CarterHud

           With the city of Houston destructed from Hurricane Harvey, the Houston Astros played upon themselves, and won the 2017 World Series, with some help from their 101-61 record, plus their playoff victories over the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Stros didn\’t need to do too much in the offseason, but let\’s take a look at what they did.

           Notable additions: RHP Gerrit Cole, RHP Hector Rondon, RHP Joe Smith.

           Notable subtractions: DH Carlos Beltran, 3B Colin Moran, RHP Luke Gregerson, RHP Mike Fiers, RHP Michael Feliz, RHP Joe Musgrove, LHP Fransisco Liriano, RHP Tyler Clippard.

            What they did well: They fleeced the Pirates in the Cole trade (they gave up Moran, Musgrove, Feliz and Jason Martin), even though Cole is overrated. That\’s really all they did.

              What they did bad: They have a really bad bullpen for a playoff team, and it didn\’t get that much better. They needed bullpen help, not rotation help.

              Sneaky sleeper: Chris Devenski had yet another great season, striking out 100 batters in 80.2 innings. In his two year career, Devenski has a 2.38 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 189 innings. He\’s their best reliever, but not that many people know about him.

                Incoming outbreak: Derek Fisher deserves more attention. Stuck behind Marwin Gonzalez and Josh Reddick, the Astros\’ best prospect has no where to go but the bench. Fisher didn\’t play that much in 2017, but struggled when he played. Give him more time, or trade him.

                 Unsuspected slump: Even though he had a good regular season, with a 2.30 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 62.2 innings, Ken Giles was horrible in the postseason, allowing 10 runs in 7.2 innings. With the rise of Devenski, it doesn\’t like like Giles is their reliever anymore.

                  Blue-chip Bopper. 2017 AL MVP Jose Altuve led the league in batting average for the third time, with a .346 mark. He also led the league in hits for the 4th consecutive time, with 204. He is almost guaranteed to steal thirty bases, and now that his power is coming along, Altuve is finally a five tool player.

                   Astounding ace: Even though Justin Verlander was the best player in the postseason, Dallas Keuchel is still their ace. Keuchel had a 2.90 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP in 145.2 innings. It\’s not really that close between Keuchel and Verlander.

                  Here is the Astros\’ projected roster, starting with their lineup.

 CF George Springer (R)
 2B Jose Altuve (R)
 SS Carlos Correa (R)
 DH Evan Gattis (R)
 LF Marwin Gonzalez (S)
 RF Josh Reddick (L)
 3B Alex Bregman (R)
 C Brian McCann (L)
 1B Yuli Gurriel (R) (when returning from suspension)

  Here is their rotation.

 LHP Dallas Keuchel
 RHP Justin Verlander
 RHP Lance McCullers
 RHP Gerrit Cole
 RHP Charlie Morton

 Ken Giles (R) is their closer, with Chris Devenski (R), Will Harris (R), Hector Rondon (R), Joe Smith (R), Tony Sipp (L), Brad Peacock (R) and Collin McHugh (R) in the bullpen as well.

 C Max Stassi (R), 2B Tony Kemp (L), OF Derek Fisher (L) and OF Jake Marisnick (R) are on the bench.

 Finally, for my prediction, I think the Astros, who are still a very good team, will make the playoffs in 2018.

          In a tanking season, the Detroit Tigers successfully landed the first overall draft pick, by finishing worst in the league with a 64-98 record. That included J.D. Martinez being traded, plus Justin Verlander, Justin Upton, Alex Avila and Justin Wilson. With more rebuilding to go, let\’s take a look at the Tigers\’ most recent offseason.

           Notable additions: OF Leonys Martin, LHP Fransisco Liriano, RHP Mike Fiers, INF Alexi Amarista, SS Pete Kozma, C Derek Norris, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, RHP Johnny Barbato.

            Notable subtractions: 2B Ian Kinsler, RHP Anibal Sanchez, U Andrew Romine, RHP Bruce Rondon, OF Alex Presley, OF Tyler Collins.

             What they did well: It was a very quiet offseason for the Tigers. And by quiet, I mean not too good. Amarista is a very underrated signing, so there\’s that. They were at least able to trade Kinsler.

             What they did bad: They could have gotten more for Kinsler, but that\’s about it.

              Sneaky sleeper: Though he didn\’t play too much in 2017, Mikie Mahtook was good in his 348 ABs, hitting 12 homers and a solid .276 batting average. If Mahtook can get the starting left field or center field spot, he can finally get enough time.

                Unsuspected slump: Irregular heartbeats and the second lowest batting average of his 16 year career showed that at age 39, Victor Martinez is just a shade of his old self. He hit just 10 bombs, his lowest since 2008, when he wasn\’t that much of a power hitter. He can\’t run, he can\’t play the field, if his hitting game stops, that it might be all said and done for Martinez\’s career.

                 Incoming outbreak: The main return of the Avila/Wilson trade, Jeimer Candelario was solid in his short time o Detroit last season, going 31 for 94, for a .330 batting average. With a secured starting third base position, expect more from Candelario in 2018.

                 Blue-chip Bopper: Despite his worst season of his career, Miguel Cabrera is still the best player on this team. They might decide to trade him, and I\’m surprised he wasn\’t dealt. He hit just .249 and slugged a low 16 homers in 469 At Bats. But, on a lowly team, he\’s the best player.

                 Astounding ace: Despite not having as good a season as his rookie year, 24 year old Michael Fulmer escaped trade rumors in the offseason. His 3.83 ERA was still pretty good, and even though he has a low strikeout rate, he still limited opponents to a .243 batting average as a starter. Still very effective.

                Here is the Tigers\’ projected roster, starting with their lineup.

 SS Jose Iglesias (R)
 RF Nick Castellanos (R)
 1B Miguel Cabrera (R)
 DH Victor Martinez (S)
 C James McCann (R)
 3B Jeimer Candelario (S)
 LF Mikie Mahtook (R)
 CF Leonys Martin (L)
 2B Alexi Amarista (L)

          Here\’s their rotation.

 RHP Michael Fulmer
 RHP Jordan Zimmerman
 LHP Matt Boyd
 LHP Daniel Norris
 LHP Fransisco Liriano

   Shane Greene (R) is their closer, with Alex Wilson (R), Daniel Stumpf (L), Mike Fiers (R), Buck Farmer (R), Joe Jimenez (R) and Blaine Hardy (L) in the bullpen.

   C John Hicks (R), INF Dixon Machado (R) and OF JaCoby Jones are on the bench.

   Finally, for my prediction, I think the Tigers, a rebuilding team, will not make the playoffs in 2018.

                 Behind MVP candidates Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon, the Colorado Rockies finished 3rd in the NL West, with a 87-75 record, and that was good enough for the 2nd wild card spot in the National League, though they lost in the wild card game to the Arizona Diamondbacks. With star closer Greg Holland facing free agency, the Rockies had some moves to make. Let\’s take a look at what they did this offseason.

                  Notable additions: RHP Wade Davis, RHP Bryan Shaw, C Chris Iannetta, SS Shawn O\’Malley.

                  Notable subtractions: RHP Greg Holland, RHP Tyler Chatwood, 1B Mark Reynolds, OF Carlos Gonzalez, C Jonathan Lucroy, C Ryan Hanigan, INF Alexi Amarista, RHP Jordan Lyles, RHP Pat Neshek.

                    What they did well: They replaced Holland and Neshek with Davis and Shaw, who are arguably better. That\’s about it, as it wasn\’t a very good offseason.

                    What they did bad: Holland and Reynolds were very surprising for them in 2017, but weren\’t signed, and still aren\’t to this day. They didn\’t re-sign any of their pending free agents, besides Jake McGee. It wasn\’t too good of an offseason for them.

                     Sneaky sleeper: At just age 22, German Marquez lead the Rockies in innings pitched, with 162, just barely qualifying for stats. He also was a pretty good player, with a 4.39 ERA and 147 strikeouts.

                      Incoming outbreak: With Carlos Gonzalez, the Rockies long-time right fielder, gone, there will be a new guy in right. That could be 23 year old Raimel Tapia, who hit .288 and stole 5 bases in 171 Plate Appearances in 2017. 2018 could be Tapia\’s year.

                      Unsuspected slump: After a surprising rookie 2016 season, Trevor Story fell in 2017, leading the league in strikeouts, with 191. He also hit .239. It was a very rough campaign for the now 25 year old.

                      Blue-chip Bopper: After the 2017 season ended, I knew who should have won the MVP in the National League. That was Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. Arenado lost to Joey Votto and Giancarlo Stanton (go Yankees!), but I would\’ve given him a first place vote. Arenado reached the 130 RBI mark for the third consecutive season, and hit .309. He also smashed 37 HRs. Will the league\’s best fielding and hitting third baseman please report? Oh, hi Nolan Arenado (this is getting weird).

                       Astounding ace: Their best pitcher, and new acquisition Wade Davis should go here, and I know he\’s their best pitcher. But, I\’m going to go with Jon Gray instead. Gray battled injuries in 2017, and pitched just 110.1 innings, but had a 3.67 ERA in that time. He also struck out 112 batters. He\’s one of the most underrated aces in the league, mainly because he\’d be a second or third at best on most other teams.

                         Here is the Rockies projected roster, starting with their lineup.

 CF Charlie Blackmon (L)
 2B D.J. LeMahieu (R)
 3B Nolan Arenado (R)
 SS Trevor Story (R)
 1B Ian Desmond (R)
 LF David Dahl (L)
 C Tony Wolters (L)
 RF Raimel Tapia (L)
 Pitcher

  Here is their rotation.

 RHP Jon Gray
 RHP German Marquez
 LHP Kyle Freeland
 RHP Antonio Senzatela
 RHP Chad Bettis
 LHP Tyler Anderson

 Wade Davis (R) is their closer, with Jake McGee (L), Bryan Shaw (R), Scott Oberg (R), Mike Dunn (L), Adam Ottavino (R), Carlos Estevez (R) and Chris Rusin (L) in the bullpen as well.

 C Chris Iannetta (R), INF Pat Valaika (R), OF Gerardo Parra (L) and C Tom Murphy (R) are on the bench.

 Finally, for my prediction, I think the Rockies, a very, very good team, will miss the playoffs in 2018.

         In a season that was highlighted by a 22 game winning streak, the Cleveland Indians finished first in the Al Central, first in the American league and second in the MLB with a record of 102-60. The second place Minnesota Twins made the playoffs, but were 17 games back of the Tribe! The Indians were upset in the ALDS by the New York Yankees. But, with Carlos Santana and others facing free agency, the Indians had to make some moves. Let\’s take a look at what they did this offseason.

          Notable additions: 1B Yonder Alonso, 2B Rob Refsnyder, 1B Mike Napoli, OF Rajai Davis, RHP Matt Belisle, OF Melvin Upton Jr., OF Brandon Barnes, C Ryan Hanigan. RHP Carlos Torres, RHP Neil Ramirez, LHP Adam Wilk.

          Notable subtractions: 1B Carlos Santana, RF Jay Bruce, OF Austin Jackson, LHP Boone Logan, RHP Joe Smith. LHP Kyle Crockett.

          What they did well: They added some okay outfielders in Davis and Upton to minor league deals, plus Belisle, last year\’s Twins closer.

          What they did bad: They didn\’t upgrade at first with the loss of Santana. With Eric Hosmer being the only other first baseman better than Santana out there, it was hard to do. Alonso could be their first baseman or backup.

           Sneaky Sleeper: With Jose Ramirez officially graduating from sleeper school, it\’s time for another player to go here. That will be Nick Goody, who was pretty good-ee in 2017. Goody had a 2.80 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 54.1 innings. Opponents hit just .198 against him. Unless you are an Indians fan, or a Yankees fan like me (Goody was mediocre in 34.2 innings with the Yanks), you might not have heard of Goody. But, he is pretty Goody.

             Incoming outbreak: Baseball\’s top catching prospect, Fransisco Mejia was a September call-up, and went two-for-13. He could get the starting catching job, if he can beat out Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez. Mejia will get it, I\’m sure of it.

             Unsuspected slump: With another year with an ERA over 4.00, Trevor Bauer failed to breakout again. At age 27, I don\’t think he\’ll be anything better than a 4th starter in his career.

              Blue-chip Bopper: In my opinion, Mr. Smile, Fransisco Lindor is baseball\’s best shortstop. In 2017, his OBP dropped from .358 in 2016 to .337, but he hit 33 homers after hitting 15 the season before. Thus, his slugging percentage rose 70 points, up to .505. Expect another great year from Lindor.

               Astounding ace: the AL Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber was insane in his second Cy Young winning year. He had a 2.25 ERA with 265 strikeouts in 203.2 innings. Opponents hit just .193 against him, And he walked just 36 batters. He also reached 18 wins for the third time in his career.

               Here is the Indians projected roster, starting with their lineup.

 CF Bradley Zimmer (L)
 3B Jose Ramirez (S)
 SS Fransisco Lindor (S)
 DH Edwin Encarnacion (R)
 2B Jason Kipnis (L)
 LF Michael Brantley (L)
 1B Yonder Alonso (L)
 C Fransisco Mejia (S)
 RF Lonnie Chisenhall (L)

       Here\’s their rotation.

 RHP Corey Kluber
 RHP Carlos Carrasco
 RHP Danny Salazar
 RHP Trevor Bauer
 RHP Mike Clevinger

  Cody Allen (R) is their closer, with Andrew Miller (L), Nick Goody (R), Tyler Olsen (L), Matt Belisle (R), Zach McAllister (R), Josh Tomlin (R) and Dan Otero (R) in the bullpen as well.

  1B Mike Napoli (R), C Yan Gomes (R), 3B Giovanny Urshela (R), OF Tyler Naquin (L), and OF Brandon Guyer (R) are on the bench.

 Finally, for my prediction, the Indians, a really good team in a really bad division, willl make the playoffs in 2018.

        
           When people think about consistency in the NHL, they might think of scoring 20 goals in consecutive years. Well, then that will leave New York Islanders center Brock Nelson as pretty consistent. The 26 year old Warroad, Minnesota native has scored 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points in 67 games in 2017-18. From 2014-15 to 2016-17, Nelson has scored at least 20 goals in each season, with 66 goals combined. In his NHL career, the 30th pick in the 2010 draft has scored 95 goals and 85 assists for 180 points in 383 games. At his teammate Anders\’ Lee\’s kan jam, I was able to talk to Brock about his season, the team and more.

           Carter LaCorte (me): In a season where there have been some tough times for you, you now are on a much needed hot streak (he was at the time). Why do you think you\’ve been playing much better lately?

           Brock Nelson: I think our line has been pretty good with [Andrew] Ladd and [Tanner] Fritz. We just try to play fast and score some goals.

           CL: The team has been very good on offense, but has struggled on defense. How can the forwards help prevent more goals from scoring?

            BN: That\’s a big focus for us. It starts with everybody going back and play hard in the D-zone. We need to give our goaltender some help. If we can do that, it\’ll lead to more offense.

            CL: What is it like being back at Anders\’ second kan jam?

            BN: It\’s a great event. It\’s for a great cause, we can interact with some fans. He\’s raised over $200, 000 in his two years. It for a great cause.

            CL: If the NHL expanded to Seattle, and you could name the team, what would you name it?

             BN: I\’d have to go to the drawing board to get a couple of ideas.

            CL: Who has the biggest personality on the team?

            BN: I\’d say Jason Chimera.