2014 Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers

I’ve been so excited to write this preview, I don’t even know where to start, other than to say I am looking forward to this season of Dodgers baseball.

The Dodgers have always been one of my secondary teams I root for. I’m a Mets fan by association, but being a baseball fan in general, especially the Mets, it’s hard not to be a Dodgers fan.

I look at the 2014 Dodgers, and like the Washington Nationals, who I just wrote about, I find few flaws with this group.

And like Washington, I think a lot of the Dodgers success starts with their pitching. Back-to-back Cy Young award winner, and straight stud Clayton Kershaw needs no words, no introductions, no explanations on why he’s so good. If you’ve watched him for even five minutes, you immediately see his greatness. That should continue in 2013. His stuff is just ridiculous, and while his windup and mechanics are a little unorthodox, they certainly get the job done.

Once you get past Kershaw though, the studs just keep coming. Zack Greinke is one of the best right handed arms in the game, and yet he gets overshadowed by Kershaw so much in LA, sometimes you forget about him. Greinke’s stuff too, is nasty. Greinke’s 2013 likely would have been Cy Young worthy if not for the fight he got into with Carlos Quentin in April that sidelined him for a month. Greinke’s never really had an injury problem. He’s made 30 starts or better three of the last five years, and I can’t see that trend ending in 2014. The duo of Greinke and Kershaw may be so lethal, they may just be competing for that Cy Young award amongst themselves.

But the rotation doesn’t weaken at all once you get past those two studs. Lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu was nothing short of terrific in his rookie US campaign. If the Dodgers don’t get off to a slow start last year, maybe Ryu wins 17 or 18 games, he didn’t get a single win in June, and still won 14. Ryu’s stuff is absolutely stellar, and may end up being one of the top, lesser publicized overseas acquisitions in recent memory (to go along with of course, teammate Yasiel Puig).

When I look at the back end of this team’s rotation though, it’s not great, at least right now. The Dodgers are going to roll out Danny Haren, who in the last few years, has really been on the decline after a terrific career in Oakland and Arizona. I’m not really thrilled about him back there. The Dodgers could also turn to Paul Maholm. But I think a guy that should have an impact in LA by the end of may just might be a shot in the arm this team needs.

Chad Billingsley last year succumbed to Tommy John Surgery. It looked like he was in for a good season. He made two starts where he wasn’t bad. Trying to make a quick recovery from TJS is almost ill advised anymore, and guys are required almost 15 months to get back. I’ve always thought highly of his stuff and his makeup, and while most guys take a while to return to form, I feel like Billingsley may not need as much time as others. He’s probably achieved veteran status, and I think he’s crafty enough to make the comeback look easier than it probably is. If Billingsley can be a factor by the end of May, or sooner, the Dodgers could use his arm in this rotation. I do believe Billingsley comes back strong, and if he ends up being a fourth starter, that takes a lot of pressure off him to be great right away, and really work his way back.

I’m not done talking about the rotation, but I want to make this point while I’m on the topic of Billingsley. If he comes back, the Dodgers will have the luxury of easing him into a heavy workload because of the depth of their bullpen. This bullpen is probably the best in the game as currently constructed. You’ve got four closers out there in Kenly Jansen (the closer to start the year for LA), Brian Wilson, Chris Perez, and Brandon League. Not to mention real live arms in likely future closers Paco Rodriguez and Chris Withrow. The Dodgers are going to have a very deep pen this year, and while I usually go by the modo “bullpens are a crapshoot to predict”, I think I throw that out the window with this group for now. They should allow the Dodgers great flexibility when they don’t get long outings out of their starters, and Don Mattingly should have no problem going to any one of them in any situation.

Now, back to this Dodgers rotation. The Dodgers fifth starter spot is somewhat of a question mark. They have a lot of options at this point to fill that spot once Kershaw comes back. I’ve kind of written Josh Beckett off for his career. He can’t seem to stay healthy, and seemed like a great acquisition in the deal to get Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, but so far he’s done literally nothing in LA. So I almost don’t view him as an option for the Dodgers. Which leaves them with Danny Haren, Paul Maholm, or a young guy I think may just fly under the radar into this rotation, and that’s top pitching prospect Zach Lee (right).

Like I have a thing for college players in major league baseball, I also have a thing for multi-sport athletes, and that is exactly what Zach Lee is. He’ll likely start his season at Triple-A Albuquerque and if he is effect, it may not be a stretch to say we’ll see him sooner than later in LA. Lee has good stuff, good command, and if I had a guess, we see him before the All-Star break if the back end of this rotation is struggling. I’m not saying he’s going to come up and immediately dominate, but he could be what the Dodgers are looking for in the back end of the rotation. A Lee promotion this summer would just flex the muscle of the LA Dodgers and they’re strong MLB lineup, and showcase just many more of the talented young players they feature in their farm system.

The Dodgers made headlines last year because of the flamboyant play of Yasiel Puig. And whether you like Puig or not (I for the record absolutely love this kid, but I knew what he was like long before much of America did), he made a huge impact for the Dodgers. And as time went by, Puig was not afraid of the spotlight, the pressure, or the ridicule he got. I said it last winter, and I’ll say it again, Puig is the next big thing in baseball. This guy has all the tools to be one of the all time greats. He’s shown a greater sense of humility and willingness to learn (from his teammates, not his detractors in the media or public) and so far this year I see a renewed sense of less flash and show, and more hustle from the start, and carrying that all the way through. I’ve written on Puig (and his fellow Cuban defectors), so I won’t say much more on him and what I think of his actions. But his on field production I think is a big reason why I like the Dodgers this year.

The two guys the Dodgers got in a steal of a deal from Boston have been big since they arrived. Adrian Gonzalez has been completely stellar. I thought him going to LA would bring him the recognition of being one of the top first basemen in the game. In Boston, he just didn’t produce to the level he did in San Diego. Turning 32 in May, I think AGon could be in for another 30 home run season and he should be a big key to the Dodgers returning to the postseason.

The other guy that has been very good is Carl Crawford. Crawford’s steals have declined significantly declined in the past three to four years. Crawford’s forte is now getting on base. When he’s on base he can still move station to station via the the steal, though it may not be at the rate he used to. To me, the key to Crawford being successful in LA is getting on base. If he gets on base, guys like Puig, AGon, and Hanley Ramirez can drive him in with extra base hits and home runs of course. To me, Crawford’s value is beyond his steals and now is about his ability to get on base.

I think it will be interesting to see what Matt Kemp does once he comes off the disabled list. We thought Kemp was healthy last year once he returned and just wasn’t the same guy. If Kemp can return to form, the Dodgers may be completely dangerous. I’m not sold Kemp’s career is over by any means. Coming up on 30 years old, Kemp has a lot left in the tank and is so athletic, no matter how old he gets, he’ll always be a threat in any lineup. I actually like Kemp a lot this year to have a bounce back year and return to MVP form.

And if Kemp returns to form, what do the Dodgers do with Andre Ethier? There’s no doubt the back end of their rotation could use a solid arm. Does a team that likely will be out of contention quickly like the Chicago Cubs or New York Mets make guys like Jeff Samardzija or Jon Niese available? Both would be a good fit for the Dodgers. Do the Mariners make one of their pitchers available? Robbie Cano has said the Mariners need a second bat, and they certainly have a plethora of young arms the Dodgers may find intriguing. It will be interesting because the Dodgers have young players that could fill holes that ultimately arise. They also have enough youth they could add an ace like Samardzija. But it all hinges on how Ethier fares this season.

The Dodgers area loaded with talent up down the lineup. The Dodgers could push winning 100 games this year, especially in what I think will be a very down National League West. The Dodgers could be on a World Series or Bust train this year, and I for one don’t think that’s unrealistic. The Dodgers are undoubtedly one of the game’s top teams and should contend for an NL crown.

2014 Outlook: Washington Nationals

Young. Deep. And Balanced. The 2014 Washington Nationals are all those things. And when you’re all those things, you’re going to be one of the best.

That is what I fully expect the Nats to be this year.

2014 Outlook: Detroit Tigers

The window of opportunity for the Detroit Tigers is closing, but there’s no reason in a wide open American League why the Tigers can’t come out on top.

2014 Outlook: Atlanta Braves

When you look at the 2014 Atlanta Braves, one thing becomes obvious: It’s undoubtedly going to be a year of transitions.

Before the injury bug really bit the Atlanta Braves hard, I thought this team could be one of the top five teams in all of baseball. It definitely hurts losing Brandon Beachy, Kris Medlen and Mike Minor. The Braves were almost forced to go out and get Ervin Santana, which isn’t a bad move.

I’m very curious how the injuries to this pitching staff affects their season. The Braves top three starters rival almost any trio in baseball. Santana, Julio Teheran and Alex Wood are excellent one, two, and three pitchers. Each one of these guys at minimum should win 15-18 games. I’m hesitant to say the back end of this rotation will not be very good, because the Braves really seem to find ways to get pitchers to step up, and it appears the Braves have no shortage of candidates. Two guys I look at to be decent fourth and fifth options, especially in this division, are David Hale and Cody Martin. Both Hale and Martin are well seasoned in their time in the minor leagues. They both were plucked from the college ranks, and if the Braves want to continue the investment into their young arms, these are guys that could ultimately, maybe not right away, earn their way into this rotation.

I’m very curious how Santana and Teheran rebound after career seasons.

Santana posted a career low in ERA, and unfortunately, could not make that 10 win plateau in Kansas City last year. I think in Atlanta, he can be a 15 win guy, and I’ll be curious how the big parks of the National League East fair for him. Santana has a tendency to give up the long ball, which has plagued him his whole career, but the big parks of the NL East just might allow him to cut down on that. The other interesting note for Santana, he leaves a league where the offenses are almost all juggernauts. He was facing quality lineups almost on a regular basis in Cleveland, Detroit, Baltimore, Boston, LA, and Texas amongst others. The offensive pedigree of lineups in the National League, to a degree, really tapers off, in a league dominated by pitching. I think Santana lowers his ERA a few ticks, I think the long ball numbers drop off, and I think he ups his win totals back to his 2010 and early Angels’ days.

Teheran has been regarded as one of the Braves’, and the games’, top talents, and when he played in the minors, you definitely see he had “it”. After a slow, and inconsistent start (both in terms of performance but consistent usage) Teheran put it together last year. It was something the Braves welcomed and it will be interesting to see how he does in 2014 following his breakout. Teheran has been stellar this spring, showing no signs of slowing in his progress. If he can build on what he did last year, baseball could be in for one of the real bright young stars making his entrance at a national level. Teheran won 14 games in 30 starts last year. After seeing what he’s done in the spring building on last year’s performance, Teheran could be a 200 inning pitchers, who could push that 16-20 win threshold, and should easily make the 200 strikeout barrier. I like Teheran a lot this year, and I think his emergence as one of the game’s best young starters is a big reason why the losses of the Braves big three is a little easier to bear.

The biggest transition the Braves are likely to make this year, is the departure of Brian McCann. McCann was about as consistent as you can get year after year for nine years in Atlanta. I don’t think there’s any question about it, his left handed pop, leadership and baseball intangibles are going to be very difficult to replace.

Last year, the Evan Gattis story was really inspiring. I’m not a big Braves fan, but he was definitely someone I rooted for after hearing everything he went through. I won’t get into it a whole lot, but if you haven’t heard his story, I definitely encourage you to do some reading up. It’s very cool.

At any rate, Evan Gattis’ story off the field wasn’t the only story. Gattis was one of the real breakout stars of 2013. Hitting 20 homers in 380 at bats, however, most of those home runs were in the first half. For a lot of reasons, he dropped off, but the big reason was McCann found himself healthy in the second half and was able to play in more games. Now, Gattis should get the lion share of the starts behind the plate, and can even be an option in the outfield and at first base. Gattis could be in line for 450 or better at bats, and if that is the case, he will provide tremendous amounts of power for the Braves, and could reach 30 homers, sitting behind Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman in a loaded Braves lineup. My question with Gattis is, will he hold up? Not necessarily health wise, but can his big frame play in 125-150 games, if not more. The Braves have enough bats, if Gattis declines at all, it won’t be a big loss of production, but with the injury problems in their pitching staff, the Braves could use steady production from him all the way through the year.

A guy a lot of people like that I’m not sold on yet is Andrelton Simmons. Simmons flew through the Braves minor league system, and in my opinion, his minor league numbers were never impressive. He hit for a decent average. He never hit for decent power, but did show good speed. Simmons makes good contact, and that’s a fine stat, but at the end of the day, you can make all the contact you want, but if you’re not getting on base, it’s meaningless contact. I realize it was his first full season, and he is likely to get better, but Simmons didn’t even get on base 30% of the time. If Simmons is as good as everyone says he is, I need to see more. Simmons has an exceptional glove, but guys that don’t hit, and are exceptional defenders, generally become role players off the bench. I don’t think Simmons is close to that role in the least, but I’m tired of hearing about how good Simmons is, I want to see. I can’t say I’m confident he is as good as some think. I think he’s an average hitter, with above average speed.

The other guy I’m not sold on in Atlanta, is Jason Heyward. I really don’t think Jason Heyward is as good as he was touted, and so far in his short career, I’ve truthfully not been wrong. Heyward was boasted as a 30/30 guy who could hit for a high average, and he’s done none of those things. Heyward hit 27 home runs in 2012, but most of them were on the road, and between the end of June, and the first of August. I’ve always felt Heyward is an all or nothing player. When he’s hot, yes, he can carry a team, but when he’s cold, he is so unreliable it’s almost a worthless bat in the middle of the lineup. Heyworth tends to hit well going into July, otherwise he starts cold, and he finishes cold. Not to mention, his best season is a .277 average, 27 homers, and 82 RBIs, those were all separate years too. To me that is not an elite player. Is Heyward a solid player? In my opinion yes. But the predominant opinion among a lot of baseball people is that he is an elite talent, and the numbers pretty much show he’s hardly that.

The Braves acquiring Upton from Arizona last winter was nothing short of highway robbery. And then you add insult to injury when you consider  the fact they acquired Chris Johnson in the deal, and he was a batting title contender last year. I think regression from Johnson is almost to be expected this year, but the Braves really found themselves a solid big leaguer there. I also think if Justin Upton can be more consistent across a 162 game season, this Braves offense will be very explosive every night. Upton is an incredibly durable player, so you know you can count on having him in the lineup all the way through the year.

Freddie Freeman has almost elevated himself to a Joey Votto-like level. Obviously Votto has been around a little longer, and Freeman still has some things to prove, but when you consider the type of year Freeman had last year, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say Freeman can definitely duplicate that, and if he can, he has to be in the discussion of one of the game’s top first basemen in terms of offensive productivity. Freeman definitely has the protection to reproduce his MVP-like year in 2014.

Ultimately, I really think the Braves return to the postseason. Be it as a Wild Card or as a division champ, the Braves are poised to return. I think ultimately how much success they  achieve this year comes down to how the back end of the rotation pans out. Like I mentioned, I like Wood, Santana and Teheran at the front, but the fourth and fifth spots are big question marks. If the Braves can find guys to be consistent, they don’t have to wow, they just need to be consistent.

I see the Braves finishing behind Washington because of the rotation depth. Plain and simple. I see the offenses as equals. I see the bullpens as equals. To me, the Nats have three aces at the top, a two starter, three at worst in Doug Fister, and honestly, the candidates Washington is looking at for their fifth spot is a candidate for 15 wins. Of course I’ll dissect all that in the coming days in my Nationals preview.

Bottom line, the Braves are probably one of the ‘weaker’ elite teams because of the pitching injuries, but teams are considered elite because they are complete units, which Atlanta definitely is.

2014 Outlook: St. Louis Cardinals

If you want a snapshot of what a successful franchise looks like, the St. Louis Cardinals would be your first choice.

This is a team that over the past decade has been as successful as any franchise in sports, not just baseball. The Cardinals ability to continuously filter in homegrown talent, add productive and relatively cheap free agents, and then find success by keeping payrolls at incredibly mild levels is mind blowing. Whether you like the Cardinals or not, (I for one do not) it cannot be argued this team is as good as it gets in almost every aspect.

And said trend of developing young talent and finding quality, inexpensive free agents should only continue this year. The Cardinals have followed the Tampa Bay model of developing quality, young arms, bringing them up and putting them in the bullpen, then finding them a spot in the rotation, which has worked out very well.

Last year, the one exception to that was Michael Wacha. Wacha came up and was sensational from day one. Wacha is a tremendously talented young player,

who has as bright of a future as any young pitcher in the game, believe it or not though, he is my only concern in St. Louis this year, and it's really not that big of a concern.

We saw Wacha completely steamroll through the postseason last year, and then in a decisive game six, Wacha was knocked around in a big way. I addressed Wacha’s need for a breaking pitch in a story I did earlier this year, so I won’t get too much into it, but Wacha has shown a cutter in early spring training. That will certainly help, but I still maintain Wacha needs to find a breaking pitch to add to his arsenal. I’m not saying Wacha won’t be an effective big league pitcher this year, because he likely will be. His two offerings are very much above average, but I can’t say I’d be surprised if he hits a wall at some point mid-summer. Cutters still manage to find themselves in the upper 80s, and lower 90s, and Wacha needs something with drastic break, that can fool crafty hitters, which there's a lot of in the National League.

Now, I like Wacha a lot, I don’t want to give the impression I don’t. And other than the small issue I have with him, I really like this Cardinals rotation. I think 'like' is too weak a word, but because my in-laws are Cardinals fans, I don't want to say too much more than that. 

Built on almost entirely home grown talent, the Redbird rotation is going to be one of the tops in the league. The ageless Adam Wainwright may just take a back seat to young pitchers like Wacha, Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller and eventually Carlos Martinez. All four of these guys are legitimate number one pitchers in almost any rotation, and the Cardinals will roll them out one after another night after night. And I’ve not even mentioned Joe Kelly, who I was really impressed with in the postseason. Kelly is probably a number two, a three at worst, and is the fourth or fifth starter in this rotation. The pitching is a big reason why I think St. Louis not only makes a return to the postseason, but a return to the National League Championship Series.

I think a lot of the Cardinals pitchers success should be given to Yadier Molina. A lot is made of the departure of Dave Duncan, and rightfully so. Tony LaRussa's right-hand man for so many years definitely had an impact on their championship runs in 2006 and 2012. But Molina is so valuable because he was with St. Louis for all those runs, which means, he watched Duncan work with these pitchers day after day, year after year. Molina is such a smart player, there's no way he wasn't picking up on what Duncan was doing. He probably soaked it up like a sponge, and now that Duncan is gone, I think it's Molina who becomes the guy that guides these young pitchers into stardom. I really think the way Joe Kelly, and Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha performed last year and in the postseason has a lot to do with Yadi, and the reason Yadi knows so much, is from his former pitching coach, Dave Duncan.

Again, there's probably a lot of things the loss of Duncan does for the Cardinals, but I think Molina is smart enough and a good enough communicator and on-field coach,

he can bridge that gap just enough to make these kids stars. You don't get a guy like Yadier Molina often, and as much as it pains me to say, Cardinals fans definitely appreciate what he does for this team.


The bullpen in St. Louis is a powerhouse of strong arms. Trevor Rosenthal is one of those starters the Cardinals brought up to work his way into the rotation, but he’s been so impressive out of the 'pen, he ran Edward Mujica out of the closers roll, and eventually took things over late last year. Rosenthal will become one of the elite closers in baseball this year, and if you can’t get to the Cardinals early in a game, you’re likely not going to get to them at all.

I continue to sound like a broken record, but this homegrown talent they put in their lineup is going to make this offense one of the more efficient units in all of baseball. I really liked the Cards getting rid of David Freese, which freed up third base, and allowed Matt Carpenter to slide over, and the steady Hawaiian Kolten Wong (right) to move to second base.

No matter where Carp plays, he’s not only going to give you a steady defensive effort, but he’ll hit. His bat is not going to produce eye-popping numbers, but it is so consistent and predictable, and his ability to get on base is a big reason guys like Holiday and Allen Craig can reach 100 RBIs.

I’m very curious who the Cardinals will put in their two-hole behind Carpenter. Wong is certainly a candidate to be that guy, but in limited time in the lineup in September of last year, he really struggled. Wong makes consistent contact and has a knack for getting on base, which is why I think he might be the best candidate for that spot.

But you could also put a Peter Bourjos, or even Jhonny Peralta in the spot. Bourjos might be a leadoff candidate if he could hit for more of an average, I think he finds himself at the bottom of the order. 

To me, Peralta makes more sense to hit behind Carpenter if it isn't Wong. In a PED shortened 2013, Peralta got on base 36% percent of the time. I know people will probably kill him over the PED thing, but honestly, PEDs really don’t have that much to do with your on-base percentage. You’re more likely to see a spike in slugging percentages and other power number indicators like that. I like Peralta in St. Louis. I think he’s a good fit. No matter if he hits second or in the sixth or seventh spot, he will turn out to be a good investment.

I also like what the Cardinals are doing moving Allen Craig to the outfield. I thought last year, St. Louis should have moved him there, but then there wasn’t really a spot for him with Beltran in the lineup. Moving him there allows St. Louis to replace the power Carlos Beltran leaves behind with Matt Adams. 

Adams hasn’t been around that long, and he’s already 25 years old. The beauty of him being 25, he’s likely to be a mature hitter, especially in his first go round of full time play than most guys with his experience. Adams' average numbers all through the minor leagues were excellent. But it should be noted, he was probably one of the older, or mature if you will, hitters all the way through. The Cardinals had plenty of time to let him get better and see consistent playing time because of Albert Pujols. I’ll be curious to see, now that Adams will see consistently good pitching, if he can continue to hit for an average. One thing he will do, is provide a right handed heavy lineup with some legitimate power from the left-side.

Cardinals fans continue to hear all about this kid Oscar Taveras, but so far, there’s been no sign of him. And that’s because of injuries. Taveras’ 2013 campaign was cut short because of injuries, now his 2014 seems to be starting off on a sour note with more injuries. Taveras has legitimate big league talent, but if the kid can’t stay on the field, that may really hurt what the Cardinals are trying to do in St. Louis. I can’t think the Redbirds want to stick with Bourjos/Jon Jay for 162 games this year. Although I really like Jon Jay, he regressed greatly in 2013, and if he can’t find it this year, which I doubt he can for the simple reason he’ll be in a platoon role and not seeing consistent playing time, then St. Louis may be forced to find an inexpensive outfield bat via trade. Taveras is a big part of the future of St. Louis, and it’s almost imperative he be healthy this year.

Now Taveras won’t make or break any run the Cardinals make, simply because there’s enough pieces in this lineup, St. Louis can figure it out.

I look at the St. Louis pipeline, and other than Taveras, I don’t think we’ll see much in the way of talent arrive from the lower levels, at least compared to last year. You have to remember, the 2013 Cardinals boasted some of the game’s elite prospects. Martinez, Wacha, Wong, and Shelby Miller were the highlights.

The Cards are in desperate need of a left-handed starter, or long reliever, and their first round pick from the 2013 draft, Marco Gonzales from Gonzaga, could ultimately take the same path as Wacha did to the big leagues.

Gonzales to me is the Cardinals answer to Jaime Garcia, who recently, hasn't been able to stay healthy. He was regarded as one of the top left-handed pitchers in this past year’s draft. A lot of teams went young on their draft picks to save money, but the Cardinals, I have to assume, see what this guy could be very quickly. Again, my love-affair of college players, Gonzales leaving the college ranks should move up the ladder quickly, and if he can do what Wacha did (in a word, dominate) in the minors just a winter removed from his first taste of professional ball, Gonzales could reach St. Louis this summer.

I think that’s a stretch, but it’s not crazy. Gonzales is a legitimate three or four starter right now, and with seasoning and coaching, he could be better. We’ll see. I like him a lot, and whenever he gets to St. Louis, it won’t be long before he is having a big impact for this club.

The 2014 St. Louis Cardinals will make some real noise this year. I think they take the Central Division, and while Pittsburgh and Cincinnati may hang around for a while, in the end, I think St. Louis outlasts them, and outclasses them with the ridiculous amount of talent they boast.

2014 Outlook: Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays always have a solid roster. It’s rarely regarded as the best roster, it’s never going to the most potent lineup, but it’s going to be a lineup that battles and grinds and will almost always find themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot.

2014 Outlook: Boston Red Sox

The 2013 Boston Red Sox were baseball’s biggest surprises. I actually picked the Sox to be an underdog and come in 2nd in the American League East, and they blew past that, dominating the East from start to finish.

The 2014 Sox will be on everyone’s radar.

2014 Outlook: New York Yankees

When 2013 ended, it was almost a sure thing the Yankees were going to trim their payroll, and the New York franchise across town would be the one to balloon their payroll. As it turns out, there’s no greater motivation than having your hated rival win the World Series to get you to reach deep in your pockets to ante up.

I wrote about the Yankees spending spree back in late January (because of that, a lot of this may sound familiar) and said they would definitely be in the discussion of teams to return to the postseason, and it still holds true. I really dropped the Orioles in my power rankings earlier this winter, even after they made some noise in the free agent market. And with Tampa Bay and Boston already being established power in this powerhouse of a division, here is the real reason they dropped so low: So many teams around them got a lot better, and the Orioles got minimally better.

The Yankees would be one of those teams. 

2014 Outlook: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

It comes as no shock, the story of the 2013 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was how much they underachieved, especially after the way they went out and got some of the game’s elite free agents.

Perhaps it’s just me, but I cannot see the level of talent they have continuing to be so unproductive in Anaheim.

2014 Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates

In 2013, just about everything went the way of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They controlled the National League Central for most of the year, but that gave way to the eventual National League champs. The Pirates featured the league’s MVP (Andrew McCutchen), Manager of the Year (Clint Hurdle), the Comeback Player of the Year (Francisco Liriano), and two Silver Slugger Award winners (McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez).

The beauty of the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates is they bring every single one of those guys back. When you can add the valuable experience of being in a pennant race, then a winner-take-all Wild Card game, and taking the National League’s best team to the brink of elimination in two games and fall just short, the Pirates should be better because of the experience they gained last year.

There’s a lot of things to like about the Pirates, and I’ll talk plenty about that in a second, but one player I think the Pirates will sorely miss is A.J. Burnett. Burnett’s two years in Pittsburgh have to be measured by more than just the wins/losses, ERA, and strikeouts he totaled. Burnett’s experiences handling a grueling 162 game schedule, handling pressure down the stretch of a pennant race, and then handling and performing in the postseason were so valuable, I really attribute his winning attitude towards their transformation from 2012 to 2013, and I already talked about how that could benefit his new team, Philadelphia. Burnett had one of his best campaigns in 2013 since his years with Toronto and Florida and finding the guy to fill that hole is going to be tough.

But the Pirates have no shortage of candidates.

Gerrit Cole was obviously one guy Pirates fans were ecstatic to see join the rotation. Cole won half his starts in his first year, and was as good as anyone could have asked for. Cole was incredibly consistent, but what impressed me was the way he pitched down the stretch. As Randy Moss would say, Cole was “straight cash homie!”. Cole went at least six innings in his last eight starts, and won his final four games in the midst of one the Pirates’ most important September runs in a couple decades. While he may or may not be named the Opening Day starter, Cole’s continued improvement should make him the ace of this staff in no time. I like the way Cole is throwing in Spring Training and his stuff is tremendous. In a first full big league season, it will be interesting to see if the Pirates let him loose to go the full season of innings.

Jeff Locke really established himself as a legitimate middle of the rotation starter. While Locke pitched well down the stretch, he logged only one win after July 26. It should be noted, a lot of that wasn’t Locke’s fault, he pitched incredibly well, especially in August. I’ll get to the Pirates offense soon, but I expect Locke’s win total to increase this season. Locke could be a third pitcher in this rotation with 15 wins.

The Comeback Player of the Year Francisco Liriano was one of 2013’s best stories, reviving his career after having lofty expectations in Minnesota. Liriano completely revived his career with his best season since 2010. It will be very interesting to see how Liriano comes back. He is likely to be the ace of this staff. If Liriano continues to build on what he did last year, Pittsburgh got a steal signing him up at two years, for $7-mil. Liriano’s continued success is a very big key for Pittsburgh this year, especially with the departure of Burnett.

The Pirates should see the arrival of two highly touted prospects this summer that should allow them to continue to build on what has been a great couple seasons. When Jameson Taillon makes his Major League debut this summer, it will be very interesting to see if he pitches as well as Cole did in his first summer. Some scouts say they like Taillon more than Cole. Which is definitely fair. Taillon has a big body frame that will allow him to log major innings as he matures at the big league level. Taillon was good last year at two levels, and it’s only a matter of time before Pittsburgh gives him a chance. If all their starters remain healthy and effective, putting Taillon in a relief role could be an option to get him experience at the big leagues. We’ve seen a lot of teams turn to this route before they introduce their young studs to a rotation spot. Cole did well in going right to the rotation, will Taillon take the same route? We’ll see.

The other guy Pittsburgh should get excited about is Gregory Polanco. Polanco has great skills and put those on display at the Future’s game last year. Polanco has the ability to be a balance of Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte in one of the corner outfield spots. If Jose Tabata can’t get the job done, and the Pirates start running out of options to fill that void, we could see Polanco sooner rather than later. If the Pirates are rolling, the lineup is finding consistency, the Pirates can certainly allow Polanco to continue to get regular at bats in Triple-A Indianapolis. I’m very high on Polanco, and whether it’s mid-summer or September before we see him, Polanco is going to be big time in Pittsburgh.

Now, the Pirates offense is greatly balanced. I said last year Pedro Alvarez needed to either hit with greater power, or hit for a higher average. Alvarez in 2013 hit for more power, and it was consistent across the board. He really hit his stride in 2013 and built on a very good 2012. Alvarez has become one of the premier power bats not just in the National League, but in baseball. Alvarez really benefits from great table-setters like Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen. A true number-four hitter, Pittsburgh’s patience with Alvarez is paying off. Alvarez could be on the brink of a regular season home run championship in 2014 and even beyond.

My main man Starling Marte proved me right in so many ways last season. Marte was the starting left fielder from day 1 in Pittsburgh, and I liked him to have a breakout season. The projections I’m seeing for Marte in 2014 are truthfully insulting. Marte’s strikeouts are high, yes, but National League pitching is so good, striking out a lot is going to happen. I’ve seen projections on Marte as low as .259 to .270. I think Marte is a tick above a .270 hitter. After an incredibly fast start, Marte definitely slowed down as the season wore on, but it wasn’t like he completely disappeared. Marte went on and off, being hot and cold throughout the season. I don’t think Marte is going to dip to a .260 or so average. Is he going to regress? It’s completely possible, and frankly likely. But if Marte’s average is going to regress, I’d like to see his power numbers increase. I’m not asking him to hit 25 or 30 homers, but somewhere between 15-20 would be a boost and would make him a 20/20 player.

There’s no need to expand too much on what the Pirates have in Andrew McCutchen. But I realize this comparison may come with some ridicule, which is fine, I’ve gotten my fair share of it in these previews, but when you look at it, McCutchen is playing on a level of Mike Trout. Yes, I said it. Trout’s numbers are ridiculous, but so are McCutchen’s. In the last two years, McCutchen has hit .327 (2012) and .317 (2013). Trout has gone for .326 (2012) and .323 (2013). McCutchen’s home runs went from 31 in 2012, to 21 in 2013. Trout’s went from from 30 in ‘12, to 27 in ‘13. That’s very minimal disparity. Trout steals bases at a greater rate than McCutchen, that is one area ‘Cutch’ doesn’t match up, but McCutchen has an OPB of .404 (2012) to .400 (2013) in the last two years. Trout’s? .399 in ‘12 to .432 in ‘13. There is a little bit more separation there, but a .400 OPB is certainly consistent for McCutchen. I’ve got one last stat I’ll throw at you. Trout had 35 extra base hits in 2012 (27 doubles, 8 triples) and 48 extra base hits in 2013 (39 doubles, 8 triples). McCutchen went for 35 extra base hits in 2012 (29 doubles, 6 triples) and 43 extra base hits in 2013 (38 doubles, 5 triples). The point I’m making, while Trout has been better than McCutchen in the last few years, McCutchen makes it close and I think he’s one of the most underrated players in all of baseball.

I look to one last guy to make a difference in the Pirates lineup this year, and that’s Gaby Sanchez. Sanchez’s struggles since his Marlins days have been well documented, but I really liked the pick up by the Pirates when they got him.

Sanchez should get the lionshare of starts at first base with the departure of Garrett Jones to Miami. If Sanchez can get back to his 2010-11 production levels, I think Pittsburgh has found another hidden gem.

Along with the strong starting rotation and a great lineup, the Pirates also have one of the best bullpens in baseball. Jason Grilli and Mark Melancon were All-Stars last year, but those two arms aren’t the only two effective arms out there. Vin Mazzaro is a nice hurler out of that bullpen and Jeanmar Gomez was a do-it-all guy the Pirates could go to in almost any circumstance. While year-to-year, bullpens are a crapshoot to predict how they’ll do, the Bucs bullpen could be one of the stronger units in baseball.

I really like the 2014 Pirates to not only contend for a Wild Card spot at the very least, I like them to contend for an NL Central Divisional crown and play deep into October.