were simply trying to make heads or tails out of whether or not the Philadelphia Phillies had a chance of retaining outfielder Jayson Werth. And while the saga continues to consume Philly fans, the organization continues on a slow and steady pace in their offseason wheelings and dealings.

The latest news is the signing of relief pitcher Jose Contreras to a two-year, $5.5 million contract.

This comes as a huge helping hand in the Phillies’ primary quest for quality upgrades to the bullpen, especially since the team has declined J.C. Romero’s option.

Phillies GM Rubin Amaro Jr. has already made it clear that settling the bullpen is of the utmost top priority, while supplementing that statement by also saying they haven’t closed the doors on any free agents—Jayson Werth included.

But open doors tend to let flies in or at least that’s what my mother used to yell.

The free-agency market is wide open right now, especially regarding outfielders. So the Phillies are afforded a nice stroll down Non-Tendered Way as they sip on their lattes and window shop. Players such as Magglio Ordonez, Josh Willingham, Aaron Rowand and even Carlos Quentin are all currently on display at your local MLB free agency store, so act now!

While the Phillies really don’t need to do anything out of haste, there is a growing sense of urgency as to what will be the end game.

Werth’s presence limits prospect Domonic Brown’s ability to be plugged into the starting role, but the expected heavy contract that Werth is gambling for ($120 million over six or seven years) is not something the Phillies will even remotely offer.

At best, they’ll slide a three-or four-year deal worth between $60 and 70 million across the table.

Another issue is the free agents I previously mentioned. Ordonez is like aged cheese at 36, Willingham was having a nice season in 2010 until the all-too-familiar injury bug bit him again, Rowand isn’t really an option and neither is Quentin, despite rumors of the Phillies thinking of making a run for him.

So here we are…left in the menacing grip of speculation and hope (for some).

But in my opinion, when you really gauge the free agency market, and what the Phillies still have to do in the bullpen, retaining Jayson Werth just makes perfect sense.

The almighty dollar seems to be the only real stepping stone. The Phillies know that Raul Ibanez has one more year left tops, and that’s if he even makes it through a full season.

The Phillies also know to get that true relief arm that can “seal the deal,” you have to have a hefty coin on hand. If the Phillies can come to some sort of happy median, however, you kill two birds with one stone while still saving enough to enjoy that latte and a nice morning bagel from South Street Philly Bagels (613 South 3rd Street…it’s a wonderful little place, take your kids!)

But the hitch is on Werth’s agent, Scott Boras, and Werth himself regarding their willingness to accept a three- or four-year deal if offered.

The market should rear its ugly head soon and show Werth that it isn’t what he perhaps thought it was going to be for free agents looking to score that monumental deal.

But until something comes to a head, the fans will continue to chomp at the bit, while the organization continues to take it easy.

To be honest, it will all be “Werth” it if the Phillies find a way to retain the Philadelphia mainstay while beefing up that pen.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com