CarterHud

Scott Oberg. Photo from the Denver Post

       Three things in life are certain. Death, taxes, and people thinking the Rockies are only good because of Coors Field. Yes, Coors Field has a very big outfield and the altitude makes it easier to hit home runs. But, for the first time, the Rockies had some dominant pitchers, and struggled offensively. They lost Adam Ottavino and DJ LeMahieu in the offseason, but brought in Daniel Murphy. The Rockies are a force to be reckoned with, after making the playoffs in back to back seasons for the first time ever.

       Offseason additions: 1B Daniel Murphy, 1B Mark Reynolds, C Brett Nichols, RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez, OF Michael Saunders

        Offseason subtractions: RHP Adam Ottavino, 2B DJ LeMahieu, OF Gerardo Parra, OF Carlos Gonzalez, C Drew Butera, OF Matt Holliday

        Rotation
The Rockies finally found an ace. Kyle Freeland had a huge breakout season, with a 2.85 ERA in 202.1 innings, finishing fourth in the NL Cy Young voting, and was just 25. German Marquez was 23, and struck out 230 batters in less than 200 innings. His strikeouts passed Ubaldo Jimenez in 2010 as the franchise record. Another 23 year old, Antonio Senzatela, made just 13 starts, but is still the favorite for the 5th spot after a strong finish. Tyler Anderson, entering his age 29 season as the Rockies\’ oldest starter, also had a great finish, with a 1.83 ERA in his final four starts. Jon Gray is so inconsistent. Gray had a 12-9 record, but his ERA in the losses were exactly nine full runs higher than the ERA in the wins. Chad Bettis can make the rotation over Senzatela, but will likely be a swingman-type.

          Bullpen
Losing Ottavino, whose 2.43 ERA was best on the team, will hurt. But Scott Oberg wasn\’t far behind Ottavino, with a 2.45 ERA, including a 1.85 ERA in his final 35 outings. Wade Davis set a franchise record for saves with 43, but had the worst ERA (4.13) he\’s had as a reliever. Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee got matching three year, $27 million contracts last offseason, but had 5.93 and 6.49 ERAs, respectively. The Rox wish they could have spent that money on Ottavino, who conveniently got that same amount from the Yankees. Chris Rusin also struggled, with an ERA over 6.00. Harrison Musgrave returns after an average rookie season. Seunghwan Oh, acquired in a July trade from Toronto, put in some decent work after the trade. Mike Dunn allowed 17 runs in 17 innings in 2018, and will need to make the team out of Spring Training.

            Catching
Tom Murphy has always been the \”catcher of the future\” for the Rockies. Well, he\’s 28 now and still hasn\’t been given a chance, despite decent minor league numbers. Will this be Murphy\’s big year? Probably not, or never. Chris Iannetta return to Denver, hitting 11 home runs with a .730 OPS, which isn\’t bad as a catcher. Backup Tony Wolters struggled at the plate in 2018.

            Infield
Nolan Arenado received a monster extension. That\’s good for the team, as Arenado is a guarantee for more than 35 home runs when healthy. He has won a Gold Glove in all of his six MLB seasons, and his third place MVP finish in 2018 was a career high. Arenado\’s only bad stat is that he has a road batting average 99 points lower than his home BA. Trevor Story had a career year at the plate, hitting 37 home runs, finally hitting for average (.291), and swiping 27 bags. Daniel Murphy was signed primarily to play first base. He has a career OPS of .803. Second base will be a platoon between speedster Garrett Hampson and minor league slugger Ryan McMahon.

             Outfield
With Murphy signed to play first base, Ian Desmond will move to center field, where he played for one year in Texas. He has been underwhelming since coming to Colorado, but his 22 home runs and 88 RBIs plus 20 stolen bases just about matched his numbers from 2016, when he was an all-star. Charlie Blackmon will move to right field, replacing Carlos Gonzalez. Blackmon had a .291 batting average and .860 OPS in 2018, but they were 40 points and 140 points lower than his 2017 numbers. Blackmon doesn\’t steal as many bases anymore, but he is now a 30 home run threat. David Dahl has had health issues, but is still young. He also slugged out 16 home runs in 249 at-bats in 2018. Raimel Tapia and Noel Cuevas compete for the 4th outfield spot.

               Bench
The loser of the Hampson/McMahon second base battle, or just the player not playing in the platoon, will be on the bench. McMahon can also play first and third base. Tony Wolters and Raimel Tapia are also bench players. Pat Valiaka struggled in 2018 after a 13 home run 2017. He is the backup infielder.

               Lineup
RF Charlie Blackmon
SS Trevor Story
3B Nolan Arenado
1B Daniel Murphy
CF Ian Desmond
RF David Dahl
C Chris Iannetta
2B Garrett Hampson

               Rotation
Kyle Freeland (L)
German Marquez (R)
Jon Gray (R)
Tyler Anderson (L)
Antonio Senzatela (R)

               Bullpen
Wade Davis (R)
Scott Oberg (R)
Jake McGee (L)
Bryan Shaw (R)
Seunghwan Oh (R)
Chris Rusin (L)
Chad Bettis (R)
Harrison Musgrave (R)

                 Bench
C Tony Wolters
INF Ryan McMahon
INF Pat Valaika
OF Raimel Tapia

                 Additional Information
Ballpark: Coors Field
Manager: Bud Black
GM: Jeff Bridich
World Series Championships: 0
2018 record: 91-72

                  Steal of the Decade
There was two for me that came in mind. An honorable mention to when the team acquired Jake McGee and German Marquez for Corey Dickerson. Marquez set the franchise record for strikeouts, but he has had one good season, and McGee has struggled. In the other trade, made with the Cubs on December 8, 2011, the Rockies traded former first round picks Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers for Tyler Colvin and DJ LeMahieu. Stewart had hit 25 home runs in 2009, but had hit .156 with Colorado in 2011. He hit .201 for the Cubs in 2012 in 55 games. He wouldn\’t play in 2013, then played in 24 games for the Angels in 2014 before leaving the majors for good. Weathers never made the majors, and didn\’t play in the minors in 2018, and has played in two different systems since the Cubs. Colvin was a 20 home run hitter in 2010 and hit 18 for the Rox in 2012, but that really was it for him. But, LeMahieu was the steal of the trade. LeMahieu has been a minor stolen base threat, but he has hit over .300 three times, including a league leading .348 in 2016. He won three gold gloves and made two all-star appearances. In 2018, his final year before leaving for New York, he hit a career high 15 home runs.

                   Prediction
The Rockies are a good team. But once again, they will need to fight for the playoffs. The Dodgers are very good and will likely be atop the NL West again. With the Cardinals getting better, nothing is a sure thing in the National League. But, the Rockies still have good odds.

Jake Bauers. Photo from WKYC

         The Cleveland Indians have had a monopoly over the AL Central the last few years. The key word there is had. Well, the Indians aren\’t really in a bad place. Most people project them to finish first in the division once again. But, the Indians decided to cut payroll in the offseason, and get rid of some quality players. That included shopping everyone on the roster but stars Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor. That means 2x Cy Young winner Corey Kluber was available. For the first time in three years, there is uncertainty around the team.

          Offseason additions: 1B Carlos Santana, 1B/RF Jake Bauers, RHP Nick Wittgren, C Kevin Plawecki, INF Max Moroff, OF Jordan Luplow, OF Matt Joyce, DH Hanley Ramirez, RHP AJ Cole, RHP Tyler Clippard, INF Ryan Flaherty
 
           Offseason subtractions: LHP Andrew Miller, 1B Edwin Encarnacion, 1B Yonder Alonso, RHP Cody Allen, C Yan Gomes, OF Michael Brantley, 3B Josh Donaldson, INF Yandy Diaz, OF Melky Cabrera, OF Lonnie Chisenhall, RHP Zach McAllister, RHP Josh Tomlin, OF Rajai Davis, OF Brandon Guyer, INF Erik Gonzalez

            Rotation
With subtracting going along all over the lineup and bullpen, the Indians kept their rotation intact, as they should have. The top four starters all had over 200 strikeouts, an MLB record. The fifth starter, Shane Bieber, had a 5.13 strikeout to walk ratio, which led all rookie pitchers. Ace Corey Kluber was at it again, winning 20 games with a 2.89 ERA. He has averaged 246 strikeouts over the last five seasons. Trevor Bauer had a career year, with a 2.21 ERA and 221 strikeouts, with an 11.3 K/9 rate. Mike Clevenger also had a career season, with a 3.02 ERA with 207 strikeouts. Signing an extension in the offseason might have prevented Carlos Carrasco from getting traded. The righty had a 3.38 ERA in 2018.

             Bullpen
The bullpen saw two of its former best arms, Cody Allen and Andrew Miller, walk after down seasons. The team found replacements in them in Brad Hand and Adam Cimber, acquired from San Diego in a July trade. Hand was the closer after the trade, and excelled, while Cimber fell off. Adam Plutko made 12 starts, but he could be used more as a reliever in 2019. Oliver Perez had a 1.39 ERA at age 39, as the Indians continue to find disregarded relievers that can still pitch. Tyler Olson struggled in 2018, but was dominant in 2017, not allowing a single earned run in 30 appearances. Nick Goody was also very good in 2017, but barely pitched in the majors in 2018. Nick Wittgren was brought in from Miami after a season with a 2.94 ERA. Neil Ramirez returns as well.

              Catching
The team traded all-star catcher Yan Gomes to Washington, and didn\’t replace him. Instead, they gave the job to Roberto Perez, who went 30 for 179 (.168 batting average) in 2019. The team traded the league\’s top catching prospect, Francisco Mejia to San Diego in the Hand/Cimber trade, and they probably wish they didn\’t. Kevin Plawecki, the former Mets backup, was acquired in a trade.

              Infield
While most of the Indians\’ lineup was changed, the main constants were star third baseman Jose Ramirez and Fransisco Lindor. The two hit 39 and 38 home runs, respectively, with averages in the .270s, though Ramirez\’s .939 OPS was much higher than Lindor\’s .871. 2B Jason Kipnis also returns, and raised his home run total to 18, but his average remained in the .230s. Carlos Santana returns, after a rough season in Philadelphia. He hit 34 homers for Cleveland in 2016. Jake Bauers can play first as well.

               Outfield
Man, it looks rough in the Cleveland outfield. The team could really use a Willie Mays Hayes or Pedro Cerrano about now. The reliable Michael Brantley left for Houston, and former top prospect Bradley Zimmer won\’t return to the lineup until at least the end of July. Greg Allen played in 91 games last year, the most for a returning outfielder. He stole 21 bases, and will play center. Right field could go to Bauers, a power hitting first baseman acquired along with Santana in a three team trade. Health has been an issue for Tyler Naquin, who can\’t stay on the field since being a Rookie of the Year finalist in 2016. Leonys Martin, who had a life threatening skin infection, is the 4th outfielder.

                DH/Bench
The DH spot has been Edwin Encarnacion\’s, but he was traded to Seattle for Santana and Bauers. Both of them might alternate between first base and DH, but Bauers could play corner outfield. Hanley Ramirez was brought in on a minor league deal, and the three time all-star and 2006 Rookie of the Year winner can still hit, with 53 combined home runs from 2016-17. On the bench is Martin and Plawecki. If the Indians go with 13 pitchers, the final spot will go to either infielder Max Moroff or outfielder Jordan Luplow, both acquired in an odd four player depth trade with Pittsburgh, but with Martin\’s presence, Moroff has the upper hand.

                 Lineup
SS Fransisco Lindor
3B Jose Ramirez
1B Carlos Santana
RF Jake Bauers
DH Hanley Ramirez
2B Jason Kipnis
RF Tyler Naquin
CF Greg Allen
C Roberto Perez

                 Rotation
Corey Kluber (R)
Trevor Bauer (R)
Carlos Carrasco (R)
Mike Clevenger (R)
Shane Bieber (R)

                  Bullpen
Brad Hand (L)
Adam Cimber (R)
Oliver Perez (L)
Tyler Olson (L)
Nick Wittgren (R)
Nick Goody (R)
Adam Plutko (R)
Neil Ramirez (R)

                    Bench
C Kevin Plawecki
INF Max Moroff
OF Leonys Martin

                    Additional Information
Ballpark: Progressive Field
Manager: Terry Francona
GM: Mike Chernoff
World Championships: 2
2018 record: 91-71

                    Steal of the Decade
What a trade this was. Like, what a trade. Well, in 2010, the St. Louis Cardinals were attempting to trade for Indians starter Jake Westbrook. The trade needed a third team. The Padres were interested in Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick, but engaging in this trade would turn out to be a fatal mistake. At the trade deadline, Westbrook, Padres prospect Nick Greenwood and $2.7 million would be sent to the Cardinals, with Ludwick to the Padres, and the Padres sending RHP prospect Corey Kluber to Cleveland. Westbrook would turn out to be a solid starter for St. Louis, with a 4.27 ERA in parts of four seasons. He was a part of the rotation that won the 2011 World Series. Greenwood had a 4.75 ERA in 2014 for St. Louis. He had one outing in 2015. He allowed two runs, didn\’t get a single out, and never made an MLB outing again, finishing 2015 with an ERA of infinity. Ludwick has hit 37 home runs in 2008, and was decent for the Padres, hitting 17 home runs in 160 games. But Kluber was a different story. He has made each of the last three all-star teams, and won the Cy Young in both 2014 and 2017. He was also the second runner up in 2016 and 2018. He has a 3.09 ERA, pitching in over 200 innings in each of the last five seasons, averaging 246 strikeouts a season, and his 9.3 K/9 in 2018 was his lowest of the five seasons. \”Klubot\” was a steal for the Tribe.

                      Prediction
Thinking they would run away with the AL Central again, the Indians cut payroll this offseason. I think this could be a very big mistake. The Twins made good additions in the offseason, and if Cleveland isn\’t careful, Minnesota could overtake them.

Scott Schebler. Photo from the Cincinnati Enquirer

            2018 was another tough season for the Cincinnati Reds. After a 3-15 start, manager Bryan Price was given the boot, and Jim Riggleman went 64-80 the rest of the way. During that span, Riggleman managed his 1,500 game for five teams. He has the lowest winning percentage of any manager since 1900 who has managed that many games. Pitcher Michael Lorenzen hit four home runs, and he hit a home run every 7.75 at-bats (short sample alert). First baseman and franchise star Joey Votto hit one nearly every 42 at-bats, hitting 12 home runs, the lowest he has ever hit in a full season. This led to the Reds finishing under 70 wins for the fourth consecutive season.

             Offseason additions: LHP Alex Wood, OF Yasiel Puig, OF Matt Kemp, RHP Tanner Roark, RHP Sonny Gray, SS Jose Iglesias, LHP Zach Duke, OF Derek Dietrich, RHP Matt Bowman, C Kyle Farmer, RHP Odrisamer Despaigne, LHP Ian Krol, C Juan Graterol

             Offseason subtractions: CF Billy Hamilton, RHP Homer Bailey, RHP Matt Harvey, RHP Austin Brice

             Rotation
President Dick Williams added a lot to their rotation, bringing in Alex Wood, Tanner Roark and Sonny Gray in separate trades. Wood has a career 3.29 ERA in six seasons for Atlanta and Los Angeles. Roark has a career 3.59 ERA, including a 2.83 ERA in 210 innings in 2016. Gray has struggled after a trade to the Yankees, but was a a Cy Young finalist in 2015. Anthony DeScalfani wasn\’t that great after returning in 2018 from 2017, when he did not pitch at all. But, he was good for Cincy in 2015-16. Luis Castilo failed to build off an impressive 2017, and took a step back in 2018, but is still the ace of the staff. Tyler Mahle and Sal Romano are still young, and will make starts this year. Mahle could start the season in AAA with Romano in the bullpen.

              Bullpen
The Reds bullpen was surprisingly good in 2018. Closer Raisel Iglesias saved 30 game, with a 2.38 ERA. Another former starter, Amir Garrett, was tied for 11th in the league in holds with 21, arising as a set-up man. Jared Hughes and David Hernandez, both first year Reds in 2018, had a 1.94 and 2.53 ERA, respectively, with Hughes leading the team in appearances with 72. Michael Lorenzen, when not impressing at the plate, had a 3.11 ERA. Romano made 14 relief appearances in 2018. Depending on whether top prospect Nick Senzel makes the team, the Reds will go with 12 or 13 pitchers, with 13 without Senzel. Assuming Senzel starts the season in AAA, righty Matt Wisler and lefties Wandy Peralta and Cody Reed will fight out for the final spot(s).

               Catching
Tucker Barnhart hit a career high 10 home runs in 2018, but his OPS dropped 51 points to .699. Backup Curt Casali impressed at the plate at the end of 2018. Kyle Farmer, acquired from the Dodgers along with Wood and two outfielders we\’ll get to later, will start at AAA and has MLB experience.

                Infield
As Joey Votto hit a career low 12 home runs, he again led the lead with a .417 OBP. His power was seemingly taken by third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who enjoyed career highs in home runs (34), RBIs (104) and batting average (.283). Also having a great season was second baseman Scooter Gennett, whose .847 OPS was higher than Votto\’s, and he hit 23 home runs with a .310 batting average. Speedy shortstop Jose Peraza stole 23 bases. Senzel\’s natural position is third base, but with Suarez under contract, who signed a seven year extension before last season, Senzel moved to second base, which will be free as Gennett is a pending free agent.

                Outfield
Senzel also has been tried out at center field, and that\’s where he\’ll likely spend most his major league time in 2019, if he plays. Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp, acquired in the Wood/Farmer trade, will play the corners. Scott Schebler was hurt by injuries in 2018, hitting just 17 home runs after 30 in 2017. Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin are backup outfielders, and both hit seven home runs in 2018, but Winker\’s batting average (.299) was 47 points higher than Ervin\’s.

                Bench
The bench has already pretty much been described. It\’s Casali as the backup catcher. Ervin and Winker are extra outfielders. The extra spot will either go to Senzel, or more likely utility infielder Alex Blandino, who played in a nice 69 games last year.

                Lineup
SS Jose Peraza
2B Scooter Gennett
1B Joey Votto
3B Eugenio Suarez
RF Yasiel Puig
CF Scott Schebler
LF Matt Kemp
C Tucker Barnhart

                Rotation
Luis Castillo (R)
Alex Wood (L)
Tanner Roark (R)
Sonny Gray (R)
Anthony DeScalfani (R)

                 Bullpen
Raisel Iglesias (R)
Amir Garrett (L)
Jared Hughes (R)
David Hernandez (R)
Michael Lorenzen (R)
Sal Romano (R)
Cody Reed (L)
Wandy Peralta (L)

                  Bench
C Curt Casali
INF Alex Blandino
OF Phillip Ervin
OF Jesse Winker

                 Additional Information
Ballpark: Great American Ball Park
Manager: David Bell
GM: Nick Krall
World Series Championships: 5
2018 record: 67-95

                 Steal of the Decade
When the Reds were in rebuilding mode before the 2016 season, the first big trade came on December 16, 2015, when the team traded fan favorite Todd Frazier, coming off a season where he won the home run derby, to the White Sox in a three team trade. The White Sox sent Micah Johnson, Trayce Thompson and Frankie Montas to the Dodgers, non of which have worked out for them. The Dodgers gave up infielders Brandon Dixon and Jose Peraza, plus outfielder Scott Schebler, to the Reds. All three players played for the Reds in 2018. Dixon left via waivers in the offseason, but hit five home runs in 118 at bats in 2018. Peraza and Schebler are now every day players in Cincy, with Schebler hitting 30 home runs in 2017, and Peraza hit a career high 14 home runs in 2018, and has stole a combined 67 bases in three seasons. While Frazier hit a career high 40 homer runs in his first year in Chicago, his batting average has dropped significantly, and he is now on the Mets, fighting for playing time.

                   Prediction
While it was fun for Reds fans to see the team improve over the offseason, they still play in a very tough NL Central. Heck, if they were in the AL Central, they could win the division. But, back in the AL Central, they will fight with Pittsburgh for the cellar of the division.

Reynaldo Lopez. Photo from USA Today

               Strikeouts, strikeouts, so many strikeouts! That\’s what Chicago White Sox fans would be saying in 2018 every time they were up at bat. Second baseman Yoan Moncada led the MLB with 217 strikeouts, also a franchise record. And the record for the most strikeouts by a team in a season is 1,594, set by the 2018 White Sox. That is one area the White Sox are trying to fix, as their rebuild improves. 2018 will be an interesting season for the southern Chicago team, after going hard in for Manny Machado, but failing hard.

                 Offseason additions: RHP Kelvin Herrera, RHP Alex Colome, 1B Yonder Alonso, RHP Ivan Nova, C James McCann, OF Jon Jay, RHP Ervin Santana, OF Preston Tucker, OF Brandon Guyer

                  Offseason subtractions: RF Avisail Garcia, 3B Matt Davidson, RHP James Shields, C Omar Narvaez, LHP Hector Santiago, LHP Luis Avilan, C Kevan Smith

                  Rotation
Veteran pitcher James Shields led the White Sox in innings pitched last year, but he left for free agency. The team brought in an upgrade, getting Ivan Nova from Pittsburgh. Nova has had an ERA just over 4.00 in his two full seasons with the Pirates. Another season, another injury for Carlos Rodon, who pitched to a 4.18 ERA in 120.2 innings in 2018. The other two pitchers that are definitely going to be in the rotation are products of the Adam Eaton trade, but they had polar opposite 2018s. Reynaldo Lopez was a bright spot, with a 3.91 ERA, and he led the team in WAR at 3.1. Lucas Giolito, the more heralded prospect from that trade, pitched a career high 173.1 innings, but the bad news is that his 6.13 ERA led all qualifiers. But, he was just 23 on a 100 loss team. The fifth spot is up for grabs, with starter/reliever Dylan Covey and veteran Ervin Santana, brought in on a minor league deal, the favorites.

                    Bullpen
The area that saw the most improvement this offseason from Chicago was the bullpen. Alex Colome and Kelvin Herrera were brought in. They both spent the majority of 2017 in a set-up role, but combined for 73 saves in 2017, when Colome led the league with 47. It is uncertain which one will close. Nate Jones and Juan Minaya are the best returning options. Minaya had a breakout 2018, and Jones was again hurt by injuries, pitching in just 30 innings. Jace Fry pitched in 59 games for the team last year. If Covey loses out to Santana, he\’s a bullpen option. The final spot is between righty Ian Hamilton and lefty Aaron Bummer, the latter has more MLB experience.

                   Catching
Despite an 80 game PED suspension in 2018, the Sox have enough confidence in Welington Castillo that they traded young catcher Omar Narvaez for Colome. Castillo struggled when playing in 2018, but was signed after hitting 20 home runs and .282 with Baltimore in 2017. Backup Kevan Smith was picked up off waivers from the Angels, and the team signed former division foe James McCann. He\’s thrown out 37 percent of runners in his career.

                    Infield
The middle infield for Chicago is young and interesting. Yoan Moncada struck out a lot in 2018, but the former number one prospect in baseball still has potential. Tim Anderson became the first White Sox shortstop ever to hit 20 home runs (20) and steal 20 bases (26) in a season. Matt Davidson was non-tendered, leaving third base duties to Yolmer Sanchez, who\’s 2.6 WAR lead Sox position players. Jose Abreu is in the final year of his contract, and the three time 30 home run hitter and four time 100 RBI gatherer will share first base and DH duties with Yonder Alonso, who hit 23 home runs last year for Cleveland.

                     Outfield
One of the top prospects in baseball, Eloy Jimenez will likely start the season in AAA, but will be called up after his service time is delayed. He will then be the starting left fielder. Until then, Nicky Delmonico will play there. Center fielder Adam Engel is very fast and a very good fielder, but can\’t hit. The Sox\’ non-tendered Avisail Garcia, giving right field duties to Daniel Palka. Palka was a D-backs and Twins reject who hit 27 home runs in just 449 Plate Appearances as a 27 year old rookie. Palka\’s 27 bombs was the most by a Sox\’ rookie since Ron Kittle\’s 35 in 1983.

                      DH/Bench
Alonso and Abreu will start most games. One at first base, the other at DH. James McCann is the backup catcher. Utility infielder Jose Rondon hit 18 home runs last year at AAA, but his major league numbers don\’t look good. Leury Garcia can play all three outfield positions, and has played the infield before. Speculation was that Jon Jay was brought in to persuade Manny Machado to come to Chicago (Jay is Machado\’s best friend, and they work out in the offseason with Alonso, Machado\’s brother-in-law), but now he is an extra outfielder.

                       Lineup
SS Tim Anderson
2B Yoan Moncada
1B Jose Abreu
DH Yonder Alonso
RF Daniel Palka
3B Yolmer Sanchez
C Welington Castillo
LF Nicky Delmonico
CF Adam Engel

                        Rotation
Carlos Rodon (L)
Reynaldo Lopez (R)
Ivan Nova (R)
Lucas Giolito (R)
Ervin Santana (R)

                        Bullpen
Alex Colome (R)
Kelvin Herrera (R)
Nate Jones (R)
Juan Minaya (R)
Jace Fry (L)
Dylan Covey (R)
Aaron Bummer (L)

                        Bench
C James McCann
INF Jose Rondon
OF Jon Jay
UT Leury Garcia

                       Additional Information
Ballpark: Guaranteed Rate Field
Manager: Rick Renteria
GM: Rick Hahn
World Championships: 3
2018 record: 62-100

                       Steal of the Decade
I don\’t love to do trades that have an undetermined outcome, but this one already looks like a win for the Sox. On July 13, 2017, the White Sox made a blockbuster deal with their cross-town rivals, the Cubs. The deal sent lefty Jose Quintana north for prospects Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Bryant Flete and Matt Rose. Quintana still can be an impactful pitcher for the Cubs, but his ERA with them is 42 points higher than his career ERA with the White Sox. While neither Flete or Rose are top 30 prospects for the White Sox, Cease and Jimenez can make an impact for the Sox this season. Jimenez and Cease are the Sox\’ 1st and 3rd overall prospects, respectively. They are also the 3rd and 21st overall prospects. The trade could be a flop for the Whit Sox, but right now, it looks really good.

                        Prediction
The White Sox are a young team, inexperienced team. There will be a lot of growing pains for them this year, but they are still better than the Tigers and Royals, and will be competitive again before them. But still, look for the Sox in the 90-100 loss range in 2019. 

Carl Edwards Jr. Photo from NBC

           When the Chicago Cubs first made the playoffs in 2015, they were viewed as the \”new kids on the block\” and they were the first of what would become of the MLB\’s young super teams, followed by Houston, Boston and New York. But, entering their fourth season since, the Cubs have suddenly aged, especially in their rotation. That still won\’t prevent the Cubs from contention in 2019. But, the team lost in game 163, which lost them the division, and the wild card game, which eliminated them. The Cubs are still led by a potent offense and a veteran rotation.

           Offseason additions: UT Daniel Descalso, RHP Brad Brach, RHP Tony Barnette, LHP Xavier Cedeno, RHP Collin Rea, RHP George Kontos, 1B Jim Adduci, INF Cristhian Adames, OF Johnny Field

           Offseason subtractions: 2B Daniel Murphy, RHP Jesse Chavez, INF Tommy La Stella, LHP Justin Wilson, LHP Jorge De La Rosa, LHP Jaime Garcia.

            Rotation
After having his worst career season since 2012 in 2017, Jon Lester rebounded with 32 starts for the fifth straight season, and had a 3.32 ERA. The main concern with him is his strikeout rate, which dropped to 7.4, the worst since that terrible 2012. Kyle Hendricks led the team with 33 starts, and his 3.44 ERA wasn\’t far off of Lester\’s. Jose Quintana\’s ERA in a year and a half with the Cubs is 42 points higher than his ERA with the White Sox, and he wasn\’t worth Eloy Jimenez and more, but is still a serviceable starter for them. Injuries and overall poor performance ruined Yu Darvish\’s inaugural season as a Cub. Cole Hamels is back after the team picked up his $20 million option due to a stellar performance after a trade from Texas. Mike Montgomery could make starts as well.

            Bullpen
Closer Brandon Morrow will miss at least the first month of the season due to arthroscopic surgery, which ended his 2018 early after a 1.47 ERA in 30.2 innings. While Morrow is gone, the closer role could go to a committee. That committee could include free agent signee and ex Orioles closer Brad Brach, set-up man Pedro Strop, workhorse reliever Steve Cishek, who played in 80 games in 2018, and Carl Edwards Jr. Strop and Edwards Jr. had 2.26 and 2.60 ERAs, respectively. despite a terrible contract, Tyler Chatwood would need to make the bullpen, but I wouldn\’t be surprised if he\’s DFA\’d sometime this season if he doesn\’t make the pen. Brandon Kintzler was terrible after a July trade, but is a bounce-back candidate. Starter/reliever Mike Montgomery is another option.Tony Barnette comes from Texas and is a middle relief pitcher. The final spot will go to Chatwood, or lefties Randy Rosario and Brian Duensing.

           Catching
Willson Contreras\’ 2016 cameo and his 2017 season made him look like the future\’s best catcher. But, he took a step back, hitting just 10 home runs, two less than he hit in 2016, in 261 more Plate Appearances. His average also dropped 27 points. He isn\’t the best defensive catcher, either. Victor Caratini is his backup.

            Infield
The infield has always been a strength for Chicago. They have stars all around the diamond. But, the best of them all, Kris Bryant, was hurt by injuries, and hit just 13 home runs with a .272 average when healthy, both career worsts. He will need to rebound if the Cubs want to go anywhere. First baseman Anthony Rizzo\’s home run total dropped to 25 after four seasons in the 31-32 range. His OPS also dropped down to .846. Despite Rizzo and Bryant falling, second baseman/shortstop Javier Baez was the NL MVP runner-up, with a .290 average, .881 OPS, 34 home runs, 101 runs and an NL leading 111 RBIs. Baez will play shortstop while Addison Russell is still serving a 40 game suspension. Utility men Ben Zobrist, Daniel Descalso and Ian Happ all can play second base, but I see Zobrist as the starter, with Descalso as the all-around back-up infielder and Happ as the fourth outfielder. David Bote also is a backup infielder, but might be sent down when Russell returns.

             Outfield
The Cubs\’ outfield isn\’t a perfect thing, but it is coming along. Jason Heyward had a .270/.335/.395 slash line in 2018, his best as a Cub, but not close to his 2015 that attracted the Cubs enough to sign him. Left fielder Kyle Schwarber is a pure power hitter, but struggles elsewhere. CF Albert Almora Jr. can hit for average, but rarely walks, which badly hurts his OBP, and is better suited for the end of a lineup rather than the front. Happ is the 4th outfielder, and Zobrist is the 5th.

               Bench
The Cubs likely will go with a four man bench, that consists of Caratini, the backup catcher, and three multi-position players, which manager Joe Maddon likes to use. Daniel Descalso\’s 13 home runs and .789 OPS in 2018 were career highs in Arizona, even better than his stint playing at Coors Field. You might have heard of David Bote from some clutch hitting he did last regular season, but his overall numbers aren\’t impressive. Ian Happ hasn\’t developed into the player he was projected as, after dropping off after a good 2017 rookie season. He is blocked in the Cubs organization, unless they get rid of Russell.

                  Lineup
RF Jason Heyward
3B Kris Bryant
1B Anthony Rizzo
SS Javier Baez
LF Kyle Schwarber
C Willson Contreras
2B Ben Zobrist
CF Albert Almora Jr.
Pitcher

                    Rotation
Jon Lester (L)
Kyle Hendricks (R)
Cole Hamels (L)
Yu Darvish (R)
Jose Quintana (L)

                     Bullpen
Pedro Strop (R)
Carl Edwards Jr. (R)
Steve Cishek (R)
Brad Brach (R)
Tony Barnette (R)
Mike Montgomery (L)
Brandon Kintzler (R)
Randy Rosario (L)

                       Bench
C Victor Caratini
INF Daniel Descalso
INF David Bote
2B/OF Ian Happ

                       Additional Information
Ballpark: Wrigley Field
Manager: Joe Maddon
GM: Jed Hoyer, Theo Epstein (President)
World Series Championships: 3
2018 record: 95-68

                       Steal of the Decade
This is the trade you think of when you think of the best MLB trades of the 2010s. The trade was on July 2, 2013. The Cubs sent RHP Scott Feldman and C Steve Clevenger to Baltimore for international bonus pool money, and two RHPs, Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop. First of all, Feldman pitched in just 15 starts for Baltimore, with a 4.27 ERA, and is already out of the MLB. So is Clevenger, who wasn\’t very good for Baltimore, but at least they turned him into 47 home run hitter Mark Trumbo. On the other side, Strop is still with the Cubs, and will be their set-up man this season. In six years in the Windy City, Strop has a 2.63 ERA with 19 saves. But the main part of this deal is Arrieta, who was their ace for four seasons, posting a 2.73 ERA with the Cubs. That includes 2015, when he posted a 1.77 ERA in 229 innings, with 236 strikeouts, cruising to a Cy Young victory, before leaving for Philly.

                           Prediction
The Cubs still have a potent offense, led by their infield. On paper, they have one of the best rotations in baseball. But, they also have an old rotation, with four of their five starters recently having bad seasons. Their bullpen isn\’t anything special. These are all reasons why the Cubs will finish third in the NL Central, missing the postseason for the first time since 2014.