CarterHud

     

With a record of 79-82, the Miami Marlins finished 3rd in the NL East, 15.5 GB of the first place Washington Nationals. Midseason, they encountered a tragedy, when ace pitcher Jose Fernandez passed away in a boating accident. After that occurred on September 25, the Marlins spent the rest of the season grieving his death. 2017 is the year the Marlins get passed it, and start to focus mainly on winning. To replace Fernandez on the roster, GM Michael Hill needed to acquire players, mostly pitchers (it would be near impossible to replace Fernandez\’s talents, so Hill needed mostly to stock on many extra pitchers, so Manager Don Mattingly will have many starting options). Let\’s look at what Hill did.

       Key additions: SPs Edinson Volquez, Dan Straily, Jeff Locke, RPs Brad Ziegler, Junichi Tazawa, C A.J. Ellis, 1B Tyler Moore, OFs Brandon Barnes, Matt den Decker.
       Key subtractions: RP Matt Dunn, SP Andrew Cashner, 3B Chris Johnson, C Jeff Mathis.

       Biggest move: The guy who helped the Kansas City Royals win the 2015 WS with his 3.55 ERA in 200.1 IP, Edinson Volquez struggled in 2016 with a 5.37 ERA in 189.1 IP. The Marlins took a chance on him, signing him to a 2 year, $22 million deal. He can be at the top of their rotation in 2017.
        X-factor: If the Marlins want to have a successful 2017 season, they need 2B Dee Gordon. He only had 325 ABs last year after being suspended 80 games for PED use. He did have 30 SBs in that short 2016 that he had. He has 218 career SBs and an average of .289 in 553 games. He\’s a big part of this Marlins team, and he can\’t be doing stupid things like PEDs.
         Biggest bounce back: In 2014 and 2015 (his last years as a Baltimore Oriole), Wei-Yin Chen had an ERA under 3.55 in 185 or more IP. After signing a 5 year, $80 million deal with the fish, Chen had a bad year, with an ERA of 4.96 in 123.1 IP. He\’ll need to step up and pitch like the number one or two guy he was in Baltimore.
         Biggest breakout: You could say he\’s already broken out, but I disagree. 26 year old Kyle Barraclough has had a great start to his MLB career, with a 2.78 ERA in 97 IP over 2 seasons. A great 2017 setting up A.J. Ramos can turn Barraclough into a top set up guy.
         Guaranteed star: Injuries have always been a problem for RF Giancarlo Stanton, but when he\’s healthy, he\’s amazing. Take his 2014 season, for instance. Stanton hit .288, 37 HRs and 105 RBIs in 539 ABs. But the only other year in his career where he had at least 500 ABs was 2011, when they were called the Florida Marlins.
         The Marlins\’ lineup should look like this.

1. 2B: Dee Gordon
2. CF: Christian Yelich
3. RF: Giancarlo Stanton
4. 1B: Justin Bour
5. LF: Marcell Ozuna
6. C: J.T. Realmuto
7. 3B: Martin Prado
8. SS: Adeiny Hechavarria
9. Pitcher
             Their rotation will probably be this.

1. Wei-Yin Chen
2. Edinson Volquez
3. Adam Conley
4. Dan Straily
5. Tom Koehler

              RF Ichiro Suzuki, C A.J. Ellis and 2B Derek Dietrich will be on the bench.
              A.J. Ramos will be their closer, with Kyle Barraclough and Brad Ziegler setting him up.

              Finally, for my prediction, I think the Marlins will improve in 2017, but miss the postseason.

       

With a record of 91-71, the Los Angeles Dodgers finished 1st in the NL West, 4 games ahead of the second place San Francisco Giants. They beat the Washington Nationals in the NLDS, but lost to the WS winning Chicago Cubs in the NLCS. They also received an amazing rookie season from SS Corey Seager, 22, who hit 26 HRs and 72 RBIs in 627 ABs (he hit .308) in 2016. They had some big free agents in Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Rich Hill, and managed to re-sign all for them. GM Farhan Zaidi and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Freidman did some other things in the offseason. Let\’s look at what they did.

         Key additions: 2B Logan Forsythe, RP Sergio Romo, OFs Franklin Gutierrez, Brett Eibner, 1B Ike Davis, SP Brandon Morrow.
         Key subtractions: OF Josh Reddick, 2B Howie Kendrick, SPs Jose De Leon, Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson, RPs Jesse Chavez, J.P. Howell, Louis Coleman, Casey Fien.

         Biggest move: The Dodgers made a big trade, acquiring a solid 2B in Logan Forsythe from the Tampa Bay Rays for a big pitching prospect in Jose De Leon. Forsythe set a career high in HRs (20) last season. He\’s hit .281 as a career high, and 68 RBIs as another one. He\’s a good, not great hitter, but a good fielder as well.
          X-factor: After re-signing to a 3 year, $48 million deal, SP Rich Hill is looking to prove he\’s worth that money. He might be 37, but he\’s rejuvenated his career. He had an ERA of 2.12 in 110.1 IP between 2 teams in 2016. He\’s a key part of that rotation, especially if a starter goes down.
          Biggest bounce back: after signing a 3 year, $48 million deal (same as Hill) last offseason, SP Scott Kazmir was a little disappointing in 2016. He had an ERA of 4.56 in 136.1 IP, after having an ERA of 3.10 in 183 innings with two teams the year before. Expect Kazmir to bounce back in 2017.
          Biggest breakout: Now 20 years old, SP Julio Urias had an ERA of 3.39 in 77 IP in 2016, his first taste of the MLB. He should play the entire year in a rotation spot in 2017. Expect him to really breakout.
           Guaranteed star: He\’s the best pitcher in baseball. He had an ERA of 1.69 in 149 IP. In 1760 career IP, he has an ERA of 2.37, and 1918 Ks. He had 301 Ks in 2015. Yep, you guessed it. I\’m talking about 3 time Cy Young winner, 1 time MVP winner and 6 time all-star Clayton Kershaw.
            The Dodgers lineup should look like this.

1. LF: Andrew Toles
2. 2B: Logan Forsythe
3. SS: Corey Seager
4. 1B: Adrian Gonzalez
5. 3B: Justin Turner
6. RF: Yasiel Puig
7. C: Yasmani Grandal
8. CF: Joc Peterson
9. Pitcher
              Their rotation will probably be this.

1. Clayton Kershaw
2. Kenta Maeda
3. Rich Hill
4. Scott Kazmir
5. Julio Urias

               OFs Franklin Gutierrez and Andre Either, 2B Chase Utley and C Austin Barnes will be on the bench.
               Kenley Jansen will be their closer, with Sergio Romo and Chris Hatcher setting him up.

               Finally, for my prediction, I think the Dodgers will once again win the NL West, and be in contention with the Cubs again for the NL Pennant.

    

   With a record of 74-88, the Los Angeles Angels finished 4th in the AL West, 21 GB of the first place Texas Rangers. CF Mike Trout won the MVP again. But the rest of the squad dropped off. GM Billy Eppler looked to have a big offseason. Let\’s look at what Eppler did.

         Key additions: OFs Cameron Maybin, Ben Revere, 2Bs Danny Espinosa, Dustin Ackley, 3B Luis Valbuena, C Martin Maldonado, SPs Bud Norris, Vicente Campos, Manny Banuelos, John Lamb, RPs Jesse Chavez, Kirby Yates, Blake Parker, Yusmeiro Petit.
         Key subtractions: 2B Johnny Giavotella, SP Jered Weaver, RPs Jhoulys Chacin, Cory Rasmus, Brett Oberholtzer, C Jett Bandy, 2B Gregorio Petit, OF Rafael Ortega, C Geovany Soto, 1B Ji-Man Choi.

         Biggest move: Despite making many moves, the Angels didn\’t do anything major. Their biggest move was also one of their firsts, acquiring OF Cameron Maybin from the Detroit Tigers for minor league pitcher Victor Alcantara. Maybin looks to be the Angels\’ starting LF, but it still doesn\’t make this trade anywhere near a blockbuster.
         X-factor: SP Garrett Richards had an ERA of 2.34 in 2016, but only pitched 34.2 innings. The Angels rotation looks a little weak, compared to other rotations. Richards will be their ace in 2017, but they\’ll need him to recover well from the injury.
         Biggest bounce back: Ricky Nolasco had a 5.13 ERA in 124.2 IP for the Minnesota Twins in 2016. A midseason trade to the Angels changed things. Nolasco had an ERA of 3.21 in 73 IP, finishing with a 4.42 ERA in 197.2 IP. But in both 2015 and 2014 he had ERAs over 5 and 6. A solid 2017 can show that he\’s really turned around.
         Biggest breakout: When you back up Jonathan Lucroy, it\’s hard to get playing time. That\’s what happened to C Martin Maldonado in Milwaukee. Lucroy was traded to Texas, but Maldonado didn\’t really shine. They traded him to the Angels for C Jett Bandy. 30 is a little old to breakout, but Maldonado can do it with a starting job.
         Guaranteed star: He\’s the face of the MLB. In his AL MVP winning 2016 season, he stole 30 bases, along with 29 HRs and exactly 100 RBIs. He also hit .315. Yep, you guessed it. I\’m talking about CF Mike Trout. Here\’s some career numbers: 168 HRs, 497 RBIs, 143 SBs, and a .306 average. Did I mention he\’s only 25 years old?
         The Angels\’ starting lineup should look like this.

1. RF: Kole Calhoun
2. CF: Mike Trout
3. DH: Albert Pujols
4. 1B: C.J. Cron
5. 3B: Yunel Escobar
6. SS: Andrelton Simmons
7. LF: Cameron Maybin
8. 2B: Danny Espinosa
9. C: Martin Maldonado
            Their rotation will probably be this.

1. Garrett Richards
2. Matt Shoemaker
3. Andrew Heaney
4. Tyler Skaggs
5. Ricky Nolasco

             C Carlos Perez, 3B Luis Valbuena and CF Ben Revere will be on the bench.
             Huston Street will be their closer, with Mike Morin and Jesse Chavez setting him up.
     
             Finally, for my prediction, I think the Angels will once again be a bottom team, and sell some players at the trade deadline (no, not Trout).

       With a record of 81-81, the Kansas City Royals finished 3rd in the AL Central, 13.5 GB of the first place Cleveland Indians. Since their 2015 World Series win, the Royals have really dropped off. They have some players entering their walk years, including 1B Eric Hosmer. The Royals suffered a huge loss in the offseason, when SP Yordano \”Ace\” Ventura passed away in a car crash. To rebound from that death, GM Dayton Moore made some moves. Let\’s look at what Moore did.

        Key additions: OFs Jorge Soler, Brandon Moss, Peter O\’Brien, SPs Jason Hammel, Travis Wood, Nathan Karns, RPs Al Alburquerque, Seth Manness, Bobby Parnell, Brandon League, Chris Withrow, 3B Gavin Cecchini.
         Key subtractions: SP Yordano Ventura (death), RP Wade Davis, SPs Edinson Volquez, Dillon Gee, DH Kendrys Morales, OF Jarrod Dyson.
            

         Biggest move: The Royals signed two SPs in Travis Wood and Jason Hammel to replace Ventura. But the real biggest move was sending closer Wade Davis to the Cubs for outfielder Jorge Soler. Soler didn\’t get a real starting job in Chicago, something he\’ll get in Kansas City. Expect a breakout season for the OF.
         X-factor: Without Ventura, the Royals will need SP Danny Duffy to step up and be their ace. He set a career high in Ks (188) in 2016. He can reach 200 IP for the first time in his career, and have an ERA under 4 in 2017.
          Biggest bounce back: After breaking out in 2014, SS Alcides Escobar has had weaker years in 2015 and 2016. In 2014, he racked up 31 SBs. He had 17 in both 2015 and 2016. The only real positive that came out of 2016 was that he set career highs in HRs (7) and RBIs (55). Escobar should get back on track in 2017.
           Biggest breakout: Like I mentioned in the biggest move, Jorge Soler should breakout in 2017. His career highs in Abs (366), HRs (12) and RBIs (47) aren\’t impressive. With a full time job in 2017, Soler can hit at least 15 HRs and 50 RBIs for the first time.
           Guaranteed star: The Royals don\’t have that MVP or Cy Young winner like their rivals the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians do, but CF Lorenzo Cain is a solid player. His best season was 2015, where he recorded an average of .307, 16 HRs and 72 RBIs, not to mention 28 SBs. He slightly dropped off in 2016, but he\’s still good. he\’s also a top 5 fielder in the game.
            The Royals lineup should look like this.

1. SS: Alcides Escobar
2. CF: Lorenzo Cain
3. 1B: Eric Hosmer
4. 3B: Mike Moustakas
5. C: Salvador Perez
6. LF: Alex Gordon
7. DH: Jorge Soler
8. RF: Brandon Moss
9. 2B: Whit Merrifield
                Their rotation will probably be this.

1. Danny Duffy
2. Ian Kennedy
3. Jason Hammel
4. Jason Vargas
5. Travis Wood

                  OF Paulo Orlando, 3B Cheslor Cuthbert, C Drew Butera and 2B Christian Colon will be on the bench.
                  Kelvin Herrera will be their closer, with Joakim Soria and Matt Strahm setting him up.

                  Finally, for my prediction, I think the Kansas City Royals will once again finish 3rd in the AL Central with a record around .500.

  
With a record of 84-78, the Houston Astros finished 3rd in the AL West, 11 GB of the first place Texas Rangers. They also missed the playoffs. Last season was a little disappointing considering the year before SS Carlos Correa won AL ROY, but positives came out of 2016. 3B Alex Bregman had a solid rookie season, and MVP caliber 2B Jose Altuve had a power breakout. GM Jeff Luhnow made some moves, making Houston an offseason winner. Let\’s look at what Luhnow did.

        Key additions: C Brian McCann, OFs Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick, Nori Aoki, SP Charlie Morton.
        Key subtractions: OF Colby Rasmus, C Jason Castro, 3B Luis Valbuena, SP Doug Fister, RP Pat Neshek.

       Biggest move: The Astros had a couple decent moves this offseason. They signed OFs Josh Reddick and Carlos Beltran. But the biggest move they made in my opinion was filling their need for a catcher, by trading two pitching prospects to the New York Yankees for Brian McCann. McCann has hit at least 20 homers in each of the last 9 seasons. He has been named to 7 all-star games, and has won 6 silver sluggers in both the American and National league.
        X-factor: After winning the Cy Young in 2015, a bad season for ace Dallas Keuchel had the Astros in talks with the White Sox for SP Jose Quintana. In 2016, he had an ERA of 4.55 in 168 innings. He\’s a big part of this Astros roster, and there\’s no denying it.
        Biggest bounce back: In both 2014 and 2015, RP Ken Giles had an ERA of 1.80 or less for the Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros liked what he did, and traded young pitchers Vincent Velasquez and Mark Appel plus others for the now 26 year old. Giles underperformed, with a 4.11 ERA in 65.2 IP. They\’ll need him to bounce back.
        Biggest breakout: In 201 ABs to start his MLB career off (all in 2016), 3B Alex Bregman hit .264 and 8 HRs. 2017 will be his first full MLB season, and he can really breakout. He turns 23 a couple days before opening day as well.
         Guaranteed star: In every full MLB season, 2B Jose Altuve stole at least 30 bases, including a whopping 56 in 2014. He has also hit over .290 4 times. His biggest flaw was power. In 2015, he hit career highs with 15 HRs and 66 RBIs. In 2016, he really broke out. His HR and RBI career highs increased to 24 and 96. He also hit .338, another career high. He might be just 5\’6\’\’, but Altuve is still great.
           The Astros lineup should look like this.

1. 2B: Jose Altuve
2. 3B: Alex Bregman
3. SS: Carlos Correa
4. CF: George Springer
5. RF: Carlos Beltran
6. C: Brian McCann
7. DH: Evan Gattis
8. LF: Josh Reddick
9. 1B: Yuli Gurriel
               Their rotation will probably be this.

1. Dallas Keuchel
2. Collin McHugh
3. Lance McCullers
4. Mike Fiers
5. Charlie Morton

                 LF Nori Aoki, 1B Marwin Gonzalez and 1B A.J. Reed will be on the bench.
                 Ken Giles will be their closer, with Luke Gregerson and Will Harris setting him up.

                 For my prediction, I think the Astros will perform better in 2017, and contend for the wild card, but miss the playoffs by no further than 4 games.