CarterHud

           Entering 2019, the Indians were the favorites for the AL Central title. They saw the Twins surprise them, and run away with the division. The Indians were forced to settle with a wild card berth, except they missed the playoffs entirely. The Indians finished three games back of the Rays, and four back of the A\’s for both spots. The Indians traded away Trevor Bauer at the deadline, and two time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber in the offseason. Superstar Francisco Lindor is a free agent in two seasons, and the Indians seem more likely to trade him than pay him. Things in Cleveland can blow up very fast.

           Offseason additions: IF Cesar Hernandez, OF Domingo Santana, OF Delino DeShields Jr., RHP Emmanuel Clase, C Sandy Leon, RHP Dominic Leone, C Cameron Rupp.

           Offseason subtractions: RHP Corey Kluber, OF Yasiel Puig, RHP Tyler Clippard, 2B Jason Kipnis, OF Leonys Martin, C Kevin Plawecki, LHP Tyler Olson, RHP Dan Otero, RHP Nick Goody, RHP AJ Cole.

           Rotation
Mike Clevinger has a partially torn meniscus, and his availability by Opening Day is in question. Clevinger missed the beginning of 2019, but he dominated when he returned. He struck out 169 batters in 126 innings with a 2.71 ERA. His 1.056 WHIP and 2.49 FIP were career highs. Shane Bieber broke out in his second season, winning all-star MVP, and finishing 4th in AL Cy Young voting. He struck out 259 batters in 214.1 innings with a 3.28 ERA. His 1.7 BB/9 was the best in the league. Carlos Carrasco had an emotional return from leukemia in September. He acted mainly as a reliever after his absence. He will be a starter again in 2020. Even though he had a bloated 5.29 ERA, he still had a 10.8 K/9, tying his previous career high. Zach Plesac debuted with a 3.81 ERA in 115.2 innings. His 6.8 K/9 was low, but he had a very good 7.9 H/9. Aaron Civale\’s debut was only 10 starts, but he had a 2.34 ERA. He also is not a strikeout pitcher, with a 7.2 K/9. He had a 6.9 hits per nine ratio. Swingman Adam Plutko was mainly a starter last year. He had a 4.86 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 109.1 innings.

            Bullpen
On June 20, closer Brad Hand had an ERA of 0.86. He struggled the rest of the year, ending with a 3.30 ERA. That was his highest ERA since he was a Marlins swingman in 2015. He struck out 84 batters with a career high 34 saves in 57.1 innings. Nick Wittgren\’s first year with the Indians was very good, with a 2.81 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 57.2 innings with four saves. James Karinchak had a 2.67 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 30.1 MiLB innings, for a whopping 22 K/9. However, he still had a 5 BB/9. He was a September call-up, striking out eight in 5.1 innings, allowing one run. Submariner Adam Cimber\’s first full season in Cleveland did not go well. He had a 4.45 ERA with a 6.5 K/9 and 8.9 H/9. He pitched in just 58.2 innings despite playing 68 games. He will be one of the few right handers affected by the three batter limit rule. Another player affected by the rule will be lefty Oliver Perez. He had a 1.39 ERA in 2018, but regressed with a 3.98 ERA in 2019. He struck out 48 batters in 40.2 innings over 67 games. Emmanuel Clase came over in the Corey Kluber trade. He will miss the first month of the year with a back strain. He possesses a 102 miles per hour fastball. Hunter Wood came over from the Rays midseason. He had a 2.98 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 45.1 innings combined. The final two spots are up in the air. Plutko can get one as a swingman when Clevinger returns. That would leave Logan Allen, Phil Maton and James Hoyt up for the final spot. They combined to play in just 18 games for the Indians last year. A former top prospect for the Padres, Allen is a lefty starter that would move to the pen. Acquired midseason for Trevor Bauer, Allen played in one game in Cleveland, striking out three in 2.1 innings, not allowing a run. Maton and Hoyt are standard relievers. Maton had a 2.92 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 12.1 innings, while Hoyt had a 2.16 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 8.1 innings.

               Catchers
Roberto Perez had a big breakout year in his first season as a full-time starter. He hit 24 home runs, crushing his previous career high by 16. He also had a .774 OPS, and won his first career Gold Glove. Sandy Leon hit .310 with an .845 OPS for the Red Sox in 2016, but has regressed offensively since. He hit five home runs with a .192 average and .548 OPS in his last of five seasons in Boston. The Indians acquired Leon in a trade, but not for former backup Kevin Plawecki, who signed in Boston.

               Infielders
The Indians will have something that is very, very rare. They will have an all switch hitting infield, not including a backup. In his return to Cleveland Carlos Santana tied his career high in home runs with 34, while walking 108 times with a .281 average and .911 OPS. He won a Silver Slugger and was 16th in MVP voting. The Indians signed Cesar Hernandez after the Phillies non-tendered him. He has hit for power, average and has stolen bases, but not all at the same time. He stole 15+ stolen bases a season from 2015-2018, but stole just nine in 2019. He hit .294 in both 2016 and 2017, but that lowered to .279 in 2019. He hit 14 home runs, one off of his career high 15 set in 2018. Superstar Francisco Lindor won his second Gold Glove. He finished 15th in MVP voting, which was actually his worst ranking since he didn\’t receive a vote in his rookie season. \”Mr Smile\” hit 32 home runs with 22 stolen bases with a .284 average and an .854 OPS. He has two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers, but he has never won both of them in the same year. Jose Ramirez finished third in MVP voting in 2017 and 2018. He started off slow, with a .198 average and a .586 OPS on June 12. He went on a tear in the second half, finishing with 23 home runs and 24 stolen bases. His .806 OPS might seem low, but it is a huge improvement. While outfield auditions will go on, the Indians will likely carry just one backup infielder. That will likely be former top prospect Christian Arroyo, acquired from Tampa Bay in the same midseason trade as Hunter Wood. Arroyo has played in just 70 career games, with six home runs, a .215 average and a .622 OPS. He did not play for the Indians after the trade.

                Outfielders
The Indians are without three clear candidates for an outfield spot. The only lock to start is Oscar Mercado. The now 25-year-old center fielder played in 115 games, hitting 15 home runs and stealing 15 bases with a .269 average and .761 OPS. He finished 8th in Rookie of the Year voting. Domingo Santana hit 30 home runs in 2017 before regressing in 2018. He was traded to Seattle for last year. He hit 21 home runs with a .770 OPS and 108 OPS+. Tyler Naquin will make it close to Opening Day after tearing his ACL late last year. He hit 10 homers with a .288 average and a .792 OPS in 89 games. Jordan Luplow had a good first season in Cleveland. He hit 15 home runs with a .923 OPS in 85 games. If Naquin is healthy then either Jake Bauers or Delino DeShields Jr. will lose their roster spot. Coming over for Kluber, DeShields is a great fielder with 106 stolen bases in 539 career games. However, he also has a career OPS of .668. Bauers hit 12 home runs last year, but struck out 115 times and had a .683 OPS. Greg Allen and Bradley Zimmer have outside chances at a spot. Allen is a speedy outfielder who stole 21 bases in 91 games in 2018. However, he is also a bad hitter, like DeShields. A former first rounder, Zimmer has a .652 OPS in 144 career games. Franmil Reyes will likely be regulated to DHing duties. He hit 37 home runs for the Indians and Padres last year, with an .822 OPS.

                 Projected Opening Day Lineup
CF Oscar Mercado (R)
SS Francisco Lindor (S)
3B Jose Ramirez (S)
1B Carlos Santana (S)
DH Franmil Reyes (R)
RF Domingo Santana (R)
2B Cesar Hernandez (S)
C Roberto Perez (R)
LF Jordan Luplow (R)

                  Projected Rotation
Mike Clevinger (R)
Shane Bieber (R)
Carlos Carrasco (R)
Zach Plesac (R)
Aaron Civale (R)

                  Projected Bullpen
Brad Hand, closer (L)
Nick Wittgren (R)
James Karinchak (R)
Oliver Perez (L)
Adam Cimber (R)
Hunter Wood (R)
Adam Plutko (R)
Phil Maton (R)

                  Projected Bench
C Sandy Leon (S)
IF Christian Arroyo (R)
OF Tyler Naquin (L)
OF Delino Deshields Jr. (R)

                   Prediction
The Indians are regressing. They can still develop pitchers, and while Terry Francona is a great manager, the ownership is still cutting salary. They traded away Kluber for no impact pieces, and the Bauer trade hurts too, even if it got them Reyes. I predict that the Indians will finish 3rd in the AL Central, missing the playoffs.

         Yesterday\’s season preview was the new and improved White Sox. However, no team improved more than the Reds this offseason. They dished out big deals to improve their lineup and pitching staff. Playing in a tough NL Central, it will not be easy for the Reds to jump up in the standings.

         Offseason additions: IF Mike Moustakas, OF Nick Castellanos, OF Shogo Akiyama, LHP Wade Miley, RHP Pedro Strop, RHP Justin Shafer, OF Travis Jankowski, RHP Nate Jones, RHP Tyler Thornburg, IF Matt Davidson.

         Offseason subtractions: IF Jose Peraza, SS Jose Iglesias, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Kevin Gausman, RHP David Hernandez.

         Rotation
The Reds have their ace in Luis Castillo, a 27 year old with a hard fastball. Castillo made his first all-star team in 2019, striking out 226 batters with a 3.40 ERA in 190.2 innings. However, he also allowed 22 home runs and walked 79 batters. Sonny Gray was an all-star for the first time since 2015. He allowed just 6.3 hits per nine innings, striking out 205 batters with a 2.87 ERA in 175.1 innings. The Reds traded Taylor Trammell, one of their top prospects, at the deadline in a package for Trevor Bauer. Bauer was awful in Cincinnati, making 10 starts with a 6.39 ERA. Overall, Bauer made 34 starts with a 4.48 ERA and 253 strikeouts in 213 innings. He is a free agent after the season. Anthony DeSclafani has had issues staying on the field. He made 31 starts in 2019, his most since he made the same number of starts in 2015. He struck out 167 batters in 166.2 innings with a solid 3.89 ERA. He will be a good 4th starter. The Reds have Wade Miley $15 million over two years to be their 5th starter. A journeyman lefty, Miley had a 3.98 ERA in 33 starts for the Astros last season. He is the only Reds starter with less strikeouts than innings pitched last year.

         Bullpen
Former starter Raisel Iglesias had his worst season yet as Reds closer. While his 34 saves were as career high, his 4.16 ERA was a tick higher than his 2015 starting numbers. On the plus side, Iglesias\’ 12 K/9 ratio was a career high. His 8.2 hits per nine was a career worst. So was his 1.224 WHIP. It was a drama filled season for Amir Garrett, topped with some fights, including his man vs everybody performance against the Pirates late in the season. On the field, Garrett had a career season. He had a 3.21 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 56 innings. His main issue is the walks. He walked 5.6 batters per nine innings. Michael Lorenzen has gained traction as a two-way player. As a pitcher, Lorenzen had a 2.92 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 83.1 innings, with seven saves. He played in 100 games total. His outfield numbers are not good. He hit one homer with a .581 OPS in 53 Plate Appearances. Entering 2019, Pedro Strop had gone five consecutive seasons with a sub-3 ERA, and seven out of eights seasons. He bombed with the Cubs last year, with a 4.97 ERA in 41.2 innings. His 10 saves was the second most of his career to 2018, and his 10.6 K/9 was his most since 2016. Now 34, Strop will have to work his way up from a middle relief role. Robert Stephenson had a career season, with a 3.76 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 64.2 innings. Justin Shafer pitched in 39.2 innings for Toronto last year. He struck out 39 batters with a 3.86 ERA. Non-roster invitee Nate Jones is always hurt. In his first eight seasons, all with the White Sox, Jones had a 3.12 ERA with 318 strikeouts in 291.1 innings. The final spot could be between Cody Reed and Lucas Sims. Reed, a lefty, played in just three games last year, allowing one run in 6.1 innings. Sims is more of a swingman. In 24 games (4 starts) Sims had a 4.60 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 43 games.

           Catchers
Tucker Barnhart is more of a defensive catcher. But, he hit a career high 11 home runs in 2019. He still had an 82 OPS+, and his total extra-base hits was his lowest since his 81 game 2015 season. Curt Casali hit eight home runs with a .251 average and .741 OPS. While he hit more home runs than he did in 2018, everything else seemed to get worse offensively.

            Infielders
Former MVP and six time all-star Joey Votto is not at his best anymore. He walked 76 times last year, his first time in a full season not walking at least 100 times since 2012, when his 94 walks still led the league. His .357 OBP was the worst of his career. So was his .768 OPS. He struck out 123 times, his most since 2015. His 15 home runs was more than his 2018 total, but his power seems to be gone. 2020 might actually be Votto\’s last shot at the playoffs while he is still a league average player. The Reds gave Mike Moustakas $64 million over four years to play second base. Moustakas played second base for the first time in the MLB in 2019, playing 47 games for the Brewers. Moustakas hit 35 home runs with a career high .845 OPS. That was due to a .329 OBP, the second best of his career. Freddy Galvis had 18 home runs in 115 games for the Blue Jays when the Reds claimed him off waivers late last year. Galvis struggled afterwards, with five homers in 32 games with a .696 OPS. His 23 total homers were a career high. Eugenio Suarez had an insane season that went mostly unrecognized. Suarez hit 49 home runs, the most ever for a Venezuelan. However, he struck out a league leading 189 times. He had a .930 OPS and a .572 slugging percentage. Kyle Farmer played in 97 games at six positions, including pitcher and catcher. Farmer hit nine home runs with a .410 slugging percentage. He walked just 10 times in 197 Plate Appearances.

               Outfielders
The Reds might have eight MLB outfielders. The team gave Nick Castellanos a four year, $64 million deal. Castellanos hit a career high 27 home runs with an .863 OPS. His 58 doubles with the Tigers and Cubs lead the MLB. He took off after a trade deadline deal to Chicago. He hit 16 home runs with 21 doubles in 51 games, with a 1.002 OPS. The team gave 31 year old Shogo Akiyama $21 million over three years for him to come over from Japan. Akiyama hit .303 with a .864 OPS and 20 home runs for the Saitama Seibu Lions last year. Former top prospect Nick Senzel made his league debut. An infielder that was moved to center field, Senzel hit 12 home runs with a .742 OPS in a mediocre 104 game season. Jesse Winker has a .285 average with an .845 OPS in his three year career. He hit a career high 16 homers last year. Aristides \”The Punisher\” Aquino pummeled baseballs, hitting 19 home runs in 56 games. With the Reds\’ crowded infield, he isn\’t even a guarantee to make the team. He also stole seven bases with an .891 OPS. Scott Schebler hit 30 home runs in 2017, but hit .123 with a .475 OPS in 30 games last year. Phil Ervin had a career high .271 average and .791 OPS in 94 games, with an OPS+ over 100 for the first time last year.

               Projected Opening Day Lineup
CF Shogo Akiyama (L)
1B Joey Votto (L)
3B Eugenio Suarez (R)
2B Mike Moustakas (L)
RF Nick Castellanos (R)
LF Jesse Winker (L)
SS Freddy Galvis (S)
C Tucker Barnhart (L)
Pitcher

                Projected Rotation
Luis Castillo (R)
Sonny Gray (R)
Trevor Bauer (R)
Anthony DeSclafani (R)
Wade Miley (L)

                Projected Bullpen
Raisel Iglesias, closer (R)
Amir Garrett (L)
Michael Lorenzen (R)
Pedro Strop (R)
Robert Stephenson (R)
Justin Shafer (R)
Nate Jones (R)
Cody Reed (L)

                 Projected Bench
CF Nick Senzel (R)
C Curt Casali (R)
OF Aristides Aquino (R)
OF Phil Ervin (R)
UT Kyle Farmer (R)

                 Prediction
The Reds are a much better team than they were last year. Their rotation is complete, their bullpen is alright, and their lineup can mash. They will finish 2nd in the NL Central, but ultimately fall short of a playoff birth.

           Every year, there is a team that sticks out to everyone in Spring Training. That might be the White Sox this year. They already have a talented farm system, with former first rounders and international players coming up to join the team this year. They have supplemented their young talent by signing veterans stars. They big issue will be the bullpen, but if Chicago can figure that out, they are legitimate AL Central contenders.

           Offseason additions: C Yasmani Grandal, LHP Dallas Keuchel, DH Edwin Encarnacion, OF Nomar Mazara, RHP Steve Cishek, LHP Gio Gonzalez, LHP Adalberto Mejia, RHP Bryan Mitchell, UT Cheslor Cuthbert, UT Andrew Romine.

           Offseason subtractions: RHP Ivan Nova, LHP Josh Osich, RHP Juan Minaya, C Welington Castillo, OF Ryan Cordell, OF Jon Jay.

           Rotation
The White Sox might have found their ace in Luca Giolito. A former 1st rounder who was once baseball\’s top pitching prospect, Giolito struggled in his first full season, with the worst ERA in baseball. He rebounded in 2019, with a 3.41 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 176.2 innings. He also had three complete games with two of them being shutouts, both the most in the league. He made the all-star team and finished 6th in AL Cy Young voting. The White Sox signed former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel to a four year deal. In his one year in Atlanta, Keuchel had a 3.75 ERA and a 121 ERA+ in 112.2 innings. A great fielder, Keuchel is a four time Gold Glove winner. Twelve year veteran Gio Gonzalez is in his third stint with the White Sox, but had not played with the team yet. He made just 17 starts last year with two relief appearances for the Brewers, posting a 3.50 ERA. Reynaldo Lopez had an encouraging 3.91 ERA in 2018, but struggled in 2019, finishing the season with an ERA of 5.38 over 33 starts. He allowed a league leading 110 earned runs. Dylan Cease, acquired with Eloy Jimenez for Jose Quintana in 2017, had a rough debut. He had a 5.79 ERA in 14 starts, but he did finish with a 10 K/9. Top pitching prospect Michael Kopech is back from Tommy John surgery. He made his debut at the end of 2018, making four starts. He will likely start the season back in AAA.

             Bullpen
The White Sox acquired Alex Colome last offseason and held onto him at the trade deadline in hopes of being competitive this year. Colome posted a 2.80 ERA with 30 saves and 55 strikeouts in 61 innings. The White Sox locked up set-up man Aaron Bummer, signing the southpaw to a five year deal. Bummer had a breakout 2019 season, limited both righties and lefties to an average under .200, and posting a 2.13 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 67.2 innings. The team poached Steve Cishek from the cross-town Cubs. Cishek saved seven games last year, striking out 57 with a 2.95 ERA in 64 innings. Evan Marshall was a good set-up man, with a 2.49 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 50.2 innings. Lefty Jace Fry struck out 68 batters in 55 innings, and while his 7.2 H/9 was good, his 7.0 BB/9 was among the worst in the league. It lead to an inflated 1.582 WHIP. Former Royals closer Kelvin Herrera hasn\’t been the same since leaving Kansas City midway through 2018. He had a career worst 6.14 ERA for the White Sox last year. He is still only 30 years old. The White Sox claimed Jimmy Cordero from the Mariners in June. He was solid the rest of the way, pitching in 30 games with a 2.75 ERA and 31 Ks in 36 innings. Ian Hamilton had a AAA ERA of 1.71 in 2018, but allowed 18 runs in 16.1 AAA inning last year before missing the rest of the season with an injury. Carson Fulmer was picked 8th overall in 2015, but has a 6.56 ERA in 44 career games (15 starts).

                Catchers
The White Sox went out and signed Yasmani Grandal to a four year deal. One of the best catchers in the game, Grandal is a good defender, and hit 28 home runs with a career high .848 OPS last year, his only season with the Brewers. James McCann was a surprise all-star, with career highs in home runs (18), batting average (.273) and OPS (.789). However, betting on a regression would be wise, especially after a transition from starter to backup.

                  Infielders
Jose Abreu was a free agent, but took the qualifying offer before signing an extension. There was no chance he was leaving. He hit 33 home runs with a league leading 123 RBIs, plus a .284 average and .834 OPS. However, his batting average and OPS were actually lower than his career numbers. Second base will be Nick Madrigal\’s spot very soon. He will likely be called up six weeks into the season for service time purposes. He has Gold Glove potential and stole 35 bases with a .311 batting average in High-A, AA and AAA last year. For now, 26 year old utility infielder Danny Mendick will hold down the fort. He hit two home runs with a .308 average and a .787 OPS in 16 games last year, his first time in the majors. Tim Anderson was a 20-20 player in 2018, and while he didn\’t reach 20 home runs or 20 stolen bases in 2019, his improvements were more important, raising his batting average by 95 points, up to .335 to win the batting title. His .865 OPS was also a career high by over 100 points. He stole 17 bases and hit 18 home runs. Yoan Moncada, once MLB\’s top prospect, also saw major improvements. His 217 strikeouts in 2018 led the league, but he rebounded with a career high 25 home runs, with 10 stolen bases, a .315 batting average and a .915 OPS. Andrew Romine is worth having around because he can play every position. His hitting needs improvement. He did not hit a home run in 72 games for Seattle last year, and his .210 batting average and .504 OPS were the worst of his career in a full season. Edwin Encarnacion can spell Abreu a day at first, but will be a primary DH. Encarnacion has hit at least 32 home runs in eight consecutive seasons. He has a career .851 OPS with 414 homers.

                   Outfielders
Eloy Jimenez made the Opening Day roster last year as the club\’s top prospect. He hit 31 home runs with an .828 OPS. He finished 4th in Rookie of the Year voting. Luis Robert is in a very similar situation. The club\’s top prospect this year, Robert had one interesting twist from Jimenez\’s situation. He already signed an extension, before his first MLB game. In three different minor league levels Robert hit 32 home runs, stole 36 bases, had a .328 batting average with an OPS of 1.001. Robert and Jimenez will be in center and left field for a long time. The White Sox acquired Nomar Mazara from the Rangers. A 24 year old with four years of MLB experience, Mazara hit exactly 20 home runs in his first three seasons, but hit only 19 in 2019. However, his .268 average and .786 OPS last year were career highs. Mazara always starts strong but dies off midseason. Leury Garcia can play the infield as well as the outfield. He led the league with 11 sacrifice hits last year. A seven year veteran, Garcia played in over 100 games for the first time in 2019. He stole 15 bases and his .279 batting average was a career best. Adam Engel is very fast and has a great glove in centerfield. However, he stole just three bases last year. Engel\’s .242 average was a career high.

                      Projected Opening Day Lineup
SS Tim Anderson (R)
2B Yoan Moncada (S)
1B Jose Abreu (R)
DH Edwin Encarnacion (R)
C Yasmani Grandal (S)
LF Eloy Jimenez (R)
CF Luis Robert (R)
RF Nomar Mazara (L)
2B Danny Mendick (R)

                        Projected Rotation
Lucas Giolito (R)
Dallas Keuchel (L)
Gio Gonzalez (L)
Reynaldo Lopez (R)
Dylan Cease (R)

                        Projected Bullpen
Alex Colome, closer (R)
Aaron Bummer (L)
Evan Marshall (R)
Steve Cishek (R)
Jace Fry (L)
Kelvin Herrera (R)
Jimmy Cordero (R)
Ian Hamilon (R)

                        Projected Bench
C James McCann (R)
UT Leury Garcia (S)
OF Adam Engel (R)
UT Andrew Romine (S)

                        Prediction
The White Sox have a lot of young talent. Their rotation is getting better, and while the bullpen does not have a lot of household names, it can hold up. However, they are still a year away from being serious contenders. I think the White Sox are going to finish second in the AL Central, but miss the playoffs.

From ESPN

           It is hard to imagine having a great shot at a wild card spot, then going 2-8 in your last ten games, missing the playoffs by five games, not bringing back your manager and having your entire team on the trade block. It may seem excessive, but it was not a fun September-October for Cubs fans. Expecting a busy offseason that could see the core get split up, the Cubs were relatively quiet, waiting until after the new year to make their first major league signing. They still have a talented lineup, but the rotation is aging and the bullpen does not look strong. It could be another heartbreak year for the Cubs.

            Offseason additions: OF Steven Souza Jr., RHP Jeremy Jeffress, 2B Jason Kipnis, RHP Ryan Tepera, RHP Dan Winkler, RHP Casey Sadler, RHP Jharel Cotton, RHP Jason Adam, LHP Tyler Olson, C Josh Phegley, IF Hernan Perez, IF Carlos Asuaje, IF Corban Joseph.

            Offseason subtractions: OF Nicholas Castellanos, LHP Cole Hamels, IF Addison Russell, RHP Pedro Strop, UT Ben Zobrist, UT Tony Kemp, RHP Brandon Kintzler, RHP Steve Cishek, C Jonathan Lucroy.

             Rotation
The Cubs enter 2020 with a rotation of 30+ year olds who are no longer stars. The ace figures to be Kyle Hendricks, Who had a 3.46 ERA but struck out only 150 batters in 177 innings. It was the second worst ERA of his career. At age 30, he is Chicago\’s youngest starter. Yu Darvish\’s second season in Chicago since he signed a big contract wasn\’t as bad, as he made 31 starts and struck out 229 batters in 178.2 innings. Still, he had a 3.98 ERA, disappointing compared to previous seasons. Jon Lester has alternated between good and bad seasons the last four years. That is good news for Cubs fans, because he had a 4.46 ERA while allowing a league leading 205 hits in 171.2 innings. His 1.497 WHIP was his worst since his rookie season of 2006. Jose Quintana has been a giant letdown after being acquired from the White Sox for budding star Eloy Jimenez and more. His 4.68 ERA in 2019 was a career worst, and he allowed 10.1 hits per nine innings. In two and a half seasons for the Cubs Quintana has a 4.23 ERA after posting a 3.51 ERA in nine seasons for the other Chicago team. Tyler Chatwood will compete for a rotation spot after a decent season as a swingman. In 38 games (five starts) Chatwood had a 3.76 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. 25 year old Adbert Alzolay debuted late last year, posting a 7.30 ERA with 13 Ks in 12.1 innings.

              Bullpen
The Cubs signed Craig Kimbrel midseason to give their bullpen a boost. He could be the only lock to make the bullpen. The seven time all-star struggled when he finally arrived in June, posting a 6.53 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 13 saves in 20.1 innings. He lost all four of his decisions. Lefty Kyle Ryan made 73 appearances, striking out 58 in 61 innings with a 126 ERA+. Rowan Wick posted an impressive 2.43 ERA over 31 games, with a 9.5 K/9 ratio. Lefty Brad Wieck, acquired midseason from San Diego, had heart surgery a few days ago. It is unclear whether he will be healthy for Opening Day. Wieck struck out 18 with a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings post-trade. Jeremy Jeffress was an all-star in 2018, finishing the season with a 1.29 ERA in Milwaukee. However, he had a terrible 2019 with a 5.02 ERA and his K/9 ratio went down by 2.4. Ryan Tepera also had a decent 2018, but not as good as Jeffress\’. For Toronto last year, Tepera played in just 23 games, posting a weak 4.98 ERA. His K/9 went from 9.5 to 5.8, a drastic change. Another Blue Jay last year, Jason Adam, was impressive down the stretch, with a 2.91 ERA in 23 games. Alec Mills is in play for the 5th rotation spot. In nine games (four starts) Mills struck out 42 batters in 36 innings with a 2.75 ERA. Dan Winkler is another play with a strong 2018 and weak 2019. He had a 3.43 2018 ERA, and like Tepera, had a 2019 ERA of 4.98. He has a career 10.3 K/9.

                 Catchers
There were some trade rumors regarding Willson Contreras during the offseason. They did not make much sense, as there is not a good reason for the Cubs to trade Contreras. Contreras has been an all-star in two straight seasons, hitting a career high 24 home runs with an .888 OPS in 2019. The Cubs picked up Martin Maldonado and then Jonathan Lucroy last year to play when Contreras got hurt twice. However, backup Victor Caratini had career highs in home runs (11), batting average (.266) and OPS (.794).

                 Infielders
First baseman Anthony Rizzo had his option picked up. A three time all-star and Gold Glover, Rizzo has hit at least 23 home runs in seven consecutive seasons. He hit .293 with a .924 OPS in 2019. The former was a career high and the latter was very close to being one. The second base race is wide open. Jason Kipnis is in camp as a non-roster invitee. A nine year veteran in Cleveland, Kipnis hit 17 home runs last year, seven stolen bases and a .245 average. If he makes the team then the team will likely lose a player that they won\’t want to. That could be Daniel Descalso, a veteran presence who can play all around the infield. His offense in 2019 suggests that it is best for the club to DFA him. He had a .173 batting average, .250 slugging percentage and a .521 OPS in 82 games last year. David Bote can also play around the infield. Bote hit 11 home runs with five stolen bases and a .785 OPS for the Cubs. Javier Baez is a star, and will be on the cover of MLB the Show 20. Baez hit 29 home runs and stole 11 bases with a .281 batting average and an .847 OPS, which were all drop-offs from 2018. Third baseman Kris Bryant lost a grievance case in the offseason, meaning he will be a free agent after 2021. Bryant, who was also reportedly in play for a trade, made the all-star team for the first time since his MVP season of 2016. Bryant hit 31 home runs with a .282 average and a .903 OPS. Top prospect Nico Hoerner could start the season in AAA. He hit three home runs with a .282 average in a 20 game trial last year.

                 Outfielders
Kyle Schwarber had his best offensive season yet, hitting 38 home runs with an OPS of .871. His 156 strikeouts were a career high, but it is fine because he had 100 more Plate Appearances than he had in 2018, when he struck out 140 times. Five time Gold Glove winner Jason Heyward hit 21 home runs, his most since 2012. His .772 OPS was his best as a Cub. Steven Souza Jr. signed with the team. He hit 30 home runs in 2017 with the Rays, but was traded after the season. He played in 72 games in the two years since, all coming in 2018. He has a .740 OPS in his career. Albert Almora hit a career high 12 home runs, but his .236 average was a 50 point drop-off from 2018, and his .651 OPS was a career low by 50 points as well. Ian Happ had a career high .898 OPS in a career low 58 games. A 24 home run hitter in 2017, Happ hit 11 in 2019, for a 160 game pace of 30.

                  Projected Opening Day Lineup
RF Jason Heyward (L)
SS Javier Baez (R)
1B Anthony Rizzo (L)
3B Kris Bryant (R)
LF Kyle Schwarber (L)
C Willson Contreras (R)
CF Ian Happ (S)
2B Jason Kipnis (L)
Pitcher

                   Projected Rotation
Kyle Hendricks (R)
Yu Darvish (R)
Jon Lester (L)
Jose Quintana (L)
Tyler Chatwood (R)

                   Projected Bullpen
Craig Kimbrel, closer (R)
Kyle Ryan (L)
Rowan Wick (R)
Jeremy Jeffress (R)
Brad Wieck (L)
Ryan Tepera (R)
Jason Adam (R)
Alec Mills (R)

                  Projected Bench
C Victor Caratini (S)
OF Albert Almora (R)
OF Steven Souza Jr. (R)
IF David Bote (R)
IF Daniel Descalso (L)

                  Prediction
The Cubs are getting older. The team is virtually the same as it was last year. The Reds have been upgrading like crazy this offseason. All of these things point towards a decline in 2020. The Cubs will finish 4th in the NL Central, missing the playoffs.

          A World Series hangover is not a real thing. Well, tell that to Red Sox fans. The team was dominant in 2018, leading to a World Championship. However, the team started off slow in 2019 and could never get it going fully, leading to an 84-78 season, finishing third in the AL East, missing the playoffs. They fired GM Dave Dombrowski mid-season, and due to his involvement in the Astros\’ cheating scandal, Alex Cora was gone in the offseason. Even worse, when payroll issues became apparent, new head of the front office Chaim Bloom was forced to trade away 2018 MVP winner Mookie Betts to the Dodgers, with former Cy Young winner David Price going with him. Now with Bloom and interim manager Ron Roenicke in charge, in will be very different in Boston, with the expectations lower.

          Offseason additions: OF Alex Verdugo, OF Kevin Pillar, IF Jose Peraza, C Kevin Plawecki, LHP Martin Perez, RHP Austin Brice, LHP Jeffrey Springs, RHP Phillips Valdez, C Jonathan Lucroy, RHP Trevor Hildenberger, 1B Tommy Joseph, OF Cesar Puello, LHP Matt Hall.

          Offseason subtractions: OF Mookie Betts, LHP David Price, RHP Rick Porcello, IF Brock Holt, RHP Andrew Cashner, C Sandy Leon, RHP Travis Lakins, RHP Jhoulys Chacin, IF Chris Owings, 1B Steve Pearce, 1B Sam Travis, OF Gorkys Hernandez.

          Rotation
Chris Sale had an injury riddled 2019, but when he was healthy, the results weren\’t there. He had a 4.40 ERA in 25 starts, about a full run higher than his previous career worst 3.41 ERA. However, he continued to strike out batters at an enormous rate. He K\’d 218 batters in 147.1 innings. He did not receive any Cy Young votes. He had been top six in Cy Young voting every year since 2011, when he was still a reliever. He will start the year on the IL due to an illness. Eduardo Rodriguez had a career best 3.81 ERA, 213 strikeouts and 203.1 innings. However, he also walked a league leading 75 batters. Nathan Eovaldi was a postseason hero in 2018, but he had a 5.99 ERA in 23 games (12 starts). The Red Sox tried to use him as a closer, but it didn\’t work, and he never recorded a save. His 70 strikeouts in 67.2 innings led to a career high 9.3 K/9. The Red Sox will need him to go back to 2018 form. The Red Sox signed Martin Perez to a one year deal. A 28-year-old lefty with eight seasons under his belt, Perez hasn\’t had an ERA under 4.50 since 2016. For the Twins last season Perez had a 5.12 ERA with 135 strikeouts in 165.1 innings. It was a career high for him in Ks. 28 year old Ryan Weber could be the fifth starter or opener if the Red Sox go that way. In 18 games (three starts), Weber had a 5.09 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 40.2 innings.

            Bullpen
Brandon Workman was a solid reliever prior to 2019, but became Boston\’s closer last year. He struck out 104 batters over 71.2 innings with 16 saves and a 1.88 ERA. With Craig Kimbrel gone the Red Sox needed him badly last year. After Ryan Brasier was a success story and posted a 1.60 ERA in 2018, he struggled in 2019 and ended up back in the minors. The righty had a 4.85 ERA with 61 Ks in 55.2 innings with seven saves. Matt Barnes has never had an ERA under 3.00 in a season, with 3.78 in 2019 being very close to his career high. He has appeared in at least 62 games in four straight seasons. He struck out 110 batters in 64.1 innings in 2019. 30-year-old Marcus Walden, in his first full season, had a 3.81 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 78 innings over 70 games. Righty Heath Hembree has already been on the team for six years. He struck out 46 with a 125 ERA+ in 39.2 innings last season. In his rookie season Josh Taylor had a 3.04 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 47.1 innings. He had a 159 ERA+. 23 year old lefty prospect Darwinzon Hernandez made his debut last year, striking out 57 batters in 30.1 innings. Colten Brewer had a respectable 4.12 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 54.2 innings. Hector Velazquez has starting experience, so he can be an appealing option. He was good in his first two seasons, but was terrible in 2019, with a 5.43 ERA in 56.1 innings.

              Catchers
A big surprise for the Red Sox last year was light hitting catcher Christian Vazquez\’s breakout season. He hit 23 home runs, raising his career high by 18. He also hit ..276 with a .798 OPS. It was his first season with an OPS+ over 100, at 103. Two thirds of the Red Sox old three catcher tandem are gone, with Blake Swihart and Sandy Leon leaving in the last year. Kevin Plawecki is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. The former Met and Indian has hit 17 homers with 92 RBIs and a .636 OPS in his 296 game career. Former all-star Jonathan Lucroy is in camp as a non-roster invitee. He has played for six teams since the start of 2016. He hit eight home runs with a .660 OPS for the Angels and Cubs last year.

              Infielders
Mitch Moreland is back for his 4th season in Boston. His .835 OPS last year was a career high. He has hit 56 home runs with a .782 OPS in his three years for the Red Sox. He will likely platoon with Michael Chavis, a sophomore who was originally a third baseman but can play first and second as well. The \”Ice Horse\” hit 18 home runs last year, and got off to a hot start with 15 homers in 69 games, but struggled in the second half, playing in just 26 games, with a .649 OPS. He can take some playing time from speedy second baseman Jose Peraza, signed from the Reds. Peraza stole 67 bases from 2016-18, but stole just seven bases last year, with six home runs and a .631 OPS. He had a .288 batting average in 2018 and a .742 OPS. The left side of the infield is where things get good. Former top prospect Xander Bogaerts finally broke out in his age 26 season, and his 7th season overall. He hit 33 home runs with 117 RBIs, a .309 average and a .939 OPS, plus a 140 OPS+. He is a terrible defender at shortstop, but his offense cancels that out. Rafael Devers is improving on defense at third base. At age 22 Devers led the league with 54 doubles, while hitting 32 home runs with 115 RBIs, eight stolen bases, a .311 average and a .916 OPS. Both Devers and Bogaerts received MVP votes. Rule 5 pick Jonathan Arauz can play all over the infield. He hit 11 home runs with a .707 OPS in High-A and AA in the Astros system. He has always been very young for his league, explaining his low offensive production. He is more of a fielder anyways.

               Outfielders
Without Betts here, writing about the Red Sox outfield seems weird. Andrew Benintendi is now the face of it. He had a down 2019, with just 13 home runs and 10 stolen bases, plus a mediocre .266 average and .774 OPS. To show how average he was, his OPS+ is exactly 100. Jackie Bradley Jr. has a great glove in center field, but his hitting can get better. He did hit 21 home runs in 2019, but he hit just .225 with a .738 OPS and struck out a career high 155 times. He has not had an OPS+ of at least 100 since his all-star 2016 season. Alex Verdugo, the main return in the Betts trade, was a top prospect coming off an encouraging rookie season. He hit 12 home runs with four stolen bases, a .294 batting average and an .817 OPS. Nothing super special, but all above average. The Red Sox signed Kevin Pillar to be one of the, if not best 4th outfielders in the game. Maybe a better defender than Bradley, Pillar hit 21 home runs with 14 stolen bases with a .259 batting average and a .719 OPS. The numbers are good, plus he had great defensive numbers, but somehow that led to him finishing 22nd in MVP voting in the National League. A longtime Blue Jay, he has seen the Red Sox and the rest of the AL East a lot of times. He also is very durable, playing in an average of 152 games over the last five years. JD Martinez\’s decision to not opt out of his contract might have cost Boston Betts. He is an outfielder, but is much better off at DH. He hit 36 home runs with 105 RBIs with a .304 average and a .939 OPS last year, and that was all worse than his first Red Sox season, 2018.

                Projected Opening Day Lineup
LF Andrew Benintendi (L)
3B Rafael Devers (L)
SS Xander Bogaerts (R)
DH JD Martinez (R)
1B Mitch Moreland (L)
C Christian Vazquez (R)
RF Alex Verdugo (L)
CF Jackie Bradley Jr. (L)
2B Jose Peraza (R)

                 Projected Rotation
Chris Sale (L)
Eduardo Rodriguez (L)
Nathan Eovaldi (R)
Martin Perez (L)
Ryan Weber (R)

                 Projected Bullpen
Brandon Workman, closer (R)
Ryan Brasier (R)
Matt Barnes (R)
Marcus Walden (R)
Heath Hembree (R)
Josh Taylor (L)
Darwinzon Hernandez (L)
Colten Brewer (R)

                 Projected Bench
C Kevin Plawecki (R)
IF Michael Chavis (R)
OF Kevin Pillar (R)
IF Jonathan Arauz (S)

                 Prediction
The Red Sox have a talented roster. But, they are trying to shed salary, and they already traded away their superstar outfielder and second starter. It is really hard to come back from that, especially when the trade was so close to Spring Training. The Red Sox will be on their own island in the AL East, way behind the second place Rays, but way ahead of the 4th place Blue Jays.