MY TAKE ON THE OFF-SEASON

So I'm back. At least for now. I figured with all the crazy opinions I've had, I might as well say at least a little something about what's been going on in the off-season thus far.

Trades have been abundant, though they have taken a slight back-seat to the issue surrounding the Mitchell Report. I tried to make my way through the entirety of the document, but it's quite substantive. I got through the first few sections before I started skipping, looking for the specific big-name players and what was surrounding their stories. I don't have too many strong opinions about the particulars of the document, but here's my two cents.

For one, Barry Bonds has certainly buried himself. There's not too much of an optimistic spin that can be taken on his case, and whatever happens to him now is left up to the hands of the courts, and there isn't much he can do about it. May God be with him... ha! The Roger Clemens issue has been one I feel conflicted about. He has been adamantly claiming his innocence, but it doesn't seem to be enough for everyone else. Basically, it's all going to depend on who talks in court at this point, for a lot of the names on that list.

Conseco claims he's going to start giving names, too. Now I don't know much about what happened or who was involved or how much anyone knows, but I'd be skeptical to believe what someone says who has been caught for doing steriods himself. Could he use this as a way to wreak havoc on others? revenge? Who really knows. So in all, I'm a little leery of anything he really has to say.

My opinions on the steriods issues are not very strong, nor very researched or solid. So let me move onto the trades.

... I do laugh at Guillen's supsension though. Definitely deserves it...

There were really only two names out there this year who really made an impact on the market - the first being Miguel Cabrera, who was traded along with Dontrelle (D-train!!!) Willis for a package of prospects to the Detriot Tigers. This will definitely put the Tigers back into serious contention in the AL, after having a somewhat disappointing 2007 season. I thought for sure at the early stages of last season that the Tigers would be more of a threat. But with one of the most up-and-coming names in baseball, Miguel Cabrera, and a very good pitcher who will probably fair better in a more competitive environment, I think the Tigers will be a team to watch in 2008.

The second name that has, and continues to surface is Johan Santana. There's no doubting that he is one of the best pitchers in the game right now. He's had a few very successful years with the Twins, and can definitely afford to make the contract demands that he is making. Since the Winter Meetings, clubs like Boston and both teams in New York have been linked to his name, but a month later now and still nothing has finalized, or even so much as really HINTED at a deal. New York has been documented as still being interested in Santana, but all it seems to be at this point is more talking, and little action.

Being an Angels fan, I've been particularly attentive to what's going on here at home, and I'm still unsure of how I feel about it all. As far as signing free agent Torii Hunter, I'm "okay" with the move. Do I think it was a great move and a necessary move? No, I don't. The Angels have been notorious for outfield depth in the last year, and this just seems to be a redundant addition. Having just signed Matthews Jr. the previous year with a large contract to do the same job, the addition of Hunter makes no sense other than to add offensive depth, and I hope that proves a worthy move for the team in the long run. Only time will tell. As far as the trade for Garland, I'm still not sold on that one, and don't think I will be completely at any point in the season. AS I was reading about it around the time of the trade, most analysts agreed that Chicago got the most out of the deal, which I'm definitely going to agree with as far as proven worth. So we'll see.

The White Sox as well have made a lot of deals this off-season. Though I'm not sure how much it will improve the overall chemistry of the team.


So I'll make a few statements about the off-season so far, in terms of who has progressed, and who is still in the air for 2008:, as far as the American League is concerned:

Winners: Los Angeles (both teams), Detriot, Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago - I think these will be the teams to watch this year. Seem redundant? Yeah, maybe a little. At least as far as the AL teams, who seem to be consistent forerunners year after year. As far as the Dodgers, with Torre they might fair quite nicely this season, so they may be a team to watch this year even though this was something being said this time last year. And Chicago, as long as Soriano stays healthy, probably has a good shot this time around.

Losers: Oakland, New York Mets, Florida: Oakland seems to be losing just about every decent player they had - no more Swisher, no more Kotsay, no more Piazza, and the list goes on for quite a while. As far as contending in the AL West in 2008? Seems to be a long shot with the Angels out to spend the money necessary to get back into the post season. Same seems to go with Florida; with D-Train and Cabrera now gone, what few star players they did have, it almost seems to be a way for the Marlins to wave the white flag of defeat. It's definitely going to be a rebuilding year for a number of teams. And for the Mets, this last season ended so poorly that the morale of the team needs a boost, and the boost they are looking for in Santana is probably too rich for their pocketbooks, which is unfortunate. I don't exactly label the Mets as "losers" but rather as a big question mark for 2008. It's going to depend on how they pull it together after that terrible end to last season.


So that's my two cents so far. I'm sure there will be more to say as soon as Spring Training begins. Only a couple months left, and I really can't wait.