2012 MLB Season

[BrySmalls]

Nats sign Edwin Jackson to a one year deal worth in the range of $9MM to $12MM.

[RedSox44]

Nats sign Edwin Jackson to a one year deal worth in the range of $9MM to $12MM.

And another one bites the dust.

Red Sox fans are freaking out right now. They want another starting pitcher so hard.

[Raysfan12]

Nats sign Edwin Jackson to a one year deal worth in the range of $9MM to $12MM.

And another one bites the dust.

Red Sox fans are freaking out right now. They want another starting pitcher so hard.

This is why the Red Sox spend too much on free agents. Boston should've followed what Tampa Bay did using their farm system for young pitching. Instead they want to be like the Yanks, and they suffered. Also, I believe Boston is still not recovering from the 2008 ALCS against the Rays. I just think Evan Longoria and Pena will have a field day on Boston's rotation. Tampa Bay can definitely beat Boston badly this year and successfully challenge the Yanks for the division. I think this year, for the first time ever in the wildcard era, there would be a Red Sox and Yankee-free postseason.

[Kramerica Industries]

Funny how people forget Boston was 82-50 at the end of August last year.

One bad month destroyed their success in 2011, but it means nothing as far as 2012 goes. They still have the best offense in baseball. They'll still have a pretty damn good 1-2-3 in the rotation with Buchholz back from injury (though it's a pretty big deal that Clay has troubles staying healthy). And they still have a good back-end of the 'pen too.

I hate the Red Sox like most people, but those writing them off or downplaying their chances of being a threat in the AL East in 2012 are delusional. That's still a fine team to compete with the Yankees and Rays. I'd bet the friggen house they don't go 6-12, 2-7 at Fenway, against Tampa Bay again this season.

[NEW.ERA]

Hopefully the bolstered Bullpen in Toronto will lead to fewer blown saves and maybe a sniff of the playoffs. Really though, the Jays need to beat the Red Sox and Rays. They've gotten better in recent years against the Yankees, but the BoSox and Rays are still thorns in their sides.

[AnythingChicago]

Nats sign Edwin Jackson to a one year deal worth in the range of $9MM to $12MM.

Kind of irrelevant: but it just goes to show you how good a video game MLB 11 the Show is: in my RttS, Edwin Jackson was actually on the Nationals pitching staff.

On a couple more relevant, yet laughable, notes, Livan Hernandez signed a one year contract with Houston, and former Cubs GM Jim Hendry has a scouting job with the Yankees.

[Kramerica Industries]

Hopefully the bolstered Bullpen in Toronto will lead to fewer blown saves and maybe a sniff of the playoffs. Really though, the Jays need to beat the Red Sox and Rays. They've gotten better in recent years against the Yankees, but the BoSox and Rays are still thorns in their sides.

Yankees are a disaster at the Rogers Centre, something like 7-11 there the past two years.

But one game that sticks out to me with the Jays, in relation to the Rays, was a game in early August at the Trop last year when the Jays took a 10th inning lead, saw it erased, took a two-run 11th inning lead, saw it erased, then lost on a walk-off hit by some schmuck who I can't remember right now.

AA has that ship headed in the right direction, and Rogers Communications is a very powerful ownership group. Toronto is far from a slouch of an opponent to deal with, though I still feel they aren't quite on par with the three teams above them...yet. No shame in that - they'd be a tough foe for the Tigers if they were in the Central.

[justie]

Even though the Jays are improving I still don't expect the playoffs. It would be nice if they could squeeze in but I still don't expect it even with the new bullpen.

[Fox]

This is why the Red Sox spend too much on free agents. Boston should've followed what Tampa Bay did using their farm system for young pitching.

This is a really weak point. I'm not sure what you're really referring to by the Red Sox relying on free agents. If not getting Jackson is your case, that's a pretty weak argument. The Red Sox weren't looking to get Jackson to be a staff ace. They were looking for away to bolster their rotation. If they felt he really meant that much to them, they would have matched the Nationals offer. Bobby V even said that adding another starter is not one of the Sox priorities. And to say that the Red Sox haven't used their farm system for pitching... Lester and Buchholz are home grown. And the pieces for the Josh Beckett trade with the Marlins (Hanley Ramirez and Anabel Sanchez) were home grown. They essentially built the front three of their rotation without free agency so that argument is mediocre.

Also, I believe Boston is still not recovering from the 2008 ALCS against the Rays.

I don't really know what you're trying to say here. Are you trying to say that the Red Sox haven't been as good since the 2008 season? That could be a fair argument, although they were solid again in 2009 with 95 wins, but then things have gotten weird. An injury-plagued 2010 and a collapse in 2011 changed things. If the Red Sox don't make the playoffs this year, it will be because of a weak rotation, bullpen, or holes at SS and RF, not sadness from a loss in the ALCS four years ago.

I think this year, for the first time ever in the wildcard era, there would be a Red Sox and Yankee-free postseason.

The Yankees, going into the season, are the better team than the Rays and deserve to be. While Tampa could contend with New York, its hard to see the Rays taking the division and having no Yankees or Red Sox in the playoffs. Remember, the Rays did not complete some magical, amazing comeback last September. They were handed a playoff spot. 91 wins should not be enough wins in the AL east to earn a playoff spot. They could be better than they were last year, but at this point before the season, I disagree with the claim that there will be a non-Yankee/Red Sox Postseason.

[NJTank]

The NL East was already tough and now will probably go into 2012 as the most improved division as well.

The Last Place New York Mets say hell up there.

[marlinfan]

[tadasimha]

Nats sign Edwin Jackson to a one year deal worth in the range of $9MM to $12MM.

Would not surprise me to see the Nationals have a say in who wins the NL East. Don't think they'll make the playoffs (unless the extra wild card round is in play for 2012 - bleah) but how the Phillies and Braves do against Washington might prove important. I'm expecting the Mets to be slightly better than a AAA team and for all the talent that the Marlins brought in, there's also the potentional for an epically toxic clubhouse as well!

That said, be ready for the Reds to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders and running away with the NL Central. Reds v. Tigers in the 2012 series would be a great series!

[bigbean24]

^^^^^^^^^^ I like it with the roof open better!

[Fox]

New Marlins park looks amazing!

[vmd9]

It's it just me, or is it odd that the LED ribbon board screens in the outfield aren't a continuous strip? I've never seen them arranged like that. It appears to stop in front of every aisle. I think it looks pretty cool architecturally, but all the random details make clutter up the modern look of the park. The crazy home run structure, the random colored walls, fish tanks, and other artwork I've seen.

[Brendan]

Josh Hamilton and Eminem have something in common.

[McCall]

That said, be ready for the Reds to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders and running away with the NL Central. Reds v. Tigers in the 2012 series would be a great series!

Umm... You forgetting about the defending World Champions being in the Central?

[crashcarson15]

That said, be ready for the Reds to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders and running away with the NL Central. Reds v. Tigers in the 2012 series would be a great series!

Umm... You forgetting about the defending World Champions being in the Central?

The defending World Champions who just snuck into the playoffs and lost by far and away their best player this offseason?

Also, please no Reds / Tigers WS. Please.

[McCall]

That said, be ready for the Reds to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders and running away with the NL Central. Reds v. Tigers in the 2012 series would be a great series!

Umm... You forgetting about the defending World Champions being in the Central?

The defending World Champions who just snuck into the playoffs and lost by far and away their best player this offseason?

Also, please no Reds / Tigers WS. Please.

A team who simply got out of a 3 week slump and clicked at the right time and proceeded to play some of the best 2 months of baseball ever. A team who's aforementioned departed best player wasn't even actually their best player during this period. A team who was without their best pitcher, a perennial Cy Young candidate for the entire season who is now back. What have the Reds, who finished third and weren't even in contention for the last couple months of the season, done to improve? How in the world are they gonna "run away with the division"?

[AlMagz]

That said, be ready for the Reds to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders and running away with the NL Central. Reds v. Tigers in the 2012 series would be a great series!

Umm... You forgetting about the defending World Champions being in the Central?

The defending World Champions who just snuck into the playoffs and lost by far and away their best player this offseason?

Also, please no Reds / Tigers WS. Please.

A team who simply got out of a 3 week slump and clicked at the right time and proceeded to play some of the best 2 months of baseball ever. A team who's aforementioned departed best player wasn't even actually their best player during this period. A team who was without their best pitcher, a perennial Cy Young candidate for the entire season who is now back. What have the Reds, who finished third and weren't even in contention for the last couple months of the season, done to improve? How in the world are they gonna "run away with the division"?

Agreed. Mat Latos is an average pitcher at best, his numbers might look good this year because of the Reds are better than the Padres. The NL Central will be a two team race with the Brewers and Cardinals. Pitching will dominate the division and those 2 teams have the best pitching. And who knows if the Pirates will be able to maintain their ability for an entire season this year, and finally finish above .500. All im saying is I dont think the NL Central is so cut and dry as you make it seem for the Reds.