In what appears to be a depressing 3 1/2 months, pitchers, catchers and injured players will report to their respective clubs for the start of spring training, all with hopes of winning the 2013 World Series. There must be some mistake. Did they play 162 games this year or did we miss a couple of months somewhere? You may be asking yourself is there anything to possibly look forward to between now and March? Lets see...
The winter meetings, and the rumors, speculation and excitement that surround this yearly baseball festival will get any fan's heart racing in anticipation of free agent signings, trades and the effect it has on your favorite team. Several big name free agents are available such as Zack Greinke, Josh Hamilton, Rafael Soriano, Nick Swisher, B.J. Upton and playoff hero, taken out at second, dust himself off, and as an encore knock in the winner for the sweep, Mr. Marco Scutaro, to name just a few.
A new team in the AL. Ok, its Houston(you might not call them a major league team), and yes, they have a problem. Moving to the Junior Circuit with a punch-less offence will not exactly make a pitching staff tremble, but they did slash their payroll this summer, so they might be a big player in the free agent market.
When your GM says your no longer a super-star caliber player anymore, yet you wont be traded, consider that a kiss of death. While there is no guarantee that Alex Rodriguez will be traded this winter don't be overly shocked if it happened. Paying someone 30 million to not be a super-star is not a formula for success. Any takers?
Oh Melky Cabrera. Left off the playoff roster even though you would have won a batting title and were eligible to come back? Obviously the Giants made a huge...no, wait; they won the World Series without you. Even though you hurt your free agent value, your 28 years old, a heck of a talent, and someone will offer a contract. Don't count the Giants completely out on this one. They love cheating outfielders in the Bay area, don’t they?
As hard as this seems to believe the Rays will consider trading David Price. They desperately need offence, have a ton of pitching, and this small market team has what all teams need or want another of - a true ace. The Jays could offer a package that the Rays can’t turn down, wouldn’t it be nice to see Price in a Jays uniform? The Rays need a catcher, and the Jays have plenty!
After losing 90 games for the first time in 46 years, this baseball-obsessed town will let the front office know they expect more from their Boston Red Sox. While the club shed a pile of money from their payroll, they still have holes to fill and the ever-present rumors of what will happen to Jacoby Ellsbury. Bringing John Farrell in may help in the sense that he is not Bobby Valentine, but this team could have done better especially since Farrell is once again asked to be the dugout leader for a rebuilding organization. Ask the Jays how that worked out for them.
Speaking of Bobby V - Bobby Valentine rid the clubhouse of chicken and beer but made way too many mistakes with the press concerning veteran players. Since its Movember lets remember Bobby as the kind of guy who gets tossed but comes back to the dugout 'incognito' sporting a thick, black moustache as he did so many years ago with the Mets.
Can't wait for the spring but a lot of excitement lies ahead.
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