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Opinion

Opinion

Bigger Impact for the Boston Red Sox: Matt Holliday or Adrian Gonzalez?

With the trading rumors swirling away, a couple of big names are being thrown around that Boston Red Sox fans are very familiar with.

Carlos Zambrano Can Hit... But Does a Hitting Pitcher Help His Team?

Carlos Zambrano recently received his third Silver Slugger award, and second straight, as the best hitting pitcher in the National League. Zambrano actually dropped off considerably in his offensive production in 2009, seeing his OPS drop from .892 to .689.

But that .689 is nearly double the league average pitcher; National League hurlers compiled a miserable .355 OPS in 2009.

Four-Mula for Success: How to Resurrect a Baseball Dinosaur

The debate over when baseball teams did away with the four-man rotation is a hard one to settle. J.C. Bradbury, author of The Baseball Economistlocated the move  to a five-man staff around 1969.

Mystery Men: Five Free-Agent Sleepers Who Could Surprise In 2010

John Lackey. Matt Holliday. Jose Valverde. In a weak free-agent class for 2009-2010, those men stand out as the leaders of the mediocre pack, and well deserve the publicity they have already received and will receive throughout the next month.

As all students of the game know, however, there are always unknowns, always surprises. Each season, there are players who unexpectedly make an impact in a comeback capacity or after having been dispatched into baseball abyss due to injury or ineffectiveness.

Is Felipe Lopez a Perfect Fit for the Minnesota Twins?

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times.

 

The Twins need another infielder and they need a legitimate hitter to handle the two-hole in the lineup.

 

Both of these facts have been beaten to death by Twins fans this offseason, and for good reason.

 

Pedro Feliz May Not Be Leaving Philadelphia Phillies After All

A lot of the talk around the Phillies right now is regarding who will replace Pedro Feliz as third baseman, after the team declined their $5.5 million option to bring him back next season.

The team will test the free-agent market but don’t be surprised if there is no new third baseman after all.

Feliz may just be the best option.

Names like Adrian Beltre, Chone Figgins, Mark DeRosa, Joe Crede, Troy Glaus, Melvin Mora, Placido Polanco, and even Miguel Tejada have arisen to compete with Feliz, but there are flaws just about everywhere you look in that bunch.

Royals Sign Wilson Betemit!

The. Final. Piece. Of. The. Puzzle.

Simon says Championship.

It's hard to even feign emotion one way or the other about this signing. It's a minor-league deal, and he did man each of the four infield positions for the Yankees in 2008, so there is certainly an element of roster flexibility that he would fill in Mark Teahen's absence. He is pretty much a replacement player with a little postseason experience who isn't going to cost the Royals much of anything.

Dan Uggla's Stubbornness is Hurting His Trade Value

Dan Uggla has no qualms about changing teams.

 

Changing positions, however, is a whole different ballgame.

 

Uggla, 29, is due a substantial raise via arbitration, and finds himself on the trading block as a result.

 

MLB Regular Season Awards: Chrome Bats and Pyrite Gloves Gotta Go

For those distracted by football and basketball, Major League Baseball is in the process of recognizing its outstanding players from the 2009 season. The biggies are still in the pipe, but those generally go to the right individual. At the very least, the final voting shows an appropriate depth of consideration and analysis even if the you don't agree with it.

Ultimately, a good faith effort is all anyone can reasonably demand during an entirely subjective exercise.

Are The Brewers Just a Couple Of Moves Away?

Do you think Jeff Suppan wakes up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night thinking "I am why the Brewers cannot win..."?  I doubt it.  If he does lose sleep at night though, he shouldn't.  It's not his fault... it's GM Doug Melvin's.  Melvin is the man who gave the then 31 year old Suppan a 4 year $42 million dollar deal, and it will be a crushing blow to the Brewers this season as they will be forced to pay Suppan almost $13 million for sub par pitching.  His stats for last season?

Poll

Best of the American League
Tampa Bay
19%
Boston
19%
Chicago
7%
Minnesota
10%
Los Angeles
17%
Texas
27%
Total votes: 270

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