CarterHud

Chad Green. Photo from SBNation

             Another year, another New York Yankees playoff run. Well, 2018 was a very short playoff run. After winning in the AL wild card game, the Yankees were embarrassed in four games against their arch-rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in route to Boston\’s World Series win. Making sure that won\’t happen again, the Yankees added not huge, but good players to help solidify their World Series chances.

              Offseason additions: LHP James Paxton, RHP Adam Ottavino, INF DJ LeMahieu, SS Troy Tulowitzki, RHP Danny Farquhar, OF Billy Burns, RHP Drew Hutchison, LHP Danny Coulombe, LHP Rex Brothers, 3B Giovanny Urshella, C Ryan Lavarnway.

               Offseason subtractions: RHP David Robertson, OF Andrew McCutchen, RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Lance Lynn, INF Ronald Torreyes, INF Neil Walker, SS Adeiny Hechavarria, RHP AJ Cole, LHP Justus Sheffield

                Rotation
The Yankees went into the offseason looking for a better rotation. They came out of it with three solid starters. First, the Yankees traded top prospect Justus Sheffield and two more for James Paxton. Paxton has always been hurt in his career, and his measly 160.1 innings in 2018 was a career high. But, he has a 3.42 career ERA. JA Happ and CC Sabathia were re-signed. Happ had a 2.69 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 63.2 innings over 11 starts after a non-waiver trade deadline deal from Toronto. CC Sabathia, in what will be his final MLB season, will start the season suspended because of an incident in his last regular season start last year, then will be on the disabled, er, injured list. He had a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts last season. Joining him on the Opening Day IL will be Luis Severino. Severino, the ace of the staff, has received Cy Young votes in each of the last two seasons, and is entering his age 25 season. He had a 3.39 ERA last season. Masahiro Tanaka is still around, and will start Opening Day. Though inconsistent, Tanaka\’s 2018 ERA was nearly a run less than his ERA in 2017. Due to Severino and Sabathia\’s injuries, Domingo German and top pitching prospect Jonathan Loaisiga will likely start in the rotation, though Luis Cessa is another option. Jordan Montgomery, a starter from the 2017 team, will return from Tommy John surgery midseason. The Yankees could also possibly add Gio Gonzalez to the team.

                    Bullpen
For the last couple of years, the bullpen has seen vast improvements since the offseason following 2017. Dellin Betances was still around then, and though his ERA has shot up since 2014-15, he became the first reliever ever to have five consecutive 100 or more strikeout seasons. The 2017 offseason was when Aroldis Chapman was signed. Chapman had a 2.45 ERA with 32 saves and struck out 93 batters in 51.1 innings. Zack Britton, another trade deadline acquisition that was re-signed in the offseason, was solid in his Yankees debut. If he could find a way to get back to his 2016 supernova form, then the Yankees\’ bullpen would excel even more. Chad Green wasn\’t as great as he was in 2017, but still had a very respectable 2.50 ERA. He has a career 11.8 K/9 rate. Adam Ottavino, who grew up a Yankees fan, finally gets to play for them this year. 2018 was his best season, with a 2.43 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 77.2 innings. Jonathan Holder returns after a breakout season that saw him earn the trust of manager Aaron Boone and he posted a 3.14 ERA. Tommy Kahnle faltered, and spent the chunk of 2018 in AAA. The Yankees could use him getting back to 2017 form. The final spot could either go to either German, Loaisiga or Cessa, depending on who doesn\’t make the rotation, or Stephen Tarpley, a lefty who impressed in 10 games down the stretch last season, and made the playoff roster.

                        Catching
Gary Sanchez had a small bit of trade rumors in the offseason, but were obviously shut down by GM Brian Cashman. Injuries and overall bad play ruined 2018 for Sanchez. He hit 18 home runs with a .697 OPS, largely due to a .291 OBP. But, Sanchez has 30-40 home run power when healthy. Austin Romine returns again as the backup, after setting career highs in batting average (.244), OPS (.713) and home runs (10).

                         Infield
First base has been a death battle between Luke Voit and Greg Bird, both of which are having great Spring Trainings. Voit hit 14 home runs with a 1.095 OPS in 132 at bats for the Yankees last year after a trade from St. Louis. Bird, a former top prospect, again disappointed, hitting .199. Both at second and third base are sophomores that finished second and third in rookie of the year voting. Third baseman Miguel Andujar slugged out 27 home runs with a .297 batting average. Second baseman Gleyber Torres had about 150 less at bats than Andujar, but still hit 24 home runs with a .820 OPS. Shortstop Didi Gregorius will miss half of 2018 because of Tommy John surgery, and in his place will be two former Rockies. Troy Tulowitzki missed all of 2017, but the five time all-star is the favorite to play short. It will be interesting to see how DJ LeMahieu will play away from Coors Field. He has a .298 career batting average. He is primarily a second baseman, but the Yankees plan to use him at first base and third base, which he hasn\’t played since 2014. Tyler Wade, who is much better defensively than offensively, enters the season as the utility man.

                          Outfield
Center fielder Aaron Hicks recently signed a seven year extension, but he won\’t start on Opening Day in year one of the deal. He will start the season on the IL, but should quickly be activated (thus is why is on the projected lineup below). Aaron Judge missed 50 games in his sophomore season, and hit 27 home runs, nearly half of what he hit in his record breaking rookie campaign. Left fielder Brett Gardner returns for another season, and will be the Yankees\’ primary steal income. Former top prospect Clint Frazier will hopefully get left field looks this season. But, he is having a bad Spring Training, and it looks like Wade, who is  inexperienced in the outfield, could be the fourth OF.

                          DH/Bench
Well, Giancarlo Stanton also plays outfield. But, he was primarily a DH in his first Yankees season. His home run total dropped by 21 to 38, but that still led the Yankees, as did his 100 RBIs and his 705 Plate Appearances (Gardner was second with 609). The Yankees like to go with a short bench. Once again, Romine will be a part of it. So will LeMahieu and Wade.

                          Lineup
CF Aaron Hicks
RF Aaron Judge
DH Giancarlo Stanton
C Gary Sanchez
3B Miguel Andujar
2B Gleyber Torres
1B Luke Voit
SS Troy Tulowitzki
LF Brett Gardner

                           Rotation
Masahiro Tanaka (R)
James Paxton (L)
JA Happ (L)
Luis Cessa (R)
Domingo German (R)

                            Bullpen
Aroldis Chapman (L)
Dellin Betances (R)
Zack Britton (L)
Chad Green (R)
Adam Ottavino (R)
Jonathan Holder (R)
Tommy Kahnle (R)
Stephen Tarpley (L)

                             Bench
C Austin Romine
INF DJ LeMahieu
UT Tyler Wade

                             Additional Information
Ballpark: Yankee Stadium
Manager: Aaron Boone
GM: Brian Cashman
World Series Championships: 27
2018 record: 100-62

                             Steal of the Decade
There are a couple of trades that can go here. The Aroldis Chapman trade that landed Gleyber Torres and eventually had them as teammates once Chapman re-signed is a possibility. So is Aaron Hicks for John Ryan Murphy. But I\’ll choose a three team trade with Detroit and Arizona. Arizona traded backup shortstop Didi Gregorius to the Yankees. The Yankees traded pitcher Shane Greene to the Tigers, and pitcher Robbie Ray went from Detroit to Arizona. That isn\’t the entire trade, but it is the gist of it. Gregorius had the task of replacing the legendary Derek Jeter at short. Since 2016, Gregorius has hit 20 home runs each year, with his career highs going from 20 to 25 to 27. Those 27 broke the record for a Yankees shortstop. He also has a .765 OPS with the Yanks. Gregorius will miss half of 2019, but is still the best trade New York has made this decade.

                             Prediction
The Yankees are very good. But, so are the Red Sox. The Yankees should have no problem getting into the playoffs, but will still battle for the division title. Once in, the Yankees have a legit shot for their 28th World Series.

Seth Lugo. Photo from NJ.com

          After back to back seasons well over .500 from 2015-16, including a National League pennant, the New York Mets have failed to get back over .500 since. Sandy Alderson stepped down as GM due to cancer treatments, then got better and joined the A\’s. The Mets decided to be different. They went a different route than other teams, hiring player agent Brody Van Wagenen. Van Wagenen then brought two former clients in Robinson Cano and Jed Lowrie. His biggest challenge is to sign another former client, Jacob deGrom, to an extension. The Mets are trying to go for it this year, but a strong division could set them back.

            Offseason additions: RHP Edwin Diaz, 2B Robinson Cano, C Wilson Ramos, INF Jed Lowrie, RHP Jeurys Familia, LHP Justin Wilson, OF Keon Broxton, INF JD Davis, OF Carlos Gomez, OF Rajai Davis, SS Adeiny Hechavarria, OF Gregor Blanco, LHP Luis Avilan, LHP Hector Santiago, INF Danny Espinosa, RHP Walker Lockett

              Offseason subtractions: OF Jay Bruce, LHP Jerry Blevins, RHP Anthony Swarzak, INF Wilmer Flores, OF Austin Jackson, C Kevin Plawecki, RHP AJ Ramos, INF Jose Reyes, INF TJ Rivera

              Rotation
The Mets have arguably the league\’s best rotation. It all starts with Jacob deGrom. deGrom had one of the best seasons in the modern era, with a 1.70 ERA with 269 strikeouts in 217 innings, winning the NL Cy Young award. Noah Syndergaard had a second season shortened by injuries, making just 25 starts, but with a 3.03. He made five less starts than Steven Matz, who averaged just over five innings a start. Zack Wheeler had a career season, with a 3.31 ERA in 182.1 innings. The fifth starter is Jason Vargas, who made just twenty starts, but pitched in 92 innings in his Mets\’ debut. The starting depth is Corey Oswalt and Walker Lockett.

                Bullpen
In a major trade with the Mariners, the Mets acquired Edwin Diaz from the Mariners. Diaz is 25, and is coming off an insane season, setting the Mariners\’ saves record with 57, with a 1.97 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 73.1 innings. The Mets\’ closer since 2015, Jeurys Familia, was traded last deadline to the A\’s, but re-signed in the offseason for the set-up role. Justin Wilson, who closed for the Tigers in 2017, also was signed. Seth Lugo pitched over 100 innings as a reliever, and made five starts as well. He had a 2.66 ERA as well. Robert Gsellman, another reliever that can go multiple innings, closed out games after Familia was traded. Righty Tyler Bashlor had a 4.22 ERA in 32 innings, fourth best of Mets relievers last year, behind Familia and Lugo. The other player with a better ERA than Bashlor, Drew Smith, will miss 2019 because of Tommy John surgery. Rule 5 pick Kyle Dowdy is an option, despite bad AA numbers last year. Lefty Daniel Zamora is the favorite for the final spot.

                 Catching
The Mets\’ catching was doomed from the start. Starting catcher Travis d\’Arnaud had his season lost to Tommy John surgery after game four. Backup Kevin Plawecki wasn\’t good enough to be a starter, and will now backup up in Cleveland. The team signed Wilson Ramos to a two year deal. Ramos has a career .756 OPS. d\’Arnaud returns as the backup.

                 Infield
The Mets have a very, very crowded infield. The only lock is at shortstop. Former top prospect Amed Rosario led the team with 24 stolen bases, but his power and on base numbers aren\’t great. Robinson Cano comes from Seattle to play 2B, though we could see him at first because of his defensive limitations. Cano hit .303 after coming back from a PED suspension last year, and is a six time 25 home run hitter. One of their top prospects, Pete Alonso, has raked at the minors and Spring Training, but is unlikely to start the season with the team because of his service time. Former 40 home run hitter Todd Frazier disappointed in his first season as a Met, hitting just 18 home runs and sporting a  .213 average. He can play both corner infield positions. Jed Lowrie, who can play second, short and third, had a career season with 23 home runs with Oakland. First baseman Dom Smith has been a disappointment, and 2019 could be his last chance. Jeff McNeil, who is pretty much Lowrie lite, had a .329 batting average with a .381 OBP in 63 games last season. He can also play outfield. That is seven infielders. JD Davis will likely not get much time this year, but the Mets always seem to get hurt. In fact, Lowrie could miss the start of the season due to an injury.

                     Outfield
Brandon Nimmo, a rookie in 2018, had a .404 OBP, second in the league. Nimmo also hit 17 home runs and finished with a .886 OPS. Michael Conforto started off weak, but ended strong and finished with 28 home runs and a .797 OPS. Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes hasn\’t showed signs of returning soon. Center field is between Keon Broxton and Juan Lagares, who both are great defenders.

                     Bench
d\’Arnaud is the backup catcher and either Broxton or Lagares is the fourth outfielder. That much is settled. The final two spots (or three), or between their many infielders. Since Alonso will likely start the season in AAA, which for now settles things out. Assuming Cano starts the season at first base, with Lowrie at second and Frazier at third, then Smith and McNeil get the final bench spots.

                     Lineup
LF Brandon Nimmo
1B Robinson Cano
RF Michael Conforto
C Wilson Ramos
2B Jed Lowrie
3B Todd Frazier
SS Amed Rosario
CF Juan Lagares

                     Rotation
Jacob deGrom (R)
Noah Syndergaard (R)
Zack Wheeler (R)
Steven Matz (L)
Jason Vargas (L)

                     Bullpen
Edwin Diaz (R)
Jeurys Familia (R)
Justin Wilson (L)
Seth Lugo (R)
Robert Gsellman (R)
Tyler Bashlor (R)
Kyle Dowdy (R)
Daniel Zamora (L)

                      Bench
C Travis d\’Arnaud
OF Keon Broxton
UT Jeff McNeil
1B Dom Smith

                       Additional Information
Ballpark: Citi Field
Manager: Mickey Callaway
GM: Brody Van Wagenen
World Series Championships: 2
2018 record: 77-85

                       Steal of the Decade
Knuckleballer RA Dickey was 38 years old and had never received Cy Young votes in his career. That is, until 2012, when he made his only career all-star appearance and won the award. Dickey had had two previous good seasons with the Mets, but his best was 2012, when he had a 2.73 ERA and led the league in strikeouts with 230 and innings pitched with 233.2 innings. The Mets were smart and sold high on Dickey. Dickey was traded to Toronto along with catcher Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas for catchers Travis d\’Arnaud and John Buck, pitcher Noah Syndergaard and Wuilmer Becerra. Dickey had four non-spectacular seasons for Toronto, pitched in 2017 for Atlanta, then retired. Thole spent four seasons as Jays\’ backup, hitting .200 with two home runs. Nickeas played one game for Toronto in 2013, didn\’t have a plate appearance, and would never return to the big leagues. d\’Arnaud was the highly coveted prospect of this trade, and he is still on the Mets, but has never had more than 421 plate appearances in a season, but did hit 16 home runs in 2017. Buck hit 15 home runs for the Mets in 2013, but was traded to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline. Becerra never played in the MLB. But, Sydergaard was the main steal. He has become one of baseball\’s best young pitchers. In parts of four seasons, Syndergaard has a 2.93 ERA, with 573 strikeouts in 518.1 innings.

                        Prediction
The Mets have a good team. But, they don\’t have a great team. A very strong NL East has them primed for another 4th place finish.

Jake Cave

          The Twins took advantage of a weak American League in 2017, sneaking into the playoffs with just 85 wins. They fell in 2018, winning 78 games, but still finished second in a weak AL Central. The Twins took a good opportunity to spend and used it, improving their lineup. The Twins enter 2019 as my sleeper team in the league.

           Offseason additions: DH Nelson Cruz, UT Marwin Gonzalez, 1B CJ Cron, 2B Jonathan Schoop, RHP Blake Parker, INF Ronald Torreyes, LHP Martin Perez, RHP Mike Morin, LHP Justin Nicolino, 1B Lucas Duda, INF Adam Rosales, C Tomas Telis

            Offseason subtractions: RHP Ervin Santana, 1B Joe Mauer, 1B Logan Morrison, OF Robbie Grossman, 2B Logan Forsythe, LHP Zach Duke, C Bobby Wilson

            Rotation
Ervin Santana rebounded poorly after a great 2017, and left in free agency. But, Jose Berrios emerged as the new ace. Berrios posted a 3.84 ERA with 202 strikeouts in 192.1 innings. At age 30, Kyle Gibson had a breakout season, with a 3.62 ERA in 196.2 innings. The rest of the rotation is murky. Jake Odorizzi should be a definite, but struggled with a 4.49 ERA in 32 starts last year. Fernando Romero struggled in his MLB debut last year, but the 23 year old was one of their top prospects before his call-up. Michael Pineda, coming off of Tommy John surgery, is a sleeper pitcher. At time in 2017 he looked dominant, but missed all of 2018 because of TJ. Adalberto Mejia was decent for Minny in 2017, and was very good at MLB and AAA last season, and could be the spot starter. Lefty Martin Perez, signed from Texas, has an injury history and struggled bad in 2018.

            Bullpen
After Fernando Rodney was traded to Oakland midseason, the back of the bullpen got wild. Taylor Rogers excelled, with a good slider and a 2.63 ERA, leading the team. He pitched in 72 games, one less than Trevor Hildenberger, who was strong in his rookie 2017 but was overused and struggled in 2018. Those two combined for nine saves. Trevor May also made three saves after returning from Tommy John, and had a 3.20 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 25.1 innings. Blake Parker comes over from the Angels, where he had a 2.90 ERA and 22 strikeouts over two seasons. The closer role is up for grabs between those four. Addison Reed is also a candidate. He didn\’t make any saves last year, but has 125 in an eight year career. Matt Magill had a 3.81 ERA in 40 games last year. Three lefties, Mejia, Perez, and Gabriel Moya, compete for the final spot.

              Catching
Catching is an interesting position for the Twins. There is three strong candidates for the job, and a trade could be made. Mitch Garver had a decent first season, both average at his position offensively and defensively. Jason Castro missed virtually the entire 2018, but is the most experienced catcher available. Willians Astudillo is an interesting player. He came to the team in September, and as a 26 year old first year player (though not an official rookie), he hit .355 with three home runs in 93 at bats. Astudillo can play third base, an with Miguel Sano\’s absence, he could see time there.

               Infield
Miguel Sano had a very disappointing 2018 that saw him go way back to Single-A. He will miss the first month of 2019. Astudillo played six games at third base last year, and will compete for a back-up role. Marwin Gonzalez, a utility man signed from Houston, will figure to get most of the time there before moving to a super utility role when Sano returns. Joe Mauer retiring left the Twins with a hole at first place. They quickly covered it up, claiming CJ Cron off waivers from Tampa. Cron hit 30 home runs last year. At second base, Jonathan Schoop was signed to a one year deal. Schoop struggled, and just hit 21 home runs in 2018, but hit 32 in 2017. Shortstop Jorge Polanco was good after returning from a PED suspension. Backup infielders Ehire Adrianza and Ronald Torreyes are also in the mix.

               Outfield
The Twins have a very crowded infield. But, their outfield is easily set. Well, that is if Byron Buxton plays well. The former top prospect in baseball played more in AAA than in the MLB last year, and injuries had him play in 63 games combined between the two. Eddie Rosario delivered another great season, hitting .288 with 24 home runs and a .803 OPS. Max Kepler walks a lot, which saved a weak .224 batting average. He has 20 home run power, hitting exactly that last campaign.

                 DH/Bench
The Twins signed the best power hitter on the market in Nelson Cruz. Cruz hit 37 home runs last year, and has hit at least that since 2014, hitting 40 or more three times. He hasn\’t hit less than 22 home runs since 2008, before he was a full time starter. His defensive abilities limit him to DH. Two Yankees cast-offs, Tyler Austin and Jake Cave, were pleasant surprises for Minnesota last year, combining for 22 home runs. Of all players that hit at least 10 home runs last year, Cave\’s 421 ft. average home run distance led the AL. He is the 4th outfielder, and Austin can play the corner spots and first base. The final two spots go to the backup catcher, and either Adrianza or Torreyes.

                  Lineup
3B Marwin Gonzalez
LF Eddie Rosario
DH Nelson Cruz
1B CJ Cron
RF Max Kepler
2B Jonathan Schoop
SS Jorge Polanco
CF Byron Buxton
C Jason Castro

                   Rotation
Jose Berrios (R)
Kyle Gibson (R)
Jake Odorizzi (R)
Michael Pineda (R)
Fernando Romero (R)

                    Bullpen
Blake Parker (R)
Taylor Rogers (L)
Trevor May (R)
Trevor Hildenberger (R)
Addison Reed (R)
Matt Magill (R)
Adalberto Mejia (L)

                     Bench
1B/OF Tyler Austin
C Mitch Garver
OF Jake Cave
INF Ronald Torreyes

                     Steal of the Decade
It is amazing how much of the Twins roster is homegrown talent. Eddie Rosario, Jose Berrios, Max Kepler, Taylor Rogers, Kyle Gibson, Trevor Hildenberger, Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco are all homegrown. They don\’t have any players in their core that weren\’t homegrown. And any players that weren\’t homegrown, were signed, which is mainly the new guys. There is really only one impactful player on their roster that was acquired via trade. Last Spring Training, outfielder Jake Cave went from the Yankees to the Twins for pitcher Luis Gil. Gil is still a lottery ticket in the Yankees system. Cave had hit 20 home runs in AA and AAA in 2017, and was blocked in the Yankees organization. He was DFA\’d, and then traded. In his rookie season, Cave crushed the ball, hitting 13 home runs when he was supposed to be a fourth outfielder, but played center while Byron Buxton was gone. Cave hit the ball far, with an average home run distance of 421 ft, and had the second lowest soft hit rate of players with at least 300 Plate Appearances.

                       Prediction
The Twins did a great job adding this offseason. The Tigers, Royals and White Sox are all in the beginning stages of a rebuild, and the Indians did more losing than gaining this offseason. Minnesota, if not a wild card berth, could compete for the AL Central title this season.

             The Milwaukee Brewers have steadily increased their win total over the last five years. In 2014, they won 64. In 2015, 68. In 2016, they were victorious in 73 games. They took a big jump to 86 in 2017, and then to 96 in 2018. That is what finally got them into the playoffs, and they were a game away from the first National League pennant in club history. That was because of the additions of 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain, and an elite bullpen. But, the NL Central is strong, and the Brewers will have to fight to get back to the playoffs.

               Offseason additions: C Yasmani Grandal, LHP Alex Claudio, INF Cory Spangenberg, OF Ben Gamel, RHP Josh Tomlin, C Tuffy Gosewisch

               Offseason subtractions: LHP Wade Miley, LHP Gio Gonzalez, OF Domingo Santana, OF Keon Broxton, 2B Jonathan Schoop, INF Brad Miller, INF Eric Sogard, OF Curtis Granderson, LHP Dan Jennings, RHP Joakim Soria, RHP Jordan Lyles, LHP Xavier Cedeno

                Rotation
The rotation was the weakness for the Brewers last year, but was picked up by the bullpen. Jhoulys Chacin emerged as the ace of the staff, with a 3.50 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 192.2 innings. Chase Anderson\’s 3.93 ERA doesn\’t look bad, but allowed 30 home runs, tied for the NL lead. Zach Davies made just 13 starts, and had a wretched 4.77 ERA in them. Unless the Brewers sign a starter like Dallas Keuchel or Gio Gonzalez (who made five starts in September for the Crew), then the final two spots are a four way race. Junior Guerra made 26 starts last year, but is viewed as a potential swingman. Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff are both starters, but combined for just four starts, all from Woodruff, in 49 appearances. Now 23 year old Freddy Peralta impressed in his first MLB season, with 96 strikeouts in 78.1 innings, including 13 in his first start. Jimmy Nelson had a career year in 2017, but missed all of 2018 due to surgery on his shoulder. He\’ll be back by midseason.

                   Bullpen
The Brewers bullpen became one of the league\’s best in 2018. Corey Knebel had a 1.78 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 76 innings in 2017. In 2018, the ERA rose to 3.88, and injuries limited him to 55.1 innings, where he struck out 88 batters. In both seasons, his K/9 rate was over 14. Josh Hader was the talk of baseball in 2018. He pitched in 55 games, but could go multiple innings at a time, finishing with 81. He had a 2.43 ERA, and his most impressive numbers was his 143 strikeouts, the most ever for a left handed reliever. Jeremy Jeffress had a career season, with a 1.29 ERA. That trio combined for 43 saves, with Knebel\’s 16 leading the team. Lefty Alex Claudio was added from the Rangers. He had a 4.48 ERA in 2018, a career worse. But, he has a career 3.20 ERA and hadn\’t finished with an ERa under 3.00 prior to 2018. Righties Taylor Williams and Jacob Barnes put in good work last year.

                      Catching
Besides the rotation, the Brewers\’ weakness was their catchers, with 38 year old Erik Kratz starting in the postseason. Kratz looks unlikely to start the season with the team. Manny Pina hit a decent nine home runs in 98 games. But, the team signed Yasmani Grandal to a one year deal. Grandal has hit twenty home runs in each of the last three seasons, and had an .815 OPS last year.

                       Infield
The Brewers found their first baseman last year in Jesus Aguilar. Aguilar broke out with 35 home runs, 108 RBIs and an .890 OPS. Second base goes to Travis Shaw. Shaw is a third baseman, but moved to second last year when the team traded for Mike Moustakas, who was brought back on a one year deal. They combined for 60 home runs last year. Shortstop Orlando Arcia disappointed, and had AAA stints. He still will get a second chance this year.

                         Outfield
The Brewers, in a span of 24 hours, went from having an average outfield to one of the league\’s best. The team acquired Christian Yelich from Miami for a package including top prospect Lewis Brinson. Yelich was an instant success. He hit .326 with a 1.000 OPS, earning NL MVP honors (more on his stats later). Lorenzo Cain was brought back on a five year deal, and he stole 30 bases and had a 6.9 WAR. Ryan Braun hasn\’t aged great, but he still hit 20 home runs last year.

                           Bench
Before the team brought back Moustakas, the second base job was between Hernan Perez and Cory Spangenberg. Both can play the infield and outfield. The additions of Yelich and Cain and Aguilar breakout 2018 pushed Eric Thames to the bench. He hit 16 home runs, playing a mix of the corner outfield and first base. Pina is the backup catcher.

                            Lineup
CF Lorenzo Cain
RF Christian Yelich
3B Travis Shaw
1B Jesus Aguilar
3B Mike Moustakas
C Yasmani Grandal
LF Ryan Braun
SS Orlando Arcia

                              Rotation
Jhoulys Chacin (R)
Chase Anderson (R)
Zach Davies (R)
Freddy Peralta (R)
Junior Guerra (R)

                               Bullpen
Corey Knebel (R)
Josh Hader (L)
Jeremy Jeffress (R)
Alex Claudio (L)
Corbin Burnes (R)
Taylor Williams (R)
Jacob Barnes (R)
Brandon Woodruff (R)

                                Bench
UT Hernan Perez
UT Cory Spangenberg
1B/OF Eric Thames
C Manny Pina

                                Additional Information
Ballpark: Miller Park
Manager: Craig Counsell
GM: David Stearns
World Series Championships: 0
2018 record: 96-67

                                Steal of the Decade
It is pretty obvious right now what the trade is. Well, here we go. Before 2018, the Marlins sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers for Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison, Isan Diaz and Jordan Yamamoto. After one year, Yelich already has an MVP under his belt. He hit .326, with a 1.000 OPS, plus 36 home runs, 100 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

                                 Prediction
The Brewers didn\’t lose any core players this offseason. While the Cardinals did add Paul Goldschmidt, the Brewers remain with the best team in the Central. Thus, they are my favorites for the Central.

Trevor Richards. Photo from the New York Post

        Things were tough for the Marlins in 2018. They were bad, but they weren\’t absolutely terrible. They lost 98 games, even after being projected by many to lose over 100. This came after trading Giancarlo Stanton, Marcel Ozuna, Dee Gordon and NL MVP Christian Yelich in the offseason. The Marlins had one star left, catcher JT Realmuto, who they held on to through the offseason with trade rumors swirling, before finally dealing him to Philly. Their top three players in home runs in 2018, Realmuto, Justin Bour and Derek Dietrich, are all gone. So are Brad Ziegler and Kyle Barraclough, who led the team with 10 saves each, and as well as breakout reliever Nick Wittgren. The Marlins are still painfully bad. Oh, and they have new uniforms.

          Offseason additions: C Jorge Alfaro, INF Neil Walker, RHP Sergio Romo, OF Curtis Granderson, INF Dixon Machado, INF Deven Marerro, 1B Pedro Alvarez, RHP Austin Brice, RHP Javy Guerra, RHP Drew Rucinski

          Offseason subtractions: C JT Realmuto, RHP Kyle Barraclough, RHP Brad Ziegler, RHP Nick Wittgren, UT Derek Dietrich, LHP Dillon Peters, RHP Odrisamer Despaigne

           Rotation
Jose Urena wouldn\’t be a starter for some teams, but for the Marlins he is their ace. His 3.98 ERA led the team. So did his 31 starts. Dan Straily had a second decent season, but was hurt for parts of the season. Wei-Yin Chen had a 1.62 home ERA, which is good, but also a 9.27 ERA, which is not good. Sandy Alcantara, the main part of the Ozuna trade, impressed in six starts. Trevor Richards impressed as a rookie from the independent Frontier League. Both Caleb Smith and Pablo Lopez are starters that missed a lot of 2018. When he went down with a lat strain, Smith was the rookie strikeout leader, but could be better for the bullpen.

           Bullpen
The team said goodbye to Brad Ziegler, who retired, and traded away Kyle Barraclough and Nick Wittgren. Lopez and Smith could see more bullpen time, though neither made an appearance from the pen in \’18. Drew Steckenrider was one of their most impressive relievers, with a 3.90 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 64.2 innings. Tayron Guerrero\’s numbers don\’t look pretty, but he has one of the hardest fastballs in baseball. The team brought in Sergio Romo, a swiss army knife pitcher for the Rays last season, pitching in 73 games. He converted 25 saves, but also made five starts as an opener. Adam Conley, a former starter, was a key lefty for Miami in 2018. Two rule-5 picks spent 2018 with big league club, Elieser Hernandez and Brett Graves. Graves and Hernandez both won\’t start 2019 with the big club. But, Riley Ferrell could. Ferrell is a rule-5 pick from Houston. Lefty Jarlin Garcia and righty Austin Brice compete for the final spot.

            Catching
In exchange for Realmuto, the Marlins received Jorge Alfaro. He hit 10 home runs with a  .731 OPS in his rookie season, 2018, but will be 26 in 2019. The only other catcher on the 40-man roster is Chad Wallach, who played in 15 games last year. Bryan Holaday is back on a minor league deal. Holaday was Realmuto\’s primary backup last year, and led the NL with a 45% caught stealing rate.

            Infield
Power hitting first baseman Justin Bour was sent to Philly at the waiver deadline, and Peter O\’Brien entered as the first baseman. He hit six home runs in 66 at bats, and has been a minor league slugger in his career. Starlin Castro will almost certainly be dealt. He hit 12 home runs last year, which is tops among returning Marlins. He is a free agent after this year. Both JT Riddle and Miguel Rojas split time at shortstop, but since the Marlins\’ lineup is very right handed dominant, Riddle has the upper hand. Martin Prado has always had injury issues, and hasn\’t been exceptionally good when healthy, but for this year is the third baseman.

              Outfield
Brian Anderson quietly finished fourth in rookie of the year voting, playing third base and right field. His .367 batting average with runners in scoring position led the NL. Lewis Brinson, the key part of the Yelich trade, struggled heavily, but is trusted in the organization and looks to start over this year. Left fielder Austin Dean was the Marlins\’ minor league player of the year, and hit four home runs in 34 MLB games.

               Bench
Rojas will definitely be on the bench. So will the backup catcher. President Derek Jeter brought in two former Yankees in Neil Walker and Curtis Granderson, but only the latter was a former teammate of his. Walker is a definite for the team, and could be the starting first baseman over O\’Brien. Speedy outfielder Magneuris Sierra will play at some point. Should the Marlins go with five bench players, the last spot would go to Garrett Cooper.

                Lineup
CF Lewis Brinson
2B Starlin Castro
RF Brian Anderson
1B Peter O\’Brien
C Jorge Alfaro
SS JT Riddle
LF Austin Dean
3B Martin Prado

                 Rotation
Jose Urena (R)
Dan Straily (R)
Wei-Yin Chen (L)
Sandy Alcantara (R)
Trevor Richards (R)

                   Bullpen
Sergio Romo (R)
Drew Steckenrider (R)
Adam Conley (L)
Tayron Guerrero (R)
Caleb Smith (L)
Pablo Lopez (R)
Riley Ferrell (R)
Jarlin Garcia (L) 63-98

                    Bench
SS Miguel Rojas
INF Neil Walker
OF Curtis Granderson
C Bryan Holaday

                     Additional Information
Ballpark: Marlins Park
Manager: Don Mattingly
GM: Mike Hill
World Series Championships: 2
2018 record: 63-98

                     Steal of the Decade
The Marlins really don\’t have any good trades since 2010. But, one trade was decent. It was a 12 player deal with the Blue Jays. They gave up Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio and John Buck, plus cash. In return, they received Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Jeff Mathis, Anthony DeScalfani, Jake Marisnick, Justin Nicolino and Yunel Escobar. That\’s a mouth full. This trade was mostly a salary dump. Reyes and Buehrle were aging veterans who had just signed big deals with Miami the year before, and Johnson was one of their starters. In return, they got seven major leaguers. Well, eventual major leaguers. DeScalfani and Marisnick currently are decent players, but for other teams. Hechavarria was a defensive specialist. Alvarez was an all-star in Miami and threw a no-hitter, ending up the best player they received. Mathis was an ok backup catcher. Nicolino was a starter/reliever for the Marlins. Escobar was immediately flipped for Derek Dietrich. The big positive for them was that this trade freed up money for them to sign star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton to a record setting 13 year deal. This was a trade from 2012, and none of the 12 players are still with the teams that acquired them.

                          Prediction
Every other team in the NL East went for it this offseason. Meanwhile, the Marlins continued their tank. It would be very hard for them to make the playoffs this year.