Opinion

Although general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy just received contract extensions, it is safe to say that both already had their wish lists set out for the 2009 offseason.

While it's no guarantee that Bobby Jenks pitched his last game with the Sox Sept. 17, if the Sox are looking to shed salary in the offseason Jenks likely will be first on the chopping block. He'll probably be due about $7 million after arbitration, and with Matt Thornton waiting in the wings, the Sox wouldn't be completely out of line to deal away Jenks.

10. The Yankees know the Angels can beat them.

Yes, this is the same issue that just got blown to bits by the Angels in regards to Boston. Until the Yankees do to the Angels what the Angels did to the Red Sox, the Angels have the mental edge.

9. Speed.

When the Washington Nationals selected Chris Marrero with the overall 15^th pick in the 2006 amateur draft, the team hoped they were drafting a high school slugger who was polished enough to make it to the majors quickly, possibly by 2011.

Were they right? At this point, it sure seems like it.

It's the middle October, which means fans of the Chicago Cubs have followed their annual calendar and started investing their time in football and hockey about three weeks ago. But this year, there's some baseball of interest being played.

In Arizona.

The Arizona Fall League is under way, and Cubs fans should at least check in to see how the "future" of the franchise is doing. Third base prospect Josh Vitters, regarded by many as the jewel of the Cubs' system, is playing for the Mesa Solar Sox.

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune , who seldom has a lucid baseball thought, has openly lobbied for longtime Texas Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo to come to town.

The former Rangers beat writer wrote this in a recent article:

David Dombrowski has been President/GM of the Tigers for eight baseball seasons, and just what has the team accomplished?

One playoff appearance.

DD is 1-for-8, and that’s a .125 BA—something that even Gerald Laird would scoff at.

It’s time to take a serious look at how Dombrowski has been minding the store.

It’s one thing to miss the playoffs; it’s quite another to do so consistently in a notoriously weak division. It’s yet another to do it whilst frittering away the owner’s money like it grows on trees.

The Milwaukee Brewers are in desperate need of starting pitching help. Ben Sheets is in desperate need of a team for the 2010 season. Are the two a perfect fit for a reunion or a couple that would be best served to stay separated?

Ben Sheets has had high expectations his entire career, and when healthy, he has lived up to those expectations quite well.

Sheets was the first round pick of the Brewers in the 1999 draft. It didn't take long before fans were expecting him to be the new "ace" of the Brewers' rotation.

I am so tired of anyone who uses the "the Yankees spent 60 bazillion and bought the best record in baseball" comment. They even used it last year when they were not even in the postseason. These people I refer to are either Mets or Sawxs fan in my experience, and they always forget that they are the number two and three highest payroll teams in MLB and are sitting home on the couch. Just like their fans.

At the end of a season, it's easy to point fingers. Win or lose, there are always multiple factors that go into a team's success or failure. But some factors weigh more than others, and in 2009, Chipper Jones' dismal performance was the heaviest factor in Atlanta's failure to make the playoffs.

It's hard to blame Chipper Jones, of course. He's been the face of the Braves organization for years. But in 2009, Chipper had the worst season of his career. He batted .264, a full .100 points lower than in 2008. It was the worst batting average in his entire career.