CarterHud

        The Los Angeles Dodgers are used to winning. They\’ve won six straight division titles. They\’ve been to the World Series in back to back seasons. But, they still haven\’t won the fall classic in 30 years. In both 2017 and 2018, the fans saw the Astros and Red Sox celebrating at Dodger Stadium, while their team looked on. Only 10 teams make the playoffs, and two are immediately eliminated. So, the Dodgers have had a one in eight chance of winning the World Series for the last six years, but haven\’t come through. Will 2019 be the year they break through? Dodger fans hope, and the odds for that are good.

         Offseason additions: CF AJ Pollock, RHP Joe Kelly, C Russell Martin, OF Shane Peterson, OF Paulo Orlando, OF Ezequiel Carrera, RHP Kevin Quackenbush

         Offseason subtractions: INF Manny Machado, C Yasmani Grandal, OF Yasiel Puig, OF Matt Kemp, LHP Alex Wood, 2B Brian Dozier, RHP Daniel Hudson, RHP Ryan Madson, RHP Erik Goeddel, RHP Josh Fields, SHP Pat Venditte, OF Tim Locastro, C Kyle Farmer

          Rotation
It became apparent in 2018 that Clayton Kershaw wasn\’t the league\’s best pitcher anymore. He failed to qualify for the ERA title, with a 2.73 ERA in 161.l innings. He didn\’t get Cy Young votes for the first time since 2010, and didn\’t strike out at least a batter an inning for the first time since 2013. But, Kershaw got a partner in crime in 2018, with Walker Buehler finishing third in rookie of the year voting, with a 2.62 ERA and 151 innings in 137.1 innings. The Dodgers offered Hyun-Jin Ryu the qualifying offer after a 1.97 ERA in 15 starts, and he wisely accepted. At age 38, Rich Hill posted another solid season. Kenta Maeda saw bullpen time in 2018, but is still likely a starter. Former top prospect pitched in just four inning all season because of major shoulder surgery. He can return in the bullpen. There are two players on the Dodgers that may simply never get a chance. One is Ross Stripling, an all-star swingman who posted a 3.02 ERA in 21 starts and 12 more relief appearances.

             Bullpen
Kenley Jansen\’s 3.01 ERA was the worst of his career, but he still made 38 saves, and should be healthy in 2019 after heart surgery in 2018. The team signed Joe Kelly, who was a big part of them losing to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Scott Alexander returns after pitching in 73 games in 2018. Pedro Baez had a 2.88 ERA. Both Urias and Stripling should make the bullpen. There are four more spots left in the bullpen. Dylan Floro could get one, after a 1.63 ERA in 27.2 innings. Caleb Ferguson and JT Chargois both pitched decent in decent time last year. That means the final spot is between lefty Tony Cingrani and righty Yimi Garcia, who both struggled in about 22 innings last year.

               Catching
The star of this past offseason\’s catching market was Yasmani Grandal, the former Dodger catcher who signed an underwhelming deal with the Brewers. The Dodgers were set to go with Austin Barnes, who rivaled with Grandal in 2017 but struggled in 2018. But, they went with taking on Russell Martin\’s final season on a big deal he signed with Toronto. Martin, a two time all-star with the Dodgers from 2007-08, has seen his average plummet lately, and his power is slowing down, which shouldn\’t benefit off of Dodger Stadium.

                Infield
2017 rookie of the year winner Cody Bellinger was the first baseman of the future, but for now, he\’s the right fielder. That\’s because Max Muncy arrived, a minor league free agent who hit 35 home runs in 395 at bats, but striking out 131 times. Kike Hernandez played some time in center and second base last year, and with Logan Forsythe being traded at the deadline for Brian Dozier, who walked in free agency, the second base job is his. He hit 21 home runs last season. Corey Seager wasn\’t too good to start the season, then missed the rest of 2018 due to Tommy John surgery. The team didn\’t miss him much because of the trade for Manny Machado, but they\’ll definitely take him back this year. Third baseman Justin Turner is the heart of the team. He led the club with a 4.5 WAR, and his .924 OPS was topped by just Muncy.

                  Outfield
Joc Pederson moved to left field while Hernandez and Bellinger played center. Pederson doesn\’t walk often, but had a career high .248 batting average in 2018, while hitting 25 home runs and cutting back on the strikeouts. Bellinger\’s home run total in 2018 dropped by 14 big flies, while getting more Plate Appearances, which is concerning. I mentioned earlier Stripling might never get a chance with L.A. Neither could Alex Verdugo. He is currently ranked as their second best prospect, and is 22. But, the team keeps on bringing in talent instead of trusting him, but they won\’t trade him, watching him dominate AAA. The team signed AJ Pollock, who has a decent power bat, decent speed, a former Gold Glover and has had an OPS over .800 in has last four full seasons, dating back to 2014. Andrew Toles missed a lot of 2018 but returns as the fourth outfielder.

                    Bench
Chris Taylor hit 17 home runs, playing second base, left field, center field and shortstop. But, he had a league leading 178 strikeouts. He moves to a super-utility role in 2018. Barnes is the backup catcher, with Toles as the fourth outfielder. David Freese can play both corner infield spots. He crushes lefties and fastballs. He was 8 for 24 in the playoffs, and hit .385 in 19 games after an August trade from Pittsburgh.

                     Lineup
CF AJ Pollock
SS Corey Seager
3B Justin Turner
1B Max Muncy
RF Cody Bellinger
LF Joc Pederson
2B Kike Hernandez
C Russell Martin

                       Rotation
Clayton Kershaw (L)
Walker Buehler (R)
Rich Hill (L)
Hyun-Jin Ryu (L)
Kenta Maeda (R)

                        Bullpen
Kenley Jansen (R)
Joe Kelly (R)
Scott Alexander (L)
Dylan Floro (R)
Caleb Ferguson (R)
Ross Stripling (R)
JT Chargois (R)
Julio Urias (L)

                          Bench
C Austin Barnes
UT Chris Taylor
OF Andrew Toles
3B/1B David Freese

                           Additional Information
Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
Manager: Dave Roberts
GM: None (Andrew Freidman President of Baseball Ops, team won\’t hire new GM after Farhan Zaidi left for San Fransisco)
World Series Championships: 6
2018 record: 92-71

                            Steal of the Decade
Getting Chris Taylor for Zach Lee was a very good trade for the Dodgers. Taylor has hit 38 home runs in the past two seasons for L.A., and may be their best trade of the decade, since Lee hasn\’t become anything. But, you can\’t mention Dodgers steals without mentioning two amazing minor league deals. The first one paid-off this year. Max Muncy was signed after being released by the A\’s. In 2018, Muncy hit 35 home runs with a .973 OPS. Justin Turner was a player that hit for average for the Mets, but they still decided to release him. In five seasons for the Dodgers, he\’s hit .305, with a .889 OPS, while averaging 15 home runs a season (19.5, if you don\’t count 2014, where he hit .340 with just seven home runs). Turner has become the Dodgers best all-around hitter.

                              Prediction
The Dodgers are a very good team. That\’s why they have been National League Champions two years in a row. The odds are very good they can win their seventh straight division title this year.

Jaime Barria. Photo from the OC Register

        Another year, more injuries for the Angels. Star center fielder Mike Trout missed a little bit of time, but not as big as the chunk of 2017 he lost. Pitchers Kenyan Middleton and JC Ramirez both will miss a lot of 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Star slugger and pitcher Shohei Ohtani also had Tommy John surgery, and will not pitch this year. He will be back in the lineup approximately in May (explaining why he isn\’t in the projected lineup). The Angels still have star power, but can\’t do much if Trout isn\’t playing. They need Zack Cozart to stay healthy as well. The Angels are a make-or-break team this year.

         Offseason additions: RHP Cody Allen, 1B Justin Bour, C Jonathan Lucroy, RHP Matt Harvey, RHP Trevor Cahill, INF Tommy La Stella, C Kevan Smith, LHP Dillon Peters, RHP John Curtiss, RHP Luis Garcia, RHP Daniel Hudson, LHP Dan Jennings, OF Peter Bourjos, C Dustin Garneau, OF Jarrett Parker

          Offseason subtractions: RHP Jim Johnson, LHP Jose Alvarez, RHP Blake Parker, 3B Luis Valbuena (RIP), RHP Garrett Richards

          Rotation
Former ace Garrett Richards was always good when healthy, but never healthy. He left for San Diego in the offseason. Here\’s a surprise. The Angels had a healthy pitcher. Andrew Heaney was their only qualifying starter, pitching 180 innings. He had a 4.15 ERA, and will likely pitch opening day, because no one else will, they\’ll all be injured. Tyler Skaggs pitched in a career high 125.1 innings, and had a career best 4.02 ERA. At age 21, Jamie Barria didn\’t qualify because he didn\’t start the year with the team, but he had a very impressive 3.41 ERA in 26 starts. Veterans Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill signed with the team, which could push Felix Pena and Nick Tropeano into bullpen contention, but both will make plenty of starts while the starters are eventually injured.

          Bullpen
Cody Allen hasn\’t pitched in under 67 appearances since 2012, but Cleveland\’s former closer finally snapped in 2018. He had a 4.70 ERA, by far the worst of his career. But, he gets a chance with the Angels to be the closer. Ty Buttrey impressed and converted four saves after being apart of the Ian Kinsler trade in July. Hansel Robles, a Mets cast-off, had a 2.97 ERA in 37 appearances after joining the team. Justin Anderson walks too many batters, but he was apart of the Angels\’ closer committee last year. Noe Ramirez wasn\’t impressive in 2018, but pitched in 69 games. Cam Bedrosian is inconsistent, but when on the top of his game, he\’s their best reliever. The final spot is between Tropeano, Pena and Luis Garcia, acquired from the Phillies. Garcia was very good in 2017 but absolutely horrible in 2018.

            Catching
The Angels had many catchers play in 2018. The primary one, Martin Maldonado, was traded to Houston at the deadline. The team signed Jonathan Lucroy to play catcher. Lucroy, once one of the league\’s best catchers offensively, has had his power fall off in recent seasons. The backup spot is between Jose Briceno, and Kevan Smith, who was claimed off waivers from the White Sox.

             Infield
The only downside about Ohtani is that he only plays DH. That means Albert Pujols will have to play first base. Well, until Ohtani returns, Pujols can just DH. Power hitting first baseman Justin Bour is a good option. Andrelton Simmons is the league\’s best defender, winning his 4th Gold Glove in 2018, while finishing with a career best .754 OPS. With Kinsler gone, David Fletcher gets the second base job. He hit .275 in 80 games last year. Cozart played in just 58 games last year because of injury.

              Outfield
Mike Trout is and always will be baseball\’s best player, though some people think it\’s Mookie Betts. Trout had a 10.2 WAR in 2018, hitting 39 home runs, with 24 stolen bases, hitting .312 with a 1.088 OPS. In Justin Upton\’s first full season as an Angel, He hit 30 home runs, and he is capable of doing it again. Kole Calhoun had a terrible offensive season. He hit 19 home runs, but had a .208 batting average and .652 OPS. The fourth spot goes to either Peter Bourjos or Michael Hermosillo, the latter the only other outfielder on the 40 man roster.

                DH/Bench
Ohtani will be the every day DH when returning until then, it\’s Pujols\’ job. Smith and Briceno battle for the backup catcher spot. Until May, when Ohtani comes back, they Angels can go with 13 pitchers, so either Pena or Garcia will get a shot. Hermosillo is the fourth outfielder, while Tommy La Stella is the backup infielder.

                 Lineup
3B Zack Cozart
CF Mike Trout
LF Justin Upton
DH Albert Pujols
1B Justin Bour
SS Andrelton Simmons
C Jonathan Lucroy
RF Kole Calhoun
2B David Fletcher

                 Rotation
Andrew Heaney (L)
Tyler Skaggs (L)
Jaime Barria (R)
Matt Harvey (R)
Trevor Cahill (R)

                  Bullpen
Cody Allen (R)
Ty Buttrey (R)
Cam Bedrosian (R)
Hansel Robles (R)
Justin Anderson (R)
Taylor Cole (R)
Luis Garcia (R)
Felix Pena (R)

                    Bench
C Kevan Smith
OF Michael Hermosillo
INF Tommy La Stella

                      Additional Information
Ballpark: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Manager: Brad Ausmas
GM: Billy Eppler
World Championships: 1
2018 record: 80-82

                      Steal of the Decade
The Angels were looking to improve their shortstop, with Erick Aybar aging. They sent Aybar packing before 2016, to Atlanta, along with Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis. In return, they got C Jose Briceno and Andrelton Simmons. Aybar was a flop in Atlanta, with a .607 OPS in 97 games. Ellis hasn\’t played in the majors yet, but could crack the Royals roster this year as a Rule 5 pick. Newcomb had his first full season as a Brave in 2018, with a 3.90 ERA. Entering his age 26 season, Newcomb will be a key part of their rotation. Briceno didn\’t make his debut until 2018, where he hit five home runs in 117 at bats. Simmons has become the best fielder in the game, and is now an offensive threat, hitting .292 in 2018 to go along with his fourth Gold Glove.

                        Prediction
The Angels are a good team. Their biggest component, once again, is injuries. They always lose key players. If the Angels can finally stay healthy, they have a chance to make the 2nd wild card spot in the AL.

Aldaberto Mondesi. Photo from SBNation

         Winning the World Series in 2015 ended up an all-or-nothing thing, as the team lost 14 more games in 2016 than in 2015, fell by one win in 2017, before completely falling off the books in 2018. The Royals lost 104 games, which would have them finish last almost any season, but they will get the second overall pick because of the Orioles\’ abysmal season. The Royals will now get full seasons out of Ryan O\’Hearn, Albaderto Mondesi and Hunter Dozier. The Royals have always valued speed, and now they have Whit Merrifield, who led the league in steals, Mondesi, and they signed four time 50 stolen base man Billy Hamilton in the offseason. Watching the trio on the bases will be as exciting for Royals fans as it will get.

           Offseason addditions: CF Billy Hamilton, RHP Brad Boxberger, LHP Jake Diekman, C Martin Maldonado, UT Chris Owings, OF Terrance Gore, RHP Homer Bailey, RHP Drew Storen, RHP Chris Ellis, RHP Sam McWilliams

           Offseason subtractions: SS Alcides Escobar, OF Abraham Almonte, RHP Brandon Maurer, RHP Burch Smith, RHP Jason Hammel, INF Ryan Goins

           Rotation
The best WAR for a Royals\’ pitcher was 3.6, belonging to Brad Keller. The Rule 5 pick had a 3.08 ERA in 41 appearances, including 20 starts. But, he\’ll now shift full time to the rotation. Both Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy are on big contracts, and both had terrible 2018s. They had 4.88 and 4.66 ERAs, respectively, making just 50 combined starts. Jakob Junis had his first full season, with another average ERA in the 4.30s, but he led the team with 30 starts. The fifth spot is up for grabs. Eric Skoglund won\’t be back until about June 26 because of an 80 game PED suspension. Heath Fillmyer had a 4.26 ERA in 17 appearances, including 13 starts. Jorge Lopez made seven starts, and nearly pitched a perfect game against the Twins. Veteran Homer Bailey might also have a chance.

             Bullpen
After closer Kelvin Herrera was traded midseason, Wily Peralta made 14 saves, and could be the closer. But, the team brought in Brad Boxberger, the 2015 saves leader. Boxberger made 32 saves for Arizona last year. The team also signed Boxberger\’s Arizona teammate, lefty Jake Diekman. Drew Storen was signed to a minor league deal. He was decent with the Reds in 2017, but didn\’t play in the majors last season. Kevin McCarthy had a 3.25 ERA in 65 appearances. LOOGY Tim Hill pitched in 45.2 innings, but in 70 games. Another lefty, Brian Flynn, was the opposite. He pitched in 48 games, but in 75.2 innings. The Royals could go with 13 pitchers, with Rule 5 picks Chris Ellis and Sam McWilliams given the final spots.

             Catching
Entering Spring Training, the Royals had a top 5 catcher in Salvador Perez, who doubled as the team\’s main bright spot. But, Perez will now undergo Tommy John surgery and miss 2019. The team moved quickly and signed defensive specialist Martin Maldonado. Cam Gallagher got the backup spot when Drew Butera was traded at the deadline.

              Infield
The Royals have a young and exciting infield. 2B Whit Merrifield had 192 hits, and led the league with 45 stolen bases. At age 22, Albaderto Mondesi hit 14 home runs and stole 32 bases in 291 Plate Appearances. With Alcides Escobar gone, the shortstop job is his. First baseman Ryan O\’Hearn hit 12 home runs in 44 games. Third baseman Hunter Dozier hit 11 home runs in 2018, and can improve at the starting job.

               Outfield
Billy Hamilton resembles how the Royals play: with speed and defense. Hamilton is a great defender, and stole 34 bases in 2019, though that was a good 20 steals below average. The Royals are steal happy, so if healthy, he can easily accomplish 50 stolen bases again. Alex Gordon is in the final year of his mega contract, and has underperformed, with just a .694 OPS in 2018. The right field spot/extra outfielder spot is up for grabs, between Brian Goodwin, Jorge Bonifacio and Brett Phillips. Bonifacio and Phillips have options, giving Goodwin the edge. Goodwin hit 13 home runs for Washington in 2017, but struggled so much in 2018 he was traded to KC, where he improved. Bonifacio hit 17 home runs in his rookie 2017 season, but rebounded with four. Phillips, a former top prospect for Milwaukee, has struggled when in the bigs.

                 DH/Bench
Jorge Soler has raw power, but has never been healthy, hitting just 11 home runs in 96 games in two seasons for KC. Chris Owings can play seven positions, and his versatility encourages the team to go with just three bench spots. The fourth outfield spot is between the three outfielders mentioned before. Gallagher is the backup.

                  Lineup
2B Whit Merrifield
SS Albaderto Mondesi
LF Alex Gordon
1B Ryan O\’Hearn
DH Jorge Soler
3B Hunter Dozier
RF Jorge Bonifacio
C Martin Maldonado
CF Billy Hamilton

                   Rotation
Danny Duffy (L)
Brad Keller (R)
Ian Kennedy (R)
Jakob Junis (R)
Heath Fillmyer (R)

                    Bullpen
Brad Boxberger (R)
Wily Peralta (R)
Jake Diekman (L)
Tim Hill (L)
Kevin McCarthy (R)
Brian Flynn (L)
Chris Ellis (R)
Sam McWilliams (R)

                    Bench
C Cam Gallagher
UT Chris Owings
OF Brian Goodwin

                     Additional Information
Ballpark: Kauffman Stadium
Manager: Ned Yost
GM: Dayton Moore
World Series Championships: 2
2018 record: 58-104

                     Steal of the Decade
The best trade for the Royals is more of a trade tree. The first trade, from 2010, was when they dealt Zack Greinke to the Brewers for Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Oddorizi. Greinke has been an ace both before and after this trade. Cain has been a great defender, base stealer, and he has decent pop. He left the Royals before 2018 to go back to Milwaukee. Escobar played in 162 games three times for the Royals. They don\’t win the 2015 World Series without them. They don\’t win it without another player part of the trade tree. Jeffress barely pitched for the Royals. He has made his way back to Milwaukee twice, and established himself as an elite reliever in 2018. Oddorizi was flipped to the Rays with Wil Myers. Both have become decent players. In return, they acquired Wade Davis and James Shields (the Royals gave up two more players and received another). Shields had two very good seasons for KC, but left just in time for the 2015 win. In his three first seasons as a reliever in Kansas City, these were Davis\’ ERAs: 1.00, 0.94, 1.87. No way the Royals win in 2015 without him. They traded him to the Cubs for Soler in 2017, and with the Cubs and Rockies, he has 75 combined saves in 2017-18.

                       Prediction
The Royals were bad enough. Now, their best player is out for the year. They are involved in a three way death match in the AL Central. And by death match I mean they will be fighting for worst time in the division.

Tyler White. Photo from ESPN

           After winning the World Series in 2017, it looked like the Houston Astros could very well be the first team to win back to back World Series\’ since the Yankees in 1998-2000. Things didn\’t go that way for Houston. They lost in the ALCS to the eventual World Series winning Red Sox. The team saw pitcher Charlie Morton walk, along with utility man Marwin Gonzalez. Starter and former ace Dallas Keuchel is still a free agent, but he is likely gone as well. To add insult to injury, young starter Lance McCullers Jr. will miss 2019 because of Tommy John surgery. But, the front of the rotation, their bullpen and offense is still World Series caliber.

            Offseason additions: LF Michael Brantley, LHP Wade Miley, C Robinson Chirinos, INF Aledmys Diaz

             Offseason subtractions: LHP Dallas Keuchel, UT Marwin Gonzalez, RHP Charlie Morton, DH Evan Gattis, C Brian McCann, LHP Tony Sipp, INF JD Davis, C Martin Maldonado

             Rotation
In back to back seasons, the Astros added another team\’s ace to bolster their rotation. At the end of August 2017, Justin Verlander came from Detroit. Gerrit Cole came from Pittsburgh before 2018. Now, as pending free agents, the two lead the Astros rotation. Verlander was the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2018, and made his 7th all-star team, though the first since 2013. Cole\’s final two seasons in Pittsburgh were bad, but his 2.88 ERA carried him to a 4th place Cy Young finish. Collin McHugh was moved to the bullpen, where he was dominant, but Morton and McCullers\’ absence will have him move back to the rotation. Wade Miley invented his career with the Brewers in 2018, and will get a chance again to play for a winner. Josh James made his MLB debut down the stretch, making three starts with three more relief appearances, and impressed enough to make the playoff rosters. Framber Valdez impressed in five starts last year, and is the go-to starter in case of injury.

              Bullpen
After a domestic violence arrest, Roberto Osuna was traded to the Astros from Toronto. He had a 1.99 ERA with 12 saves after the trade. Hector Rondon was the closer for most of the year, converting 15 saves with a 3.20 ERA. Former starter Brad Peacock and Will Harris both made 61 appearances, with nearly identical ERAs (3.46 and 3.49). Joe Smith took a step back in 2018, and will miss the first half because of an Achilles injury. Ryan Pressly was a great trade acquisition, with a 0.77 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 23.1 innings. Chris Devenski was a big part of the Astros bullpen from 2016-17, but took a major step backwards in 2018. The last spot is between young pitchers Valdez, Cionel Perez and Rogelio Armentos.

               Catching
The team said goodbye to Brian McCann, letting him walk back home to Atlanta. Martin Maldonado, the defensive specialist acquired at the deadline, also left. They signed Robinson Chirinos from their rival, the Rangers. Chirinos is a defensive liability, but hit a career high 18 home runs in 2018. Chirinos has a .757 OPS or higher in each of his last four seasons. The Astros got a .664 OPS from their catchers, their worst since 2014. Chirinos should boost that. Max Stassi has played for the Astros since 2013, but had never made more than 31 Plate Appearances before the 250 he had in 2018. He hit eight home runs, and will be Chirinos\’ backup.

                  Infield
Entering 2018, the \’Stros infield included superstars Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve, and rising star Alex Bregman. All three are still on the team, but the look towards them is different. Altuve still had a .837 OPS, but hit 13 home runs, his lowest since 2014. Due to injuries, Altuve didn\’t lead the league in hits for the first time since 2013. He stole just 17 bases. It was the first time ever he hadn\’t stole 30 in a full season. After winning the 2017 MVP, Altuve finished just 13th in 2018. Correa was injured, playing in just 110 games, but had career lows in home runs (15), batting average (.239) and OPS (.728). The team will need both the rebound to win the World Series. Bregman had a breakout season, hitting .286 with 31 home runs and 103 RBIs, plus 51 doubles as a 24 year old. He joins Lou Gehrig, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez as the only players ever to hit 50 doubles and 30 home runs in a season before the age of 25. Yuli Gurriel posted decent numbers, but his OPS dropped from .817 in 2017 to .751. Aledmys Diaz, acquired from Toronto in the offseason, can play three infield positions, and Tony Kemp can play second base.

                    Outfield
The Astros added Michael Brantley, who hit .309 with 17 home runs in 2018 and was finally healthy. His home run total was the second highest in his career to the 20 he hit in 2014 and his average was his best since hitting .310 in 2015. George Springer also fell in 2018, with his home run total dropping 12 to 22, and his batting average dropping 18 points to .265. Josh Reddick\’s 17 home runs was higher than his 13 in 2017, but his batting average and OPS dropped by a lot. Jake Marisnick is a good fielder and the fourth outfielder. Kemp can also play the outfield.

                    DH/Bench
Evan Gattis leaves after hitting 25 home runs, but the Astros didn\’t have to keep him because of Tyler White. White was a pleasant surprise for an Astros team that saw a lot of talent fall in 2018. He hit 12 home runs with a .276 average, but most importantly, a .888 OPS and 143 OPS+, both second highest on the team to Bregman. The bench will be Stassi, Kemp, Marisnick and Diaz.

                    Lineup
CF George Springer
3B Alex Bregman
2B Jose Altuve
SS Carlos Correa
LF Michael Brantley
1B Yuli Gurriel
DH Tyler White
C Robinson Chirinos
RF Josh Reddick

                     Rotation
Justin Verlander (R)
Gerrit Cole (R)
Collin McHugh (R)
Wade Miley (L)
Josh James (R)

                     Bullpen
Roberto Osuna (R)
Hector Rondon (R)
Brad Peacock (R)
Will Harris (R)
Ryan Pressly (R)
Chris Devenski (R)
Framber Valdez (L)

                      Bench
C Max Stassi
2B/OF Tony Kemp
OF Jake Marisnick
INF Aledmys Diaz

                       Additional Information
Ballpark: Minute Maid Park
Manager: AJ Hinch
GM: Jeff Luhnhow
World Series Championships: 1
2018 record: 103-59

                        Steal of the Decade
Looking to win the first World Series in franchise history, the Astros made a last minute trade deadline trade with the Tigers. They acquired pitcher and former MVP winner Justin Verlander for prospects Daz Cameron, Franklin Perez and Jake Rogers. The three prospects given up haven\’t played in the bigs yet, but they can play by 2021, and Perez could see time in 2019. Meanwhile, Verlander made five starts in September, allowing four runs in 34 innings. In 2018, he was the Cy Young runner-up with a 2.52 ERA. But the most important numbers are from the 2017 playoffs. He had a 2.24 ERA in 36.2 innings, including allowing just one run in 16 innings in the ALCS, earning MVP honors. The \’Stros don\’t win the World Series without him.

                          Prediction
The Astros are still, far and away, the best team in the AL West. They should easily win the division again in 2019.

            

               Being in the beginning years of a re-build isn\’t very fun. But for most teams, the third year is when they look up to the next two years. After two seasons of 64 wins, the Detroit Tigers are still on the way down. They have one of the worst contracts in baseball in Miguel Cabrera, and another in Jordan Zimmermann. While the team waits for the prospects from the Justin Verlander trade to blossom, their team will continue to fall.

               Offseason additions: INF Josh Harrison, SS Jordy Mercer, RHP Tyson Ross, LHP Matt Moore, INF Brandon Dixon, C Cameron Rupp, C Bobby Wilson, INF Gordon Beckham

               Offseason subtractions: DH Victor Martinez, LHP Fransisco Liriano, C James McCann, INF Dixon Machado, SS Jose Iglesias, RHP Alex Wilson, 1B Jim Adduci

               Rotation
The rotation is still awaiting first overall pick Casey Mize, plus Franklin Perez, Matt Matting, Beau Burrows and Alex Faedo to arrive. 2016 rookie of the year winner Michael Fulmer\’s ERA over the last two seasons is 115 points higher than his 3.06 ERA in \’16. Jordan Zimmermann had a 3.32 career ERA in seven seasons before signing with Detroit, and had averaged 202.2 innings pitched over the last four seasons. Since coming to town, he has a 5.24 ERA, with 132 innings a season in three years. He still slots in as starter number two. Matt Boyd led the team in starts with 31, and his ERA improved to 4.39. Daniel Norris hasn\’t been able to make over 18 starts in his career, and his 4.56 career ERA is much lower than his potential. The final spot will go to either one of Tyson Ross or Matt Moore. Ross\’s recent past has been much better. The team could also go with an opener.

                  Bullpen
The Tigers would rather have Robbie Ray, but they will have to settle with Shane Greene. Greene saved 32 games in 2018, but had an ERA over 5.00. Joe Jimenez made the all-star team in 2018, but his 4.31 ERA isn\’t impressive. Former starter Buck Farmer had a career year, with a 4.15 ERA. So did Blaine Hardy, who also made 13 starts. Louis Coleman is only in camp on a minor league deal, but was one of their best relievers last year. Victor Alcantara pitched just 30 innings in 2018, but his 2.40 ERA was impressive. Also returning is Daniel Stumpf and Drew VerHagen.

                   Catching
The Tigers didn\’t sign James McCann, and let walk to the White Sox. His former backup, John Hicks, was primarily a first baseman in 2018, and we will see him there even more in 2019. The only catcher listed on their 40 man roster is Grayson Greiner, who made his debut in a 30 game cameo last year. But, they have six catchers in camp as NRIs. My favorite is Hector Sanchez, who missed all of 2018 because of injuries, but hit eight home runs in 175 at bats for San Diego in 2017. More realistically, it is between Cameron Rupp and Bobby Wilson for backup catcher.

                    Infield
The Tigers signed the middle infield of the Pirates, adding Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison. Harrison is more versatile, and can play around the infield and outfield. The team would rather have Niko Goodrum, who had an impressive rookie season, as a utility man. First base will go to Hicks. Jeimer Candelario hit 19 home runs in his rookie year, after being acquired in a July 2017 trade for Justin Wilson and Alex Avila.

                    Outfield
When Candelario was acquired, Nicholas Castellanos was moved to right field. Castellanos had a .854 OPS, plus 23 home runs and a .298 average in a career 2018. He will likely be moved in July. Christin Stewart hit 23 home runs in AAA Toledo, and can win the left field job. Center field is between JaCoby Jones and Mikie Mahtook. They combined for 20 home runs in 2018, with both hitting in the low .200s.

                    DH/Bench
Miguel Cabrera was looking like his old self before tearing his bicep and ending his season after 38 games. The former triple crown winner, two time MVP and 11 time all-star will play mostly at DH in 2019. The loser of the Jones/Mahtook battle will be the 4th outfielder, and the team could also carry Victor Reyes. Ronny Rodriguez and Niko Goodrum are utility infielders. The backup catcher role is between many players.

                     Lineup
2B Josh Harrison
RF Nicholas Castellanos
DH Miguel Cabrera
3B Jeimer Candelario
LF Christin Stewart
1B John Hicks
SS Jordy Mercer
CF JaCoby Jones
C Grayson Greiner

                     Rotation
Michael Fulmer (R)
Jordan Zimmermann (R)
Matthew Boyd (L)
Daniel Norris (L)
Tyson Ross (R)

                     Bullpen
Shane Greene (R)
Joe Jimenez (R)
Buck Farmer (R)
Blaine Hardy (L)
Daniel Stumpf (L)
Victor Alcantara (R)
Louis Coleman (R)

                     Bench
C Cameron Rupp
INF Ronny Rodriguez
UT Niko Goodrum
OF Mikie Mahtook

                     Additional Information
Ballpark: Comerica Park
Manager: Ron Gardenhire
GM: Al Avila
World Series Championships: 4
2018 record: 64-98

                      Steal of the Decade
The Tigers have had their fair share of bad trades this decade, giving up players like Eugenio Suarez Robbie Ray. But they haven\’t had an absolute win. The closest was a 2012 trade that netted the team pitcher Anibal Sanchez and 2B Omar Infante. They gave up pitchers Jacob Turner and Brian Flynn, plus catcher Rob Brantly. Brantly looked impressive for Miami in 2012, but never has been given a shot in the bigs. Flynn was terrible with Miami, but has become a decent reliever in KC. The main prospect in the deal, Turner, had one good year in 2013 for the Marlins, but was traded to the Cubs. He actually played for both the Marlins and Tigers in 2018, and allowed 10 runs in 6.2 innings. On the other side, Infante was a decent second baseman for Detroit, including a .310 batting average in 2013. Sanchez was the ERA champion in 2013 with a 2.57 number, plus a good 2014, but he fell off after that. It isn\’t much, but it is still a good trade.

                     Prediction
The Tigers will be terrible again this year. Everyone will be surprised if they can make the playoffs this year.