Oakland Now Serves Country Breakfast

As the wintery offseason wears on and on and gigantic contracts are being signed, we have another contract to discuss. No, it is not Giancarlo Stanoton's $325 million mega signing, or Jason Heyward's trade to the a Cardinals, but a rather surprising one coming from the AL champions. 

The story broke Tuesday night that Billy Butler, warmly known as "Country Breakfast", had signed a 3 year, $30 million contract with the Oakland Athletics.

I'm having trouble picturing him in green and yellow. Courtesy of Baseball Reference.

 Butler, 28, had finished his 8th season with the Royals, hitting .271 (career low) with 9 home runs (career low since his rookie year of 8) and 66 RBIs. This is an intriguing signing to say the least, so let's look at it from a variety of angles: 1) how it affects the Royals, 2) how it affects Butler, and 3) how it affects the A's moving forward. Shall we?

How It Affects the Royals
Coming from my perspective, whenever I watched Billy Butler play, he absolutely raked. Butler's career stats against his AL Central opponents are rather inflated compared to his future home in sunny Oakland: against AL Central opponents, Butler hit .301 in 534 career games while only hitting .283 in 200 career games against AL West opponents. There are a couple of factors that could explain this nearly 30 point increase in batting average:

• Travel: when the Royals went to anywhere in the AL Central, it was either in the same time zone or only one hour ahead, versus a trip out west which is one or two hours behind and a 2,000 mile journey to Seattle (I picked the longest trip to skew the data in my favor, sue me) - that could put a hitch in your swing.
• Experience: Butler has hit well against the Central's best pitching, including a .405 average against Justin Verlander and a .357 average against Chris Sale, but that's because he's faced them so much more than most any other pitcher. Like any good hitter, he's adjusted to what they've thrown and made them pay, but will he do the same out west? In his career, Butler is hitting .211 against CJ Wilson and .217 against Felix Hernandez. We'll be getting more exposure to watching him face the West aces and see if his improvement is real talent or just has a knack for ruining the Central's day. 

How does this affect the Royals? To put it simply, without Butler, I think it will be much harder for them to be as competitive as they were this year. The Royals finished a game behind the Tigers in the Central and still snagged a Wild Card spot, but they didn't play all that well against the Central; 39-37 overall including 6-13 against Detroit and 9-10 against Cleveland. They took care of business against Chicago (13-6) and Minnesota (11-8) and they should have, considering they were AL Champs and the White Sox and Twins trudged below .500 most of the year. While the Royals as a team struggled to beat the better Central teams consistently, Butler had no trouble, hitting .298 with 2 home runs against Tigers pitching and .279 with another 2 home runs against Indians pitching (.289 against all AL Central pitching). Keep in mind: Butler only hit .271 this year with 9 home runs.

So you're telling me he hit 18 points higher in the Central, 27 points higher against the division winner, and almost half his home runs came against the only other teams above .500 in that division? If the Royals want to take the division crown in 2015 rather than settle for a Wild Card spot again, they will need someone to step up like Butler did against the AL Central. 

As for the Royals lineup in general, Butler, primarily their cleanup hitter, served as excellent protection to Hosmer and Cain or whoever was batting 3rd that day depending on the pitcher. In 2014, he hit cleanup in 78 games, 3rd in 27 games, 6th in 23 games, 5th in 11 games, and 7th and 9th a few random times as a PH. Now, the Royals finished at 89-73 last year, a winning percentage of .549 and good enough for the 2nd Wild Card spot. When Butler appeared in games (not necessarily started, but had an AB or an inning in the field), the Royals were 85-66, which was a better winning percentage of .563. When Butler did not play, the Royals were 4-7. I know that's not a lot to pick from, but most of the games he missed were in September, and notably 2 in the same series at Detroit and another against Detroit at home which allowed the Tigers to widen their division margin. See what I mean how he's useful to the team? 

Here's their lineup moving forward (assuming Aoki does not re-sign with the team)

1) Dyson, CF

2) Infante, 2B 

3) Cain, RF

4) Hosmer, 1B

5) Perez, C

6) Gordon, LF

7) DH

8) Moustakas, 3B (hopefully he can repeat his postseason power surge)

9) Escobar, SS

So far the Royals have been quiet on the DH market. I think Michael Morse would fit in really well in Kansas City, he's cheap and has a huge swing for a huge park, but I also read a post today from a blog called Pine Tar Press saying Yasmany Tomas, the Cuban defector, would be a good fit for Kansas City. While I certainly agree with that statement in that Tomas could hit well in such a spacious field and give fellow Cuban Jose Abreu a run for his AL Central and ROY money, I don' think the Royals are the type of team to go sign a big free agent like that. After all, the only few players that they didn't grow themselves on the farm were Infante and Escobar. They don't rely on buying talent. They make it.

Long story short, I think the Royals will still be competitive, but by judging how strong Butler really was when it mattered, that's too big of a loss for the Royals to make up unless they do something huge at the Winter Meetings in a few weeks. 

How It Affects Butler

It will be hard parting with his first team, that is for sure. But he's in for a huge payday by moving out to Oakland; Butler made $8 million last year for the Royals and now he'll make $10 million - even after having a career low year. 

Jon and I were chatting about the A's signing Butler and how this came as a little bit of a shock for how much money he's getting despite having an uncharacteristically unproductive season. He said "guess this player and how much money they will make next year" and gave me the stat line of .271/.323/.379, 9 home runs, 66 RBIs. I first guessed Jacoby Ellsbury, was wrong, then guessed Kyle Seager, again wrong, and he told me Billy Butler and that he was going to make $10 million. To put that in perspective, that's working 1,226,994 hours at minimum wage, or 30,674 work weeks, which is 589 YEARS. But here's the shocking part: it wasn't just a low year, he's been plummeting the last 3 years. Check it out:

• stat: 2012/2013/2014
• average: .313/.289/.271
• slugging: .510/.412/.379
• on-base plus slugging: .882/.787/.702
• home runs: 29/15/9
• RBI: 107/82/66
• total bases: 313/240/208
• hits: 192/168/149

Granted, he played 11 fewer games in 2014 than 2013 but if he can hit 18 points higher, 6 home runs, 16 RBIs and 20 hits in 11 games, then he deserves the $10 million. 

Aside from the payday, I think the O.co Coliseum will fit his swing very well. Butler is a powerful hitter, but does not have a home run swing. 

.gif courtesy of MLB.com.

He swings downward on the ball, which makes him a great low ball hitter (as seen here) but also means he won't hit as many towering fly balls as Giancarlo Stanton, for example, who has a rather uppercut swing. 

See what I mean? Stanton aims to hit home runs (and holy cow does he) while Butler is a much more line drive type hitter, hence why he has good doubles numbers and only decent home runs numbers (his doubles were the only stat not to decrease from 2012-2014 - in fact, they increased). Here's a very well analyzed FanGraphs article proving my point. O.co Coliseum is a big park, but it can play tricks on you.  

See what I mean? Courtesy of Oaklandathletics.com

Given the massive foul territory and the centerfield grandstand that shoots into the sky, the field looks much bigger than it actually is, and it is actually smaller than Kauffman stadium (10 feet shorter to centerfield). Ample room for Butler to keep hitting doubles and hopefully get those RBI's back up.

How It Affects the A's

Billy Beane does it again.

The FanGraphs article I referenced earlier said that the A's have never had 3 $10million players on the roster at the same time under Beane until now. Butler is a great fit in terms of his swing matching, but the lineup doesn't really get a lot of help. Oakland's batting ranked 12th in the AL last year, hitting only .244 but they were third in the AL in runs scored. I will never understand how they grow to be such good situational hitters, but the fact of the matter is, Billy Butler is just like the rest of the A's: good power, good situational hitting, low average. But that's the Billy Beane way, so it makes it such a beautiful signing (I'm also just now learning of the Billy Beane Billy Butler alliteration and I love it). Here's what their lineup looks like:

1) Crisp, CF

2) Donaldson, 3B

3) Gomes, LF

4) Butler, DH

5) Moss, 1B

6) Reddick, RF

7) Norris, C

8) Lowrie, SS

9) Sogard, 2B

Really not a bad lineup. Serious home run threat and great timely hitting. Again, its the Billy Beane way. 

Butler? His OBP isn't bad, but its certainly better than last year's DH in Alberto Callaspo. 

To bring it all back around, I think the A's will be better off than last year, the Royals will be slightly worse unless they can sign someone big, and Butler is happily driving to the bank in essentially whatever vehicle he chooses. 

Thanks for reading. 

Grading My Predictions (ew)

Top of the morning to you all out there. Between watching way too much of the World Cup and working the Star Wars Night at Fifth Third last night, it slipped past me that the Major League season is exactly half way done. As I write this through the tears that another season is halfway in the books, I thought it would be proper to go back to grade my predictions and award winners this far - and hope that I won't lose all credibility whatsoever.

Here's how it will work: for each division, I will list the records I predicted, the current standings, a grade of my prediction, and a quick rundown of how each team has been playing. Here we go!

AL East:

My guess: 

1) Boston 100-62

2) Tampa Bay 93-69

3) New York 91-71

4) Baltimore 82-80

5) Toronto 72-90

Current standings:

1) Toronto 45-38

2) Baltimore 42-38

3) New York 41-38

4) Boston 37-44

5) Tampa Bay 34-49

Grade: F

Basically flip flop the standings and I'd be right. Behind Buehrle's 10 wins and Encarnacion's crazy power numbers, the Jays are flying right past my prediction. The Orioles have had similar success with Nelson Cruz's power outburst and production from Crush Davis and Adam Jones. The Yankees will probably finish around .500, not 20 games above like I predicted. Injury issues with Beltran and a lack of production from McCann overshadow Tanaka's glowing start. Boston has had injury problems as well with Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino and its hurt. Brock Holt has been a bright replacement but Jackie Bradley Jr. is a big step behind where Jacoby Ellsbury was last year in center. The Rays just can't produce. Though David Price leads the league in strikeouts, the Rays simply can't hit - former ROYs Evan Longoria and Wil Myers are hitting .264 and .227, respectively. James Loney is the team's best hitter at .280 and they are 11th in the AL in team average and home runs. Missing Matt Moore hurts a lot as the Rays starters have the worst win-loss percentage in the AL, despite a team ERA of 3.87. Grant Balfour has been grossly underwhelming with only 10 saves and a bloated ERA of 5.52. The Rays need to turn it around fast.

AL Central:

My predictions: 

1) Detroit 95-67

2) Cleveland 93-69

3) Kansas City 86-76

4) Chicago 71-91

5) Minnesota 69-93

Current standings: 

1) Detroit 44-33

2) Kansas City 41-39

3) Cleveland 39-41

4) Chicago 38-44

5) Minnesota 36-43

My grade: B-

In terms of standings, I wasn't that far off except for switching the Indians and Royals. In terms of records, I overprojected for the top and underprojected the bottom. The Tigers had their annual early season slump, losing 16 of 22 games but have slowly clawed their way back to the top of the the weakest division in the AL behind strong starting pitching and the Martinezes (Victor and JD) just mashing (Victor: .323, 20 home runs, JD: .311, 9 home runs, AL player of the week). Eugenio Suarez has been a pleasant surprise at shortstop filling in for the injured Jose Iglesias, hitting .300 with 3 home runs in 21 games. The Royals are incredibly streaky, winning 10 in a row and then losing 4. Pitching is solid, but their big names need to start hitting - Hosmer (.249), Infante (.244) and Moustakas (.178, also the coolest name in baseball) need to step up for a postseason run. Cleveland is the same story. Cory Kluber and Josh Tomlin have picked up the slack for a quiet Justin Masterson and now Oriole Ubaldo Jimenez, but the team's hitting is weak. Except for Brantley (.321) and Chisenhall (.350), the big names are again coming up short. Swisher (.195), Santana (.209) and Kipnis (.254) need to get hot for the team to make a run. Chicago has had the opposite problem; they mash the ball (scoring 354 runs, 6th in AL) but have allowed the most runs in the AL (389). Alexei Ramirez has found his stroke, hitting .295 and rookie Jose Abreu has lived up to his power hype, slugging .631 and is tied for first in the MLB with 25 dingers is 4th in RBI with 63. The Twins are proving to play spoiler behind big seasons from Brian Dozier, Kurt Suzuki, and starting pitcher Phil Hughes. Joe Mauer's uncharacteristically low .271 average will perk up with Kendrys Morales to protect him and this team could play .500 ball down the stretch when Plouffe comes off the DL.

AL West

My predictions: 

1) Oakland 92-70

2) Texas 90-72

3) LA 81-81

4) Seattle 74-88

5) Houston 57-108

Current standings:

1) Oakland 50-30

2) LA 45-34

3) Seattle 43-38

4) Texas 37-43

5) Houston 35-47

Grade: C-

Well, I got Oakland right. Scott Kazmir (9-3, 2.66) has provided a surprising amount of stability for the starting rotation, allowing Sonny Gray (7-3, 3.20) and Jesse Chavez (6-4, 2.94) to have great seasons. An offensive anomaly, the A's rank 8th in team average (.254) but first in runs (414) - they love the long ball and situational hitting, I suppose. The Angels have perked up considering Pujols is back to Pujols and Trout is hitting for more power despite stealing fewer bases and striking out more. CJ Cron, Colin Cowgill, and Hank Conger are great role playing backups that give Scioscia breathing room if someone gets hurt. With a strong rotation of 3 pitchers boasting 8 wins and a team ERA of 3.87, the Angels will have to hope for the Wild Card given how Oakland is playing. As I predicted, Cano is hitting for a very good average (.316) but little power (4 home runs), but is providing good leadership as Kyle Seager has come out of his shell a little bit. King Felix is King Felix and surprisingly Chris Young is their 2nd best starter (7-4, 3.15); Fernando Rodney is 6th in MLB with 22 saves but is also Fernando Rodney with a WHIP of 1.27. Texas: injuries. Derek Holland, Prince Fielder, Mitch Moreland, Matt Harrison, Tanner Scheppers, Alexi Ogando, Robbie Ross, and Martin Perez have all served or are serving time on the DL. In Beltre we trust (.333, .378, .512). Houston is shocking, considering Jose Altuve is having the best season for any second basemen so far this year (.343, 113 hits, 34 steals). George Springer has also been a bright spot from the minors, showing the farm system is fruitful - Springer leads the team with 15 home runs and 40 RBI in 63 games.

I'll do the National League tomorrow - I don't want to wear you all out (okay, I lied, I'm actually just headed out to go golfing on my day off).

Thanks for reading! 

The Unsung Hero

After the Indians beat the Tigers on a walk-off balk, I couldn't help but notice the one guy throughout the series that was the thorn in the Tigers' side: Michael Brantley. Brantley, who just turned 27 6 days ago, is known as Dr. Smooth to the Cleveland faithful, and though a lot of people don't know it yet, I think Brantley has the tools to win an MVP in his career. 

Brantley was born out in Washington state and was drafted originally by the Brewers in the 2005 draft right out of high school. As a young 18-year old in rookie ball

, Brantley hit .343 in 54 games (2 teams) with 28 walks and 16 steals. Each following year, Brantley found himself at a higher level of the game, and still hitting well. In 2006, he hit .300. In 2007, he hit .296. In 2008, he hit .319. It was getting better and better for Brantley, and then came a change of scenery.

Brantley's Brewers finished 83-79 in 2007, good enough for 2nd in the NL Central.  Deciding that the team needed more pitching to make that final push to the playoffs, they made a deal with Cleveland to bring ace CC Sabathia to Milwaukee in return for Matt LaPorta, Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson, and a player to be named later - which would eventually be Brantley. Indians GM Mark Shapiro was quoted in 2008 saying why he liked Brantley: "We like him because he gives us a combination of plate discipline, speed and athleticism."

Well, that's exactly what they got. 

Brantley has continued to hit at the Major League level, though not as torrid as he was in the minors - but keep in mind, he's only 27 and has been getting better ever since. Since 2010, his batting average has increased every single year, with the exception of '12-'13 when it dipped 4 points from .288 to .284 (still not bad). Currently, he is hitting .291 with 9 home runs and 33 RBI (as of May 20) and is slugging .515 - in a park that is routinely in the top 5 for pitcher friendliness (Progressive Field).

But let's look at the bigger picture. I said earlier that he has MVP capability - I don't mean by talent but by actual value. He's not as talented of a hitter as Pujols or Cabrera, there is no getting around that, but in terms of his actual value, he is right up there. Before play began today, the Indians were 21-25 and last in the AL Central. They are missing Jason Kipnis, Jason Giambi (trainer must not like dudes named Jason), their ace (Justin Masterson) is putting up aggressively average numbers and their new closer (John Axford) is replicating the exact behavior the Indians hated in their last closer (Chris Perez). Nick Swisher, a catalyst and leader, is hitting .211. Carlos Santana, another leader, is hitting .151. Shockingly low at this point in the season for hitters of this caliber. Michael Bourn, their best base stealer and leadoff hitter, has been suffering from a nagging hamstring injury and cannot steal bases nor play an effective centerfield. The wheels are falling off the bus in Cleveland.

Brantley is doing all he can to make that bus run again. 

This series against the Tigers, Brantley brought the thunder. There is no other way to put it. On Monday night, he walked off the Tigers in the bottom of the tenth. Last night, he went 1-4, and today was another dagger, going 4-7 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs on the way to beating the Tigers in 13 innings. According to my MLB At Bat app, Brantley is now hitting .302 on the season, the highest on the Indians. In wins, Brantley is hitting 98 points higher than in losses (.342 vs. 244).

If that isn't value, I don't know what is.

In other news, Don Kelly drew two walks and scored a run.

Thanks for reading. 

Jose Abreu

Get used to this name. On Sunday (April 27), Abreu broke the rookie record for RBIs in the month of April with 31, and he still has a number of games to go. As of tonight in the 7th inning, he has 0 RBIs against the Rays but still could get more. Abreu also has two more games to go after this game, both home games against the Tigers. According to the MLB At Bat app, 2011 Cy Young winner Justin Verlander is throwing Game One of the two-game series (April 29th), and 2013 Cy Young winner Max Scherzer has Game 2 (April 30th). Yes, Abreu does have two games left but they are against some of the best pitchers in the game. That said, Detroit's bullpen is...inadequate we'll say, so if the tables are set he might able to collect a few more in the late innings. 

In 13 out of 26 games played, Abreu has 18 of his league-leading 31 RBIs at home. 24 of his 31 have also come against right-handed pitchers, which of course Verlander and Scherzer both are. Interestingly enough, though, Abreu has collected 13 RBIs with two strikes on him, so it will be an interesting battle between two of the leagues premiere strike throwers versus an excellent two strike hitter. 

Also in his favor is the fact that he simply owns Verlander. In the April 22nd Tigers/White Sox game, Abreu took Verlander deep to centerfield

Abreu taking Verlander to the woodshed.

(an impressive feat in the spacious Comerica Park) in the first inning and then collected another hit in the 6th. We'll see how Verlander fares against Abreu tomorrow night against the Sox, he is 15-12 with a 3.98 ERA against them in his career. We have a very small sample size for Verlander vs. Abreu only (one game), but the history shows Abreu has the upper hand. 

Abreu had the complete opposite luck against Scherzer. Later in that same series, the April 24th game against the Sox, Scherzer struck Abreu out twice on the way to his second win of the season. Abreu would finish 0-5. 

A lot of this depends on the rest of the White Sox team too and whether or not they can get on base. Obviously Abreu is a major power threat, driving himself in 10 times, but with others on base, there is some pressure off the new slugger and he could just strengthen his record. 

Abreu has the rookie record, beating Pujols' 2001 mark of 30 steaks. Abreu has an outside shot at the MLB record for April, owned by Juan Gonzalez's 35 RBIs. It would take some handsome batting but it can be done. 

Although he is in the AL Central and will undoubtedly terrorize my Tigers for years to come, I love seeing Abreu crush a baseball and watch it fly into the warm Chicago nights. With Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn aging quickly, he will be a more than capable replacement at either DH or first base. I think he is an incredible talent and I am thankful that 1) he is in the Majors and not stuck in Cuba,

2) is on my fantasy team and no one else's, and 3) you took the time to read this post. Enjoy what's left of your Monday. 

Also, happy birthday to Barry Larkin! Michigan grad, I shouted "Go Blue" at the Induction parade last summer and he gave me an air-fist bump. It was pretty sweet. Have a good one. 

2014 Predictions: AL Central

The AL Central was a tough one to decide. A lot of teams are on the upswing right now and truthfully I think between the Tigers and Indians, it's anybody's race with the Royals playing an excellent spoiler. Give it a few years and I think we could see them at the top of the list here too. Here's what I have going into 2014:

1. Detroit 95-67
The Tigers went through a major facelift this offseason, removing some of their major power in Prince Fielder and acquiring more speed in Rajai Davis (45 steals in 108 games in 2013), a balanced attack in 3-time All-Star Ian Kinsler (.277, 15 steals, 13 home runs, 72 RBI's in 136 games). The bullpen, consistently the Tigers' worry for the past few years, was also revamped, signing closing stud Joe Nathan to two years as well as Joba Chamberlain to bolster the back end of the bullpen. Expect Bruce Rondon to pick up more innings as he hones his offspeed pitches in Florida. Jose Iglesias will be the every day human-highlight reel, locking down the middle infield with the sure-handed (sometimes) Kinsler. Under new management, April will be slow (when isn't it for the Tigers), especially with highly touted rookie Nick Castellanos starting at third, but Ausmus will right the ship and the league's best rotation will right the wrongs. 

2. Cleveland 93-69
Opposite of the Tigers, the Tribe will have their classic hot start, but they won't be as inconsistent as last year (2 5-game losing streaks, ending the season with a 10-game winning streak). Ubaldo Jimenez has gone to Baltimore, so that will put more weight on youngster Danny Salazar to perform well in his number two position. I can see him having a great year, between 15-20 wins and a 3.30 or so ERA. Chris Perez is also gone, which is honestly a blessing. Last season, he pitched in 54 games but only completed 25 saves. In addition, the bullpen lost submariner Joe Smith and Vinnie Pestano, but did pick up veteran hurler John Axford, who has been shaky as a closer to say the least. Pitching aside, the Indians can just plain hit. Last year they finished 4th in the AL in runs scored and that should only go up this year. Bourn is a demon on the base paths, and Kipnis/Cabrera both had down years (hard to believe .284 is down for Kip). Rumor has it Santana may move to third to give slugging Brazilian backstop Yan Gomes a shot at the everyday catching position. With the addition of David Murphy, Michael Brantley's extension, and Raburn holding down the right field corner, the Indians outfield crew is legit. With the veteran (and incredibly bro-tastic) leadership of Nick Swisher, Jason Giambi, and Tito, expect to see the Tribe in October. I would not be surprised with them win the division, but their rotation is an area of concern.

3. Kansas City 86-76
Another great young team that I think has an outside shot at the wild card, if not the division. Once the Royals hired George Brett as their hitting coach, they went on a tear and did not look back. With James Shields, Jeremy Guthrie and newly acquired Justin Vargas heading the rotation, their team ERA will be very good and bullpen will not have to do a lot of work, even if they do have All-Star Greg Holland waiting. Bruce Chen also always is a respectable spot starter, going 9-4 last year, and Danny Duffy will get the ball more often as well. On the other side of the ball, the Royals have one of the youngest lineups in the league. Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler, Mike Moustakas (coolest name in the league if you ask me) and Salvador Perez all are still under the age of 28, and Alex Gordon is reaching his prime and just turned 30 earlier this month. Omar Infante is the elder statesmen (hard to believe) of Kauffman Stadium, entering his age 32 season and coming off of an incredible .318/.345/.450 campaign in division-rival Detroit. The Royals are still very young and need a few more pieces to the puzzle, like an everyday right fielder. If their tablesetters do their job, then Hosmer and Butler will have a blast. 

4. Chicago 71-91
There is not a whole lot to be excited about on the South Side this year other than Abreu and Chris Sale. Adam Eaton is a great pick up from Arizona, finally securing an everyday center fielder who can get on base consistently, but they had to give up Addison Reed, leaving the back end of the bullpen exposed. Avisail Garcia will be the everyday right fielder, supplying a healthy balance of power and speed to the lineup. He still has a lot of maturing to do, but when he's grown into his absurdly athletic frame, he'll be fun to watch. Last year, the only pitcher that had a winning record was Jake Peavy, who is now in Boston wearing a big old championship. Sale went 11-14 still with nasty stuff, and a lot of that is in part of the lack of offense. Hopefully Abreu can help with that but with the infield essentially as a revolving door and Alexei Ramirez as the defensively worst shortstop in the league, the Sox won't be much of a threat.

5. Minnesota 69-93
Even less of a threat will be the Twins up north. If the snow ever goes away, they'll finally get to playing up in the beautiful Target Field. With Justin Morneau gone to Pittsburgh, Mauer will have a lot of pressure on his head and shoulders (please tell me you got the joke), but adding veteran Kurt Suzuki will help foster the rotation. Byron Buxton, one of the most talked about prospects in modern years, will probably make his debut, and let's be honest, the Twins don't have a lot to lose in the outfield so he might as well start every day. The rotation picked up Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes, both solid guys that won't be in the Cy Young conversation but will get 10-12 wins each. Legend Paul Molitor joined the coaching staff as well, so they have a recipe for success, but there still a few AAAA (players too good for minors but not good enough for majors) plugging the remaining holes such as Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Parmelee, and Aaron Hicks. Also, I will go on record that Glen Perkins is one of the best closers in the league, but he so rarely gets save opportunities so he can never really shine. I had him on my fantasy team last year and he was an absolute stud - 2-0, 2.30 ERA, 36 saves, and only blew 4. Gardenhire knows what he's doing and the Twins won't be in the cellar much longer, but this won't be the Twins year.