The Bum's April Major League Baseball Trends-Stats-Notes Etc. !

[StarDust Bum]

MLB Calendar

March 31, 2015

April 1 - Last day to request unconditional release waivers on a player without having to pay his full 2014 salary.

April 5 - Opening day, St. Louis at Chicago Cubs. Active rosters reduced to 25 players.

May 20-21 - Owners' meeting, New York.

June 8 - Amateur draft begins.

July 14 - All-Star game, Cincinnati.

July 17 - Last day to sign for amateur draft picks subject to deadline.

July 26 - Hall of Fame inductions, Cooperstown, N.Y.

July 31 - Last day to trade a player without securing waivers.

Sept. 1 - Active rosters expand to 40 players.

November TBA - Deadline for teams to make qualifying offers to their eligible former players who became free agents, fifth day after World Series.

November TBA - Deadline for free agents to accept qualifying offers, 12th day after World Series.

Dec. 2 - Last day for teams to offer 2016 contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man rosters.

Dec. 7-10 - Winter meetings, Nashville, Tenn.

[StarDust Bum]

Remaining Free Agents

March 31, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) -The 16 remaining free agents:

BOSTON (1) - Ryan Dempster, rhp.

CHICAGO (1) - Paul Konerko, 1b.

CLEVELAND (1) - Jason Giambi, 1b.

KANSAS CITY (2) - Raul Ibanez, of; Josh Willingham, of.

LOS ANGELES (2) - Sean Burnett, lhp; John McDonald, ss.

NEW YORK (2) - Rich Hill, lhp; Derek Jeter, ss.

---

ATLANTA (1) - Ryan Doumit, c.

LOS ANGELES (1) - Josh Beckett, rhp.

MILWAUKEE (1) - Lyle Overbay, 1b.

NEW YORK (1) - Bobby Abreu, of.

ST. LOUIS (1) - Mark Ellis, 2b.

WASHINGTON (2) - Scott Hairston, of; Rafael Soriano, rhp.

[StarDust Bum]

2015 Baseball Millionaires, Preliminary List

March 31, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) -The 2015 salaries for the 499 major league baseball players on active rosters, disabled lists and the restricted list as of 3 p.m. EDT on March 31 earning $1 million or more. Figures were obtained by The Associated Press from management and player sources and include salaries and pro-rated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income. For some players, parts of salaries deferred without interest are discounted to reflect present-day values.

Player, Club Salary

1, Clayton Kershaw, LAD $31,000,000

2, Justin Verlander, Det 28,000,000

3, Zack Greinke, LAD 27,000,000

4, Josh Hamilton, LAA 25,400,000

5, Ryan Howard, Phi 25,000,000

(tie) Cliff Lee, Phi 25,000,000

7, Felix Hernandez, Sea 24,857,143

8, CC Sabathia, NYY 24,285,714

9, Robinson Cano, Sea 24,000,000

(tie) Prince Fielder, Tex 24,000,000

(tie) Albert Pujols, LAA 24,000,000

12, Cole Hamels, Phi 23,500,000

13, Mark Teixeira, NYY 23,125,000

14, Joe Mauer, Min 23,000,000

15, Miguel Cabrera, Det 22,000,000

(tie) Jose Reyes, Tor 22,000,000

(tie) Alex Rodriguez, NYY 22,000,000

(tie) Masahiro Tanaka, NYY 22,000,000

19, Adrian Gonzalez, LAD 21,857,143

20, Jayson Werth, Was 21,571,429

21, Carl Crawford, LAD 21,357,143

22, Matt Kemp, SD 21,250,000

23, Jacoby Ellsbury, NYY 21,142,857

24, Matt Cain, SF 20,833,333

25, Mark Buehrle, Tor 20,000,000

(tie) Jon Lester, Cubs 20,000,000

(tie) Troy Tulowitzki, Col 20,000,000

28, David Price, Det 19,750,000

(tie) Hanley Ramirez, Bos 19,750,000

30, Adam Wainwright, StL 19,500,000

31, David Wright, NYM 19,347,171

32, Hunter Pence, SF 18,700,000

33, C.J. Wilson, LAA 18,500,000

34, Jered Weaver, LAA 18,200,000

35, Andre Ethier, LAD 18,000,000

(tie) Tim Lincecum, SF 18,000,000

37, Pablo Sandoval, Bos 17,600,000

38, Buster Posey, SF 17,277,778

39, Max Scherzer, Was 17,142,857

40, Brian McCann, NYY 17,000,000

41, Anibal Sanchez, Det 16,800,000

42, Jordan Zimmermann, Was 16,500,000

43, Carlos Gonzalez, Col 16,428,571

44, Matt Holliday, StL 16,227,958

45, Adrian Beltre, Tex 16,000,000

(tie) Curtis Granderson, NYM 16,000,000

(tie) Ian Kinsler, Det 16,000,000

(tie) Mike Napoli, Bos 16,000,000

(tie) David Ortiz, Bos 16,000,000

50, John Danks, WSox 15,750,000

51, Elvis Andrus, Tex 15,333,333

52, Yadier Molina, StL 15,200,000

53, Melvin Upton, Atl 15,050,000

54, Carlos Beltran, NYY 15,000,000

(tie) Jhonny Peralta, StL 15,000,000

(tie) Nick Swisher, Cle 15,000,000

57, Justin Upton, SD 14,708,333

58, Nelson Cruz, Sea 14,250,000

59, Jose Bautista, Tor 14,000,000

(tie) Shin-soo Choo, Tex 14,000,000

(tie) Victor Martinez, Det 14,000,000

(tie) Aramis Ramirez, Mil 14,000,000

(tie) Joey Votto, Cin 14,000,000

(tie) Ryan Zimmerman, Was 14,000,000

65, Alex Gordon, KC 13,750,000

66, Michael Bourn, Cle 13,500,000

(tie) Ervin Santana, Min 13,500,000

68, Ryan Braun, Mil 13,398,611

69, Adam Jones, Bal 13,307,069

70, Matt Harrison, Tex 13,200,000

71, Melky Cabrera, WSox 13,000,000

(tie) Yovani Gallardo, Tex 13,000,000

(tie) Chase Headley, NYY 13,000,000

(tie) Edwin Jackson, Cubs 13,000,000

(tie) Scott Kazmir, Oak 13,000,000

(tie) Jonathan Papelbon, Phi 13,000,000

(tie) Shane Victorino, Bos 13,000,000

78, Jorge De La Rosa, Col 12,500,000

(tie) Brett Gardner, NYY 12,500,000

(tie) Brandon McCarthy, LAD 12,500,000

(tie) Rick Porcello, Bos 12,500,000

82, Clay Buchholz, Bos 12,250,000

83, Matt Garza, Mil 12,209,425

84, Trevor Cahill, Ari 12,200,000

85, Dustin Pedroia, Bos 12,142,349

86, Brandon Phillips, Cin 12,083,333

87, Jay Bruce, Cin 12,041,667

88, R.A. Dickey, Tor 12,000,000

(tie) Aaron Hill, Ari 12,000,000

(tie) Tim Hudson, SF 12,000,000

(tie) Adam LaRoche, WSox 12,000,000

(tie) Miguel Montero, Cubs 12,000,000

(tie) Ricky Nolasco, Min 12,000,000

94, Ubaldo Jimenez, Bal 11,923,103

95, Francisco Liriano, Pit 11,666,667

96, Evan Longoria, Tam 11,500,018

97, Rusney Castillo, Bos 11,400,000

(tie) Doug Fister, Was 11,400,000

99, J.J. Hardy, Bal 11,209,425

100, Gio Gonzalez, Was 11,100,000

101, Bartolo Colon, NYM 11,000,000

(tie) Coco Crisp, Oak 11,000,000

(tie) Ian Desmond, Was 11,000,000

(tie) Dan Haren, Fla 11,000,000

(tie) Kyle Lohse, Mil 11,000,000

(tie) Nick Markakis, Atl 11,000,000

(tie) Martin Prado, Fla 11,000,000

(tie) Jimmy Rollins, LAD 11,000,000

109, Yoenis Cespedes, Det 10,500,000

(tie) Torii Hunter, Min 10,500,000

111, Angel Pagan, SF 10,250,000

112, Andrew McCutchen, Pit 10,208,333

113, Brett Anderson, LAD 10,000,000

(tie) Homer Bailey, Cin 10,000,000

(tie) Johnny Cueto, Cin 10,000,000

(tie) Yu Darvish, Tex 10,000,000

(tie) Edwin Encarnacion, Tor 10,000,000

(tie) Scott Feldman, Hou 10,000,000

(tie) Joe Nathan, Det 10,000,000

(tie) Alexei Ramirez, WSox 10,000,000

(tie) David Robertson, WSox 10,000,000

(tie) James Shields, SD 10,000,000

(tie) Chase Utley, Phi 10,000,000

124, Howie Kendrick, LAD 9,850,000

(tie) Ian Kennedy, SD 9,850,000

126, Jeff Samardzija, WSox 9,800,000

127, Mike Leake, Cin 9,775,000

128, Bronson Arroyo, Ari 9,500,000

(tie) Dexter Fowler, Cubs 9,500,000

(tie) Justin Masterson, Bos 9,500,000

(tie) Alex Rios, KC 9,500,000

(tie) Cody Ross, Ari 9,500,000

133, Mat Latos, Fla 9,400,000

134, Jaime Garcia, StL 9,375,000

135, Craig Kimbrel, Atl 9,250,000

136, Phil Hughes, Min 9,200,000

137, Jonathan Broxton, Mil 9,000,000

(tie) Jeremy Guthrie, KC 9,000,000

(tie) Jason Hammel, Cubs 9,000,000

(tie) Andrew Miller, NYY 9,000,000

(tie) Jake Peavy, SF 9,000,000

(tie) Denard Span, Was 9,000,000

(tie) Koji Uehara, Bos 9,000,000

144, Freddie Freeman, Atl 8,859,375

145, Jason Heyward, StL 8,800,000

(tie) Bud Norris, Bal 8,800,000

147, Erick Aybar, LAA 8,750,000

148, Jose Abreu, WSox 8,666,667

(tie) James Loney, Tam 8,666,667

150, A.J. Burnett, Pit 8,500,000

(tie) Michael Cuddyer, NYM 8,500,000

(tie) Brandon League, LAD 8,500,000

(tie) Carlos Ruiz, Phi 8,500,000

(tie) Jason Vargas, KC 8,500,000

155, Tyler Clippard, Oak 8,300,000

156, Matt Wieters, Bal 8,275,000

157, Greg Holland, KC 8,250,000

158, Joaquin Benoit, SD 8,232,596

159, Aroldis Chapman, Cin 8,050,000

160, Marlon Byrd, Cin 8,000,000

(tie) Carlos Gomez, Mil 8,000,000

(tie) Jed Lowrie, Hou 8,000,000

(tie) Charlie Morton, Pit 8,000,000

(tie) Daniel Murphy, NYM 8,000,000

(tie) Carlos Quentin, SD 8,000,000

(tie) Colby Rasmus, Hou 8,000,000

(tie) Neil Walker, Pit 8,000,000

168, Juan Uribe, LAD 7,925,000

169, Ben Zobrist, Oak 7,750,000

170, Austin Jackson, Sea 7,700,000

171, Asdrubal Cabrera, Tam 7,500,000

(tie) Omar Infante, KC 7,500,000

(tie) Adam Lind, Mil 7,500,000

(tie) Michael Morse, Fla 7,500,000

(tie) Edinson Volquez, KC 7,500,000

176, Kenley Jansen, LAD 7,425,000

177, Derek Holland, Tex 7,400,000

(tie) Stephen Strasburg, Was 7,400,000

179, Grant Balfour, Tam 7,315,956

180, Justin Morneau, Col 7,250,000

181, Cameron Maybin, SD 7,100,000

182, Jonathon Niese, NYM 7,050,000

183, Wade Davis, KC 7,000,000

(tie) Hisashi Iwakuma, Sea 7,000,000

(tie) Lance Lynn, StL 7,000,000

(tie) Russell Martin, Tor 7,000,000

(tie) Fernando Rodney, Sea 7,000,000

(tie) Jar. Saltalamacchia, Fla 7,000,000

(tie) Joakim Soria, Det 7,000,000

(tie) Huston Street, LAA 7,000,000

191, Madison Bumgarner, SF 6,916,667

192, Mark Trumbo, Ari 6,900,000

193, Starlin Castro, Cubs 6,857,143

194, J.A. Happ, Sea 6,700,000

195, Billy Butler, Oak 6,666,667

196, Steve Cishek, Fla 6,650,000

197, Sean Marshall, Cin 6,625,000

198, Alex Guerrero, LAD 6,500,000

(tie) Kendrys Morales, KC 6,500,000

(tie) Brandon Moss, Cle 6,500,000

(tie) Giancarlo Stanton, Fla 6,500,000

202, David Freese, LAA 6,425,000

203, Eric O'Flaherty, Oak 6,275,000

204, Gerardo Parra, Mil 6,237,500

205, Yasiel Puig, LAD 6,214,286

206, Carlos Santana, Cle 6,200,000

207, Mike Trout, LAA 6,083,333

208, Jeremy Affeldt, SF 6,000,000

(tie) Luke Gregerson, Hou 6,000,000

(tie) Chris Johnson, Atl 6,000,000

(tie) David Murphy, Cle 6,000,000

(tie) Sergio Romo, SF 6,000,000

(tie) Chris Sale, WSox 6,000,000

(tie) Seth Smith, Sea 6,000,000

(tie) Kurt Suzuki, Min 6,000,000

216, Michael Brantley, Cle 5,875,000

217, Drew Stubbs, Col 5,825,000

218, Pedro Alvarez, Pit 5,750,000

219, Drew Storen, Was 5,700,000

220, Travis Wood, Cubs 5,685,000

221, Eric Hosmer, KC 5,650,000

222, Mike Minor, Atl 5,600,000

223, Alfredo Simon, Det 5,550,000

224, Chris Iannetta, LAA 5,525,000

225, Allen Craig, Bos 5,500,000

(tie) J.P. Howell, LAD 5,500,000

(tie) Kyle Kendrick, Col 5,500,000

(tie) Boone Logan, Col 5,500,000

(tie) Pat Neshek, Hou 5,500,000

(tie) Mike Pelfrey, Min 5,500,000

(tie) Yasmany Tomas, Ari 5,500,000

232, Alex Avila, Det 5,400,000

(tie) Mark Melancon, Pit 5,400,000

234, Cory Luebke, SD 5,375,000

235, Dillon Gee, NYM 5,300,000

236, Anthony Rizzo, Cubs 5,285,714

237, Tyson Ross, SD 5,250,000

(tie) Joe Smith, LAA 5,250,000

239, Santiago Casilla, SF 5,166,667

240, David DeJesus, Tam 5,125,000

241, Chris Capuano, NYY 5,000,000

(tie) Rajai Davis, Det 5,000,000

(tie) Alejandro De Aza, Bal 5,000,000

(tie) Stephen Drew, NYY 5,000,000

(tie) Yunel Escobar, Was 5,000,000

(tie) Aaron Harang, Phi 5,000,000

(tie) Garrett Jones, NYY 5,000,000

(tie) Nate McLouth, Was 5,000,000

(tie) Dioner Navarro, Tor 5,000,000

(tie) Brad Ziegler, Ari 5,000,000

251, Addison Reed, Ari 4,875,000

252, Hyun-Jin Ryu, LAD 4,833,333

253, Casey McGehee, SF 4,800,000

(tie) Trevor Plouffe, Min 4,800,000

255, Wei-Yin Chen, Bal 4,750,000

(tie) Matt Joyce, LAA 4,750,000

(tie) Leonys Martin, Tex 4,750,000

(tie) Edward Mujica, Bos 4,750,000

259, Tommy Hunter, Bal 4,650,000

(tie) Glen Perkins, Min 4,650,000

261, Zach Duke, WSox 4,500,000

(tie) Jason Motte, Cubs 4,500,000

(tie) Kyle Seager, Sea 4,500,000

264, Jason Grilli, Atl 4,375,000

265, Chris Tillman, Bal 4,315,000

266, Josh Donaldson, Tor 4,300,000

267, Jeremy Hellickson, Ari 4,275,000

268, A.J. Ellis, LAD 4,250,000

(tie) Darren O'Day, Bal 4,250,000

(tie) Will Venable, SD 4,250,000

271, Lucas Duda, NYM 4,200,000

(tie) Luis Valbuena, Hou 4,200,000

273, Chris Carter, Hou 4,175,000

274, Jason Kipnis, Cle 4,166,667

275, Neftali Feliz, Tex 4,125,000

(tie) Jon Jay, StL 4,125,000

277, Josh Reddick, Oak 4,100,000

(tie) Ben Revere, Phi 4,100,000

279, Andrew Cashner, SD 4,050,000

280, Henderson Alvarez, Fla 4,000,000

(tie) Nori Aoki, SF 4,000,000

(tie) Jason Castro, Hou 4,000,000

(tie) Alex Cobb, Tam 4,000,000

(tie) Gavin Floyd, Cle 4,000,000

(tie) Jonny Gomes, Atl 4,000,000

(tie) Luke Hochevar, KC 4,000,000

(tie) Colby Lewis, Tex 4,000,000

(tie) Javier Lopez, SF 4,000,000

(tie) Ryan Vogelsong, SF 4,000,000

(tie) Tsuyoshi Wada, Cubs 4,000,000

291, Marco Estrada, Tor 3,900,000

292, Ike Davis, Oak 3,800,000

293, Matt Carpenter, StL 3,750,000

(tie) Todd Frazier, Cin 3,750,000

(tie) Bryce Harper, Was 3,750,000

296, Bobby Parnell, NYM 3,700,000

(tie) Steve Pearce, Bal 3,700,000

298, Wade Miley, Bos 3,666,667

299, Jake Arrieta, Cubs 3,630,000

300, Brandon Belt, SF 3,600,000

(tie) Gregor Blanco, SF 3,600,000

302, Jake McGee, Tam 3,550,000

(tie) Wilson Ramos, Was 3,550,000

304, Mike Aviles, Cle 3,500,000

(tie) Matt Belisle, StL 3,500,000

(tie) Ryan Hanigan, Bos 3,500,000

(tie) Casey Janssen, Was 3,500,000

(tie) Manny Parra, Cin 3,500,000

(tie) Francisco Rodriguez, Mil 3,500,000

(tie) Matt Thornton, Was 3,500,000

311, Ross Detwiler, Tex 3,450,000

312, Nathan Eovaldi, NYY 3,300,000

(tie) Ivan Nova, NYY 3,300,000

314, Miguel Gonzalez, Bal 3,275,000

(tie) Cliff Pennington, Ari 3,275,000

316, Zach Britton, Bal 3,200,000

(tie) Brian Matusz, Bal 3,200,000

(tie) Garrett Richards, LAA 3,200,000

319, Brandon Crawford, SF 3,175,000

(tie) John Jaso, Tam 3,175,000

321, Andrelton Simmons, Atl 3,142,857

322, Antonio Bastardo, Pit 3,100,000

(tie) Nick Hundley, Col 3,100,000

(tie) Desmond Jennings, Tam 3,100,000

(tie) Jonathan Lucroy, Mil 3,100,000

(tie) Matt Moore, Tam 3,100,000

327, Paul Goldschmidt, Ari 3,083,333

328, Kevin Jepsen, Tam 3,025,000

329, Willie Bloomquist, Sea 3,000,000

(tie) Emilio Bonifacio, WSox 3,000,000

(tie) Alberto Callaspo, Atl 3,000,000

(tie) Randy Choate, StL 3,000,000

(tie) Neal Cotts, Mil 3,000,000

(tie) Alcides Escobar, KC 3,000,000

(tie) Maicer Izturis, Tor 3,000,000

(tie) J.D. Martinez, Det 3,000,000

(tie) Chad Qualls, Hou 3,000,000

338, Mitch Moreland, Tex 2,950,000

339, Michael Saunders, Tor 2,875,000

340, Shawn Kelley, SD 2,835,000

341, Josh Harrison, Pit 2,800,000

(tie) Wilin Rosario, Col 2,800,000

343, Tommy Milone, Min 2,775,000

344, Brandon Beachy, LAD 2,750,000

(tie) Ryan Webb, Bal 2,750,000

346, Lorenzo Cain, KC 2,725,000

(tie) Logan Morrison, Sea 2,725,000

348, Brian Duensing, Min 2,700,000

349, Jose Altuve, Hou 2,687,500

350, Tyler Flowers, WSox 2,675,000

(tie) Jordan Walden, StL 2,675,000

352, Jorge Soler, Cubs 2,666,667

353, Drew Smyly, Tam 2,650,000

354, Mike Moustakas, KC 2,640,000

355, Dustin Ackley, Sea 2,600,000

(tie) John Axford, Col 2,600,000

(tie) Chris Denorfia, Cubs 2,600,000

358, Jenrry Mejia, NYM 2,595,000

359, Darwin Barney, LAD 2,525,000

(tie) Devin Mesoraco, Cin 2,525,000

(tie) Pedro Strop, Cubs 2,525,000

362, Chris Coghlan, Cubs 2,505,000

(tie) Justin Ruggiano, Sea 2,505,000

364, Domonic Brown, Phi 2,500,000

(tie) Dee Gordon, Fla 2,500,000

(tie) Corey Hart, Pit 2,500,000

(tie) Jung-ho Kang, Pit 2,500,000

(tie) Brandon Morrow, SD 2,500,000

(tie) Joel Peralta, LAD 2,500,000

(tie) Oliver Perez, Ari 2,500,000

(tie) Ryan Raburn, Cle 2,500,000

(tie) Anthony Rendon, Was 2,500,000

(tie) David Ross, Cubs 2,500,000

(tie) Skip Schumaker, Cin 2,500,000

(tie) Justin Turner, LAD 2,500,000

(tie) Jerome Williams, Phi 2,500,000

(tie) Chris Young, NYY 2,500,000

378, Brett Cecil, Tor 2,475,000

(tie) Jordan Lyles, Col 2,475,000

380, Vance Worley, Pit 2,450,000

381, Danny Duffy, KC 2,425,000

382, Jerry Blevins, NYM 2,400,000

(tie) Everth Cabrera, Bal 2,400,000

(tie) Marc Rzepczynski, Cle 2,400,000

(tie) Tony Sipp, Hou 2,400,000

386, Zack Cozart, Cin 2,350,000

(tie) Mike Dunn, Fla 2,350,000

388, Carlos Carrasco, Cle 2,337,500

389, Juan Nicasio, LAD 2,300,000

390, Hector Santiago, LAA 2,290,000

391, Lonnie Chisenhall, Cle 2,250,000

(tie) Phil Coke, Cubs 2,250,000

(tie) LaTroy Hawkins, Col 2,250,000

(tie) Craig Stammen, Was 2,250,000

(tie) Junichi Tazawa, Bos 2,250,000

(tie) Delmon Young, Bal 2,250,000

397, Tim Stauffer, Min 2,200,000

398, Chris Heisey, LAD 2,160,000

399, Jesse Chavez, Oak 2,150,000

400, Jeff Baker, Fla 2,100,000

(tie) Welington Castillo, Cubs 2,100,000

(tie) Yusmeiro Petit, SF 2,100,000

(tie) Michael Pineda, NYY 2,100,000

(tie) Travis Snider, Bal 2,100,000

405, Gordon Beckham, WSox 2,000,000

(tie) Craig Breslow, Bos 2,000,000

(tie) Brian Dozier, Min 2,000,000

(tie) Jedd Gyorko, SD 2,000,000

(tie) David Hernandez, Ari 2,000,000

(tie) Kris Medlen, KC 2,000,000

(tie) A.J. Pierzynski, Atl 2,000,000

(tie) Mark Reynolds, StL 2,000,000

(tie) Brendan Ryan, NYY 2,000,000

(tie) Jon Singleton, Hou 2,000,000

(tie) Grady Sizemore, Phi 2,000,000

(tie) Ichiro Suzuki, Fla 2,000,000

(tie) Carlos Villanueva, StL 2,000,000

(tie) Rickie Weeks, Sea 2,000,000

419, Aaron Crow, Fla 1,975,000

420, Hector Noesi, WSox 1,950,000

421, Trevor Bauer, Cle 1,940,000

422, Adeiny Hechavarria, Fla 1,925,000

(tie) Brett Lawrie, Oak 1,925,000

424, Sam LeCure, Cin 1,900,000

(tie) Sean Rodriguez, Pit 1,900,000

426, Ruben Tejada, NYM 1,880,000

427, Daniel Nava, Bos 1,850,000

428, Danny Espinosa, Was 1,800,000

429, Sam Fuld, Oak 1,750,000

(tie) Salvador Perez, KC 1,750,000

(tie) Tony Watson, Pit 1,750,000

432, Al Alburquerque, Det 1,725,000

433, Raisel Iglesias, Cin 1,714,286

434, Wesley Wright, Bal 1,700,000

435, Danny Valencia, Tor 1,675,000

436, Yonder Alonso, SD 1,650,000

(tie) Peter Bourjos, StL 1,650,000

438, Craig Gentry, Oak 1,600,000

(tie) Kelvin Herrera, KC 1,600,000

(tie) Jim Johnson, Atl 1,600,000

441, Jordan Schafer, Min 1,550,000

(tie) Bryan Shaw, Cle 1,550,000

443, Chad Billingsley, Phi 1,500,000

(tie) Daniel Descalso, Col 1,500,000

(tie) Jeff Mathis, Fla 1,500,000

(tie) Alexi Ogando, Bos 1,500,000

(tie) Ryan Sweeney, Cubs 1,500,000

448, Esmil Rogers, NYY 1,480,000

449, Tim Collins, KC 1,475,000

450, Joaquin Arias, SF 1,450,000

(tie) Josh Collmenter, Ari 1,450,000

(tie) John Mayberry Jr., NYM 1,450,000

453, Jose Iglesias, Det 1,443,750

454, Rex Brothers, Col 1,400,000

(tie) Brayan Pena, Cin 1,400,000

(tie) David Phelps, Fla 1,400,000

(tie) Tom Wilhelmsen, Sea 1,400,000

458, Casey Fien, Min 1,375,000

(tie) Dale Thayer, SD 1,375,000

460, Noel Salas, LAA 1,370,000

461, Starling Marte, Pit 1,333,333

462, Cesar Ramos, LAA 1,312,500

463, Clint Barmes, SD 1,300,000

(tie) Charlie Furbush, Sea 1,300,000

(tie) Adam Ottavino, Col 1,300,000

466, David Carpenter, NYY 1,275,000

467, Jason Frasor, KC 1,250,000

(tie) Radhames Liz, Pit 1,250,000

(tie) Martin Perez, Tex 1,250,000

470, Jarrod Dyson, KC 1,225,000

(tie) Chris Stewart, Pit 1,225,000

472, Jose Lobaton, Was 1,200,000

(tie) Rene Rivera, Tam 1,200,000

474, Chris Archer, Tam 1,166,667

(tie) Julio Teheran, Atl 1,166,667

476, Alexi Amarista, SD 1,150,000

(tie) Vinnie Pestano, LAA 1,150,000

478, Logan Forsythe, Tam 1,100,000

(tie) Travis Ishikawa, SF 1,100,000

480, Michael McKenry, Col 1,087,600

481, Fernando Abad, Oak 1,087,500

482, Yan Gomes, Cle 1,083,333

483, Hyun Conger, Hou 1,075,000

(tie) Ryan Flaherty, Bal 1,075,000

(tie) Jared Hughes, Pit 1,075,000

(tie) Eric Sogard, Oak 1,075,000

487, Marwin Gonzalez, Hou 1,062,500

488, Eduardo Nunez, Min 1,025,000

489, Burke Badenhop, Cin 1,000,000

(tie) Joba Chamberlain, Det 1,000,000

(tie) Tyler Chatwood, Col 1,000,000

(tie) Kevin Frandsen, Was 1,000,000

(tie) Kyuji Fujikawa, Tex 1,000,000

(tie) Tom Gorzelanny, Det 1,000,000

(tie) Josh Johnson, SD 1,000,000

(tie) Alex Presley, Hou 1,000,000

(tie) Jose Quintana, WSox 1,000,000

(tie) Justin Smoak, Tor 1,000,000

(tie) Jacob Turner, Cubs 1,000,000

[StarDust Bum]

April Pitchers Report

April 4, 2015

Major League Baseball trades places with March Madness as the sports flavor of the month in April. And as we usher in America's favorite pastime, let's open the season with one of our favorite handicapping angles – good month pitchers.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of April. On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in April, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each April over the last three years. And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

Note- * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s April list.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Buchholz, Clay - 10-5 (6-3 H)

Boston decided to maximize Buchholz’s early season value by making him their opening day starter. Long on talent and inconsistency, the BoSox right-hander needs to focus and eliminate distractions, which is something he’s struggled with his whole career, except for mostly in April.

Bumgarner, Madison - 11-5 (6-1 A)

When looking at baseball from the start of the season until Halloween, Clayton Kershaw has somebody who can steal his thunder as the game’s best pitcher. His World Series performance was for the ages and he’s never been too bad the start the season either with his array of fastballs, cutters and changeups.

Gonzalez, Gio - 13-4 (8-1 H)

Throughout his career, Gonzalez has started fast and been able to mix and match pitches effectively. Though his velocity was off a little in the second half of last season, his command improved and walks dropped. He’s now arguably the worst starting pitcher in Washington which tells you about their staff. Gonzalez has been money at home throughout his career.

Greinke, Zack - 11-2 (6-1 H)

To borrow from Dos Equis beer, when on the mound, Zack Greinke might be the most interesting man in the world - or at least baseball. The fact is Greinke is just really good at throwing a baseball, has a creative mind and taught himself variations of arm angles and grip pressure and takes great pride in his hitting. Whatever team he has been on, he’s made it almost impossible to bet against him at home.

Guthrie, Jeremy - 10-4 (5-1 H)

Since becoming a starter in 2007, this durable right-hander has thrown at least 175 innings each season (five of the last six 200 or more). For almost any team in baseball Guthrie is the ideal No.4 or 5 starter and his pitch to contact is a perfect match in Kansas City when the defenders are like vacuum cleaners and clean everything up.

*Hammel, Jason - 13-5 (5-1 H)

Middle of the rotation starter who actually wanted to return and pitch for the Cubs, after starting last season at Wrigley before being traded to Oakland. Hammel is not going to overpower hitters, but if he keeps the ball in the yard, he can be effective. In his major league career the 32-year has been a fast starter.

Hudson, Tim - 10-3 (8-0 H)

Hudson will be 40 years old this season, but still throws strikes and coaxes ground balls to get batters out. It would make sense this juncture of his career he would be more effective early in the season compared to later in the year.

Lincecum, Tim - 10-5 (5-2 H)

Lincecum is back in the starting rotation for San Francisco and will remain there as long as he does his job. He spent the off-season working with his dad, who helped design his unusual throwing style. The spring results were mixed, so let’s see if Tiny Tim can hang on to his slot in the rotation with a strong start.

*Lohse, Kyle - 12-4 (6-2 H)

Lohse is yet another hurler who is at his best when at full strength. Milwaukee’s opening day pitcher successfully made the transition from thrower to pitcher and has complete command of the strike zone with his tight mechanics.

Lynn, Lance - 12-3 (8-2 A)

The 6’5 right-hander last season decided to use less of his spotty off-speed pitches and instead focused on getting more movement on his two or four-seam fastballs and lowered his ERA by more than a run to 2.74. Lynn is part of the reason St. Louis seldom gets off to rocky starts.

Miley, Wade- 9-4 (5-2 A)

Miley pitched for a bad Arizona outfit last year and his focus suffered, with career-highs in ERA, hits allowed and balls over the fence. The lefty has a fresh start in Boston with a renovated squad in search of a division pennant.

Nicasio, Juan - 10-5 (6-2 H)

Will start the season in the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen.

Nova, Ivan - 8-4 (5-1 H)

In the midst of returning from Tommy John surgery, no exact timetable is set for Nova’s return.

Peavy, Jake - 10-5 (6-3 H)

Not the hard thrower he used to be, Peavy has to keep the ball down and change speeds more frequently to get batters out. When he settles in groove, can string together a number of quality starts.

*Shields, James - 11-5 (8-3 A)

As reliable and consistent as they come, Shields is an ideal No. 2 or 3 pitcher. Though his famous changeup was not as good as prior years, he found the cutter to be his out pitch in 2014. Should flourish in San Diego.

Zimmermann, Jordan - 10-5 (6-3 H)

Among the finest starters in the National League, Zimmermann in unyielding to opposing hitters in working the strike zone and seldom helps them out in averaging less than two walks per nine innings.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Bedard, Erik - 3-9 (1-4 H)

The Dodgers non-roster pitcher is expected to miss four to six weeks with a strain of the same back muscle that shelved Clayton Kershaw for five weeks last season.

Cahill, Trevor - 4-9 (2-7 A)

Cahill was traded from Arizona to Atlanta on April 3rd. Though only 27 years old, this former 18-game winner has recently been in the minors and a big league starter and reliever and not having much success doing anything well. His problem is being a sinker ball pitcher and lacking command in the strike zone.

Cain, Matt - 4-10 (2-8 A)

The San Francisco workhorse finally gave in to the pain and had elbow surgery and has been slow to recover this spring, still having some “discomfort”. Cain as his record shows is typically a slow starter anyways and could be in worse shape to begin 2015.

Hamels, Cole - 4-8 (1-5 H)

The Phillies lefthander will not be on their roster the entire season as the Phils are waiting for the perfect deal to trade Hamels. His slow starts are mostly attributable to not having a feel for his complete arsenal of pitches in April and performs better when the weather heats up.

*Jackson, Edwin - 4-12 (2-6 H)

The Cubs are stuck with this veteran righty having given him a dumb contract back in 2013. Just think, how many pitchers would still be in the big leagues after 11 years with a career 84-104 record, an ERA of 4.63 and a WHIP of 1.46?

Volquez, Edinson - 5-11 (1-6 A)

Now with his sixth different team, the 31-year right-hander was 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA with Pittsburgh last year, his best season since 2008 and he signed a two-year free agent deal with Kansas City. His surprising campaign came when Pirates coaches noticed a rushed delivery was elevating his pitches and slowed him down, leading to last season’s results. Will Volquez stay the course or return to old habits?

[StarDust Bum]

American League Best Bets

April 3, 2015

Editor's Note: Don't miss out on pro baseball winners in 2015 from Bruce Marshall on VegasInsider.com. Click to win!

National Leauge

AL EAST

BEST BET...Can we really name a favorite in the East? Some preview publications have picked the division winner to finish with as few as 83 wins. But there still looks to be some value on the board, and despite continuing to lose star-level players via trade and free agency, the Tampa Bay Rays (78 ½) somehow continue to contend. Now, manager Joe Maddon is also gone (off to the Cubs), as is rock star GM Andrew Friedman (to the Dodgers), but the team has promoted from within to maintain continuity, and many contenders would kill to get the Rays pitching staff. Especially a deep starting rotation that figures to get even better in June when Matt Moore is scheduled to return from Tommy John surgery. We aren't too alarmed that a couple of other starters (Alex Cobb and Drew Smyly) are beginning the season on the DL, as their injuries are regarded as minor and both should be activated by mid-April. So as long as Tampa Bay doesn't sink with new skipper Kevin Cash in the first couple of weeks, it ought to be fine. The Rays are still strong at the corners with 3B Evan Longoria and 1B James Loney, and savvy vet SS Asdrubal Cabrera could easily prove an upgrade from error-prone Yunel Escobar. Defensively, the outfield might have more speed than any in the league, with offseason addition RF Steven Souza (from the Nats) keeping Port Charlotte abuzz in March, as did C Rene Rivera. As long as ex-Angel Kevin Jepsen can handle closer chores, the young outfielders don't get too overwhelmed, and the team can avoid the injury problems that have hampered it in the past, the Rays can hang in the race deep into September. And, of course, we highly recommend Tampa Bay games on the MLB TV package, with the always-excellent play-by-play man DeWayne Staats still one of the best in the business. It's an "over" for us at the Trop.

OTHERS: We have been bullish lately on the Baltimore Orioles (82 ½), who were able to play long-ball last year (MLB-best 211 homers) and not worry about manufacturing runs. But we are not as convinced the same formula works this season. That's partly because the Birds could be one team at risk of getting buried in the standings before April is complete. Long before camp broke at Sarasota, manager Buck Showalter was dealing with several injuries, with SS J.J. Hardy suffering from shoulder problems and slated to begin the season on the DL, and C Matt Weiters still recovering from Tommy John surgery and not expected to return to active duty for at least a month, maybe longer. Showalter also lost plenty of offensive pop in the offseason when RF Nick Markakis (to Atlanta) and LF/DH Nelson Cruz (to Seattle) left in free agency, and the bullpen could be weakened by the departure of key set-up man Andrew Miller (to the Yankees). The Birds did not make many significant additions in the winter, hoping to fill those gaps from within and anticipating healthier years from Weiters, 3B Manny Machado, and 1B Chris Davis, who did not play a game together last season. Still, the O's don't have a legit leadoff man, and have serious holes now in both corner OF slots, second base, and perhaps first base, where Davis is shaky in the field. Moreover, among the injured and departed are three Gold Gloves, so don't expect the defense to save as many runs as it did a year ago, which could negatively impact a pitching staff that will watch CF Adam Jones act like a windshield wiper between the corner outfielders (especially if Delmon Young is forced to play in left). The farm system is still not producing sufficient talent, so any further spate of injuries could be be devastating, and we suspect Showalter will regret not encouraging the front office to make a stronger attempt at keeping Markakis. Not this year in Baltimore, as we look "under" at Camden Yards.

A lot of people are anticipating another worst-to-first scenario for the Boston Red Sox (86 ½), who won the World Series in 2013 after finishing in the AL East basement in 2012. Now, off of a 71-91 train wreck a year ago, again landing at the foot of the East table as in 2012, the Bosox are supposed to rebound quickly once more? We're not convinced. Granted, GM Ben Cherington shelled out big bucks in the offseason to improve an anemic offense that scored only 634 runs and batted a mere .244, both second-worst in the AL a year ago, with $183 million now invested in FAs 3B Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, who is being moved from his normal SS to in front of the Green Monster in LF in one of the more intriguing position switches in recent memory. Cuban import Rusney Castillo, with all of 10 MLB games under his belt, was supposed to team with rookie Mookie Betts complete the new-look outfield with Ramirez, but Castillo is now slated to open the season at AAA, which puts aging Shane Victorino back in the lineup. Adding Sandoval and Ramirez to an attack that still has key 2013 Series cogs 2B Dustin Pedroia, C Mike Napoli, and DH David Ortiz in the fold does suggest the Bosox ought to improve upon last season's offensive numbers, but that might not matter if the overhauled pitching staff doesn't pull its weight. After failing to lure Jon Lester back to Fenway Park, and unsuccessful (though perhaps still trying) attempting to pry Cole Hamels out of Philadelphia, the Sox have no legit number one starter in a projected rotation that for the moment considers Clay Buchholz its ace and combined for a 44-49 record and 4.55 ERA last season. No wonder Cherington tried so hard to land Lester and Hamels. Moreover, 40-year-old closer Koji Uehara likely opens the season on the DL with hamstring problems that have shut him down in Fort Myers since mid-March. We see far too many question marks to expect the Bosox to repeat their 2013 magic...look "under" at Fenway.

Without being burdened by the misplaced hype of 2013, the Toronto Blue Jays (82 ½) stayed in the wild card race until late September a year ago. Now, we really see if GM Alex Anthopoulos knows what he is doing after a couple of potentially-impactful offseason additions as well as the arrival en masse of a rookie pitching brigade that will likely make or break the season at Rogers Centre. Those live young arms are going to be counted upon in a hurry after one of their brethren, Marcus Stroman, who arrived a year earlier than the rest and impressed as a rookie in 2014 when posting an 11-6 record, suffered a season-ending knee injury in March. But touted rookies righty Aaron Sanchez and lefty Daniel Norris both impressed at Dunedin and likely open the season in the rotation, providing a contrast to graybeard workhorses R.A. Dickey (40 years old) and Mark Buehrle (36 years old), who each recorded more than 200 IP a year ago. While Anthopolous added from within the organization to the pitching staff, he went outside to find more offense in the winter, swinging a trade to bring 3B Josh Donaldson from Oakland and inking Pirates C Russell Martin to an $82 million FA contract. Martin's useful bat will be employed in the second spot in the batting order behind catalyst SS Jose Reyes and appears a perfect fit in front of the formidable trio of RF Jose Bautista, 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion, and Donaldson. We suspect the Jays score enough runs (especially if touted rookie CF Dalton Pompey lives up to his hype) and get ample starting pitching. But sustaining a playoff push might depend upon a bullpen that is hoping Brett Cecil can handle closer duties after Casey Janssen departed in free agency. The aforementioned rookie Sanchez could also end up in the reliever mix in what could be a fluid situation for the first half of the season. Whatever, with the rest of the division looking so suspect, we do not expect the Jays to backslide from last year's 83 wins. With the Maple Leafs missing the playoffs again, the CFL Argos an also-ran last fall, and the Raptors fading, Toronto fans could use some good news, which the Blue Jays deliver with an "over" effort at Rogers Centre.

What has been happening lately with the New York Yankees (81½)? For the Bronx Bombers, it was a pretty quiet offseason, with too much attention focused upon Alex Rodriguez' comeback attempt and not enough elsewhere on a roster loaded with "ifs" at so many positions. As for the 39-year-old A-Rod, he looked good enough the past month in Tampa to land the DH job, but will be seen sparingly in the field, with ex-Padre Chase Headley anchored at 3B. Yet Rodriguez should only be a sidebar story in The Bronx, with many other question marks for manager Joe Girardi due to an everyday roster burdened by durability issues, as keeping the likes of 1B Mark Teixeira, C Brian McCann, RF Carlos Beltran, and yes, even A-Rod, healthy looks to be asking a lot. And we haven't even gotten to the pitching staff, where there is considerable concern about not only former ace CC Sabathia, who missed much of 2014 with knee problems, but projected number one starter Masahiro Tanaka, who opted for rehab over surgery on his elbow in the offseason, and onetime flamethrower Michael Pineda, who has made only 13 starts since 2011 (when he was with Seattle) and missed four months with shoulder problems last season. The most-valued offseason addition is likely to be SP Nathan Eovaldi, over from the Marlins and who could end up leading the staff in wins. And the Yankees are now dealing with life minus Derek Jeter and the leadership he provided on the field and in the clubhouse. No team in the East might be more reflective of the division's plight than the Yanks, who appear an extremely difficult read with all of the question marks, as well as the capacity to swing deals (Cole Hamels, perhaps?) if things start going sideways. We'd rather not get involved, so it's a no-call for us in The Bronx.

AL CENTRAL

BEST BET...We are a bit perplexed why the Kansas City Royals (80 ½) are being dismissed so readily after their surprise World Series visit last fall. Yes, things fell into place in September and October for manager Ned Yost, and there was more outflow than inflow to Kauffman Stadium in the offseason, but this has to be the most mocked defending pennant winner, which won the traditional way (pitching, defense, base running) in a long while. The press has mostly overrated departed staff ace James Shields (to San Diego in free agency) as if he were as important to the Royals as Curt Schilling once was to the Bosox or the Phils. Not true. KC still has a deep rotation featuring Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy, and top offseason addition Edinson Volquez made 19 quality starts for the Pirates last season. After a rocky first two weeks of March in Surprise, the starters settled down en masse the second half of the month. The bullpen, with untouchable closer Greg Holland and set-up men (Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera) with plenty of gas, might still be the AL's best. The defense is solid. And there is nothing wrong with the everyday lineup, which lost DH Billy Butler and RF Nori Aoki, but added RF Alex Rios and DH Kendry Morales, while the likes of LF Alex Gordon, 3B Mike Moustakas, and 1B Eric Hosmer are entering their primes. The Royals, as was evidenced by the ALDS sweep of the Orioles, can also manufacture runs with jackrabbits Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson threats to steal a combined 120 bases. Instead of being pegged at under .500, we think KC might be the best bet in the AL to return to the playoffs. It's a definite "over" for us at the Big K.

OTHERS: Can the Chicago White Sox (81 ½) really make the jump from a distant, 73-89 also-ran to contending status? We think the Chisox will improve, but are not convinced they are ready to make a run at this division. Not for a lack of trying, as an off-season shopping spree that added LF Melky Cabrera, 1B Adam LaRoche, SP Jeff Samardzija, and relievers David Robertson and Zach Duke suggests that Jerry Reinsdorf is serious about putting a winner on the field at The Cell, which hasn't hosted a playoff game since 2008. But there are going to be some questions at the back end of the rotation unless rookie Carlos Rodon, the No. 3 overall pick in last June's draft, is ready to make the immediate jump, because John Danks has lost a lot of his stuff over the past few years and Hector Noesi's penchant for allowing fly balls is a dangerous trait for pitchers on the South Side. The Chisox, who open with three straight weeks of games vs. Central foes, will also likely be doing so without ace Chris Sale, who broke his foot in a freak home accident in late February and saw no Cactus League action. Sale opens the season on the DL, not the place for a staff ace on a team that wants to make a quick start to gain confidence that it can contend. Meanwhile, Robin Ventura will be keeping a close eye on new closer Robertson, whose subpar spring at Camelback Ranch did nothing to suppress rumors of a sore arm. Maybe the offense, decent enough last season, can compensate, now surrounding Cuban power-source 1B Jose Abreu with Cabrera and LaRoche (who probably sees much of the action at DH). But Ventura can't wait much longer for RF Avisail Garcia to begin living up to his potential and support the aforementioned trio. Within this competitive division, we are not sure the Chisox can make such a big jump in wins, so we look "under" at The Cell.

The Minnesota Twins (72 ½) had another tough go last season and finally cut the cord with manager Ron Gardenhire after a fourth straight season with 92 or more losses. The bar is thus set rather low for new skipper Paul Molitor, but there is evidence the Twins might finally be ready to make a move. It won't happen if the staff continues to be as bad as it has been in recent campaigns, especially after the starters have had the worst ERA in the bigs each of the past two years (including a woeful 5.06 mark in 2014) after ranking 29th in 2012. But adding righty Ervin Santana (a 14-game winner in Atlanta last season and Minnesota's highest-priced FA of all-time, at $55 mill for four years) at least solidifies the front end of the rotation with ex-Yankee Phil Hughes, who set a modern MLB record with an 11.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio last season, and Ricky Nolasco, still serviceable if not bothered by arm problems (as was the case last season). If the Twins can improve upon their MLB-worst 4.57 ERA, they'll be part of the way to an improved record. The other part comes with a more efficient offense, which will require 1B Joe Mauer resembling something close to his previous form after hearing unaccustomed boos from the locals in an injury-plagued 2014. Helping out should be the return of familiar face Torii Hunter, who turns 40 in July and moves into RF to add a veteran presence to the lineup while reminding the fans of the better days in Minneapolis during the past decade before Hunter moved to the Angels and Tigers. There is also hope that the middle infield combo of SS Danny Santana and 2B Brian Dozier (just signed to a lucrative contract extension) can be something special, and there will be no holding of breath at the outset for the "arrival" of CF Aaron Hicks, who has disappointed in the starting lineup each of the past two years but was optioned to AAA Rochester on March 28, beaten out by Jordan Schafer. Too soon to begin talking playoffs in the Twin Cities, but top-notch TV combo Dick Bremer and Bert Blyleven might finally have a little something to get excited about after several lean years...look "over" at Target Field.

The Detroit Tigers (84 ½) managed to stay in contention after the retirement of manager Jim Leyland through replacement Brad Ausmus, who was able to win the Central last season before getting quickly hustled out of the playoffs by the Orioles in the ALDS. But making the playoffs for a fifth straight term in Motown might be a dicey proposition. Already, one-time ace Justin Verlander has landed on the DL for the first time in his career due to a triceps strain, stalling a recovery from his career-worst season in 2014. The Tigers have been counting upon a big comeback by Verlander, who was slowed by offseason surgery a year ago and whose fastball had already lost considerable zip the previous year in 2013. The mid-career version of Verlander has not been blowing away hitters as in previous years, but don't feel too bad for him...his girlfriend is supermodel Kate Upton. The rotation was already minus ace Max Scherzer, who moved to the Nats in free agency, and has also lost Rick Porcello (to the Bosox). And while many believe having David Price in the fold from the outset effectively replaces Scherzer, the ex-Ray was not overpowering for Detroit after his trade acquisition last summer. With a new look at the bottom end of the rotation (ex-Yankee Shane Greene and ex-Red Alfredo Simon), we are not convinced the Tigers are going to be able to consistently turn over leads in the late innings to Joakim Soria and Joe Nathan, either. The everyday lineup could also begin to show some signs of wear and tear, especially with 1B Miguel Cabrera (ankle bone spur and stress fracture repair) and DH Victor Martinez (knee surgery in February), both well into their 30s, off of winter surgeries, and making little impact in March at Lakeland. Expect Ausmus to do a lot of lineup juggling, especially in April, though adding ex-A's and Red Sox OF Yoenis Cespedes provides some flexibility. No matter, the Tigers hardly look the sure things that they have been in recent seasons, and even with a manageable win total, we're going to look "under" at Comerica Park.

There has been considerable offseason buzz regarding the Cleveland Indians (84 ½), who made a spirited run at the playoffs last season. The Tribe remains well-managed under Terry Francona, plays hard, and has ample pitching, so we suspect they will not backslide from last year's 85-77 record. Corey Kluber's quick ascent to ace status and surprise Cy Young Award winner provide a nice anchor to a rotation that could turn into a real strength with continued progress from live young arms Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer, who each flashed significant upside a year ago. Francona also makes good use of a deep bullpen; an AL-record four relievers notched 70 or more appearances in 2014, with all sorts of left-right combinations available in front of capable closer Cody Allen. If there are some concerns as camp breaks in Goodyear, they involve minor injury issues within the everyday lineup, though none among DH Nick Swisher, 2B Jason Kipnis, and top offseason addition Brandon Moss (likely in RF) figure to be sidelined for long. The batting order also figures to feature only one true right-handed bat (C Yan Gomes), with the rest either lefties or switch-hitters. Still, there are plenty of catalysts in the lineup, with underrated LF Michael Brantley having blossomed into an All-Star-caliber force. Though we are not quite as bullish on the Tribe as are some others, we think there are enough positive signs to look "over" at Progressive Field and give the locals something to cheer about into September (we don't think the Browns are going to provide much of an alternative).

AL WEST

BEST BET...In retrospect, we pegged the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (88 ½) pretty well as they headed into the playoffs as the runaway AL West champ last season after absolutely feasting upon the lower-echelon teams, playing over .700 against a wide collection of also-rans but hovering around .400 against playoff-caliber foes.
OTHERS: Noted wheeler-dealer GM Billy Beane might have gotten too clever for his own good last summer with the Oakland A's (81 ½), who had MLB's best record as of August 8, but proceeded to lose 30 of their next 46 and had to wait until the final day of the regular season before finally clinching a postseason berth. It was easy at the time to suspect that Beane made one move too many at the trade deadline, as dealing OF Yoenis Cespedes to the Bosox in the Jon Lester trade would almost immediately hamper the offense and remove its most-intimidating element; leading MLB in runs scored prior to the Cespedes trade, Oakland was the AL's lowest-scoring team thereafter, and would blow a late lead in the wild card playoff game at Kansas City. Now the A's have gone through yet another Beane-fueled makeover with new faces all over Hohokam Park in Mesa during March, with no signs of pitchers Jason Hammel, Jeff Samardzija and Jon Lester, Beane's midseason staff additions last season that were supposed to lead a deep playoff run who were instead wearing different unis this spring. Beane has now tasked manager Bob Melvin into fitting five newcomers into the everyday lineup and at least three new starters into the rotation. Remember, however, that Beane's unique formula often works, and while not getting too carried away with March results, Oakland has been the talk of the Cactus League with a 19-9 record. A rebuilt rotation still features holdovers Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir and is projected to get Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin back from their respective Tommy John surgeries by June. And hanging around on the fringe is vet Barry Zito, making a comeback and impressing at Hohokam. Closer Sean Doolittle opens the season on the DL with shoulder problems, but one of Beane's many offseason adds, Tyler Clippard from the Nats, has closer experience and reflects a still-deep bullpen. Granted, Oakland lost a lot of offensive power during the offseason when trading away 3B Josh Donaldson, 1B/OF Brandon Moss, and C Derek Norris, just months after moving out Cespedes, but the revamped lineup displayed considerable aggressiveness and potential at the plate in Arizona. And among the many new additions, jack-of-all-trades ex-Ray Ben Zobrist (likely slated to open the season in RF with Josh Reddick on the DL short-term with a strained oblique) should especially come in handy for Melvin. The A's have surprised when downgraded in recent seasons, and we believe 2015 will be no exception; it's an "over" for us for the Billy Beanes at the Coliseum.

The Texas Rangers (76 ½) finally fell off of the map last season, tumbling into the AL West cellar with a 67-95 mark that prompted the bumpy exit of longtime skipper Ron Washington early last September. Upbeat new manager Jeff Banister figured that there would be no way his roster could endure the sort of injury woes that helped derail the operation in 2014, but almost immediately suffered another setback when staff ace Yu Darvish lasted just one inning in the Cactus League before going down with arm issues and resultant Tommy John surgery that will keep him out until 2016. Now pressure moves to the rest of the rotation that is hoping Derek Holland and Colby Lewis are beyond their recent injuries and that ex-Nat Ross Detwiler, who hasn't started since 2013, can handle his new role in Arlington. The bullpen is also revamped, with the experiment of Neftali Feliz as a starter now in the rear-view mirror as he returns to his more-familiar closer role. Tanner Scheppers, who missed most of 2014, is also back in the set-up man role he had in 2013, but the rest of the pen still appeared to have many moving parts as camp broke in Surprise. We do note that the Rangers were still competitive last season until they lost key offensive contributors 1B Prince Fielder, RF Shin-Soo Choo and DH Mitch Moreland to injury; all three are now healthy (knock on wood) and will hit in key spots in the Texas lineup along with still-productive 3B Adrian Beltre, which should be a plus. But lots of things are going to have to go right for the Rangers to get back into contention, and they're already off to a bad start with ace Darvish on the shelf. Texas should be better in 2015, but jumping ten wins is asking a lot...we look "under" at Globe Life Park.

There is an awful lot of hype surrounding the Seattle Mariners (86 ½), who along with the Nats/Expos remain the only MLB team to never make the World Series. But there were enough positive indicators on display in Peoria this March to suggest that the M's will at least have a chance to get into the postseason and have a shot at their first-ever appearance in the Fall Classic (who knows, maybe vs. the Nats!). Seattle addressed its one acknowledged weakness last season by adding a righthanded bat in Nelson Cruz, who hit 40 homers (admittedly taking advantage of the short dimensions at Baltimore's Camden Yards) in 2014 and likely handling DH duties, batting cleanup between 2B Robby Cano and 3B Kyle Seager and adding more menace to the offense. There are still a few questions elsewhere, though fewer of them than at any time in recent memory at Safeco Field. Among those issues are CF Austin Jackson, who underachieved after his midseason addition from Detroit last summer and still needing to prove himself at the top of the batting order; getting another big year out of closer Fernando Rodney, who has been a high-wire act for most of his career; and lessening the load on workhorse starters Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, who showed signs of wear-and-tear down the stretch last season. But youngsters James Paxton and Tajuan Walker have flashed plenty of upside, and adding vet J.A. Happ means that the Mariners probably don't need to go looking for other options at the back of the rotation, where the promising Roenis Elias could also figure into the equation. The bullpen also has depth and other closer options (such as Tom Wilhelmsen) should Rodney falter. And while Cruz generated the most buzz among the everyday lineup additions, we suspect no-nonsense manager Lloyd McLendon will get plenty of good use from the versatile Seth Smith, the former Ole Miss Rebel who is penciled in as the new right fielder. The greatest risk we see in Seattle is Rodney in the bullpen, where his 48 saves from last season might be hard to match. But we also don't believe McLendon would allow that situation to get out of hand if Rodney falters. And if Rodney comes close to picking up where he left off last season, Seattle is a good bet to win the West, which is why we look "over" at Safeco.

We find it interesting that after a full-scale rebuild that commenced with the move to the American League a couple of years ago, the Houston Astros (75 ½) decided to add some bargain-priced additions from elsewhere in the offseason to detour the recent youth movement that has not produced many everyday players from within the organization other than RF George Springer and 2B Jose Altuve. The likes of familiar-looking vets from other locales such as 3B Luis Valbuena, CF Colby Rasmus, SS Jed Lowrie, and LF/DH Evan Gattis are now part of the Houston lineup as experiments with the likes of 3B Matt Dominguez and 1B Jon Singleton at the big league level have been temporarily put on hold. All of which is probably a plus for the lineup, though the batting order still has a boom-or-bust look about it. Another new addition is skipper A.J. Hinch, who did not succeed in his last managerial try with the D-backs but has been enlisted to pick up the pieces from the failed regime of Bo Porter. Hinch will likely benefit from offseason reinforcements to a bullpen that recorded an AL-worst 4.80 ERA a year ago, but has since added established set-up men Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek and suddenly has plenty of options for Hinch and pitching coach Brent Strom. We are less convinced about a starting rotation that beyond the crafty Scott Feldman and emerging southpaw Dallas Keuchel has some question marks, with rookie Asher Wojciechowski earning a spot after a surprising March audition in Kissimmee and the very well-traveled Roberto Hernandez temporarily the fifth starter until lefty Brett Oberholtzer (blister on index finger) returns from the DL sometime in mid-April. The "Astro-nomicals" (as the one-and-only Reds announcer Marty Brennaman still occasionally refers to them) have improved from pushover status, and if everything falls into place could make a move closer to .500, but the recovery could also take a step back if the staff regresses. Lots of questions at Minute Maid Park, so we'd rather simply take a pass in Houston.

[StarDust Bum]

B]National League Best Bets[/B]

March 31, 2015


American Leauge

NL EAST

BEST BET...You'd think we were back in the early days of Ted Turner's ownership in the 1970s, when Chief Noc-A-Homa still roamed in center field at old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and the team wore red pin-striped unis at home. We're talking about the Atlanta Braves (73 ½), who have been completely dismissed by many pundits and metrics sorts after last year's dip below .500 and losing lots of offense (Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis) in the offseason. We're not expecting a playoff push, but don't believe the Bravos are going to be as bad as their many critics suggest, either. True, there are still too many swing-and-miss guys in the lineup, but now that top FA addition RF Nick Markakis has returned to active duty after offseason neck surgery (herniated disc), Atlanta does possess one of the game's best kept secrets, a glue guy who will stabilize the batting order with consistent at bats and clutch hitting behind leadoff hitter Eric Young, Jr., as well as provide spirited defense in right.

There are also some live young arms (Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, and ex-Cardinal Shelby Miller) in what looks like a serviceable rotation, especially if journeyman Wandy Rodriguez (who earned a spot with an impressive spring at Disney World) fares as well as either of last year's vet arms, Ervin Santana and Aaron Harang (both since departed). And Craig Kimbrel remains an All-Star caliber closer. Braves fans are probably more excited about the new stadium going up north of town on the I-285 perimeter, but Atlanta is not likely to be road kill this season, so it's an "over" for us in the Showcase City of the South.

OTHERS: Everyone outside of the Delaware Valley has been wondering what has been taking GM Ruben Amaro so long to again begin selling off assets while he could get something valuable in return for the Philadelphia Phillies (67 ½), who have been in steep decline the past few years. The remnants of a once-powerful pitching staff contain some of the last chips Amaro can still use to net prospects in return and commence a full-scale rebuild. Though, in the short term, dealing away disgruntled ace Cole Hamels would seriously risk the Phils losing 100 games. Yet Hamels and closer Jonathan Papelbon are about the only marketable commodities left for Amaro, especially with one-time ace Cliff Lee (elbow) on the DL and possibly out for the entire season. Indeed, there is only so much manager Ryne Sandberg can do with this aging and poorly-constructed roster. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Grady Sizemore were formidable members of a batting order in 2008; in 2015, not as much.

Meanwhile, the once-ballyhooed LF Domonic Brown faces a make-or-break campaign after faltering badly since the All-Star break...of 2013. And the new supposed phenom, 3B Maikel Franco, recently disappointed so much in Clearwater that he was sent to the minor-league camp midway in March. Expect Angelo Cataldi, Al Morganti, and others on 610 WIP to be Phillies-bashing for few weeks until the topic of discussion turns to the NFL Draft, and then the Eagles, until this time next year. It's going to be a long summer in Philly...look "under" at Citizen's Bank Park.

The Miami Marlins (82 ½) improved by 15 wins last season. Another similar jump (to 92 wins) would stop the locals from focusing all of their attention on the Dolphins, at least until August, maybe longer. The Heat, after all, are yesterday's news in South Beach. After a reckless quick rebuild three years ago, the Marlins have since added reinforcements more selectively, and this past offseason spent wisely on versatile everyday sorts such as 1B-OF Michael Morse and utility infielder Martin Prado. In addition, ex-Dodger 2B Dee Gordon (64 steals LY) adds more demon speed to the lineup, and OF Ichiro still has enough in his tank to contribute as a fourth outfielder and pinch-hitter.

With Giancarlo Stanton fully recovered from last September's scary facial injury vs. the Brewers and now signed to a mega-deal, and Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich both stars-on-the-rise, Miami's outfield could also be the best in the division, if not the league. The wise offseason spending also added vets Mat Latos and Dan Haren to a rotation that is hopeful that 2013 Rookie of the year Jose Fernandez returns from Tommy John surgery by June. And the bullpen has plenty of bridges to fireballing closer Steve Cishek. If the Marlins hang in there until Fernandez returns, we expect they give the Nats a run in the East. It's an "over" for us in Miami.

The only thing Congress can apparently agree about these days in D.C. is the excitement surrounding the Washington Nationals (93 ½), who are on a short list of teams expected to make the World Series. And the Nats are even more loaded with arms since ex-Tiger Max Scherzer signed a FA mega-deal, giving skipper Matt Williams an embarrassment of riches in his rotation, one in which former All-Star Gio Gonzalez is the fifth starter. That, folks, is pitching depth. But we see some potential concerns in the bullpen, where the departed Tyler Clippard was not only one of the best set-up men in the league, but provided insurance for closer Drew Storen. Williams has also done some position-shifting, as Ryan Zimmerman has been moved from 3B, where he has spent virtually his entire career, to 1B to make room for Anthony Rendon at the hot corner, while journeyman Yunel Escobar, acquired from the A's in the Clippard trade, is now at 2B.

The lineup still tends to have problems making contact, and is very reliant upon another big year from CF Denard Span, whose contact ability and speed to manufacture runs at the top of the order are invaluable. Mostly, however, we wonder if the big-bucks used on the deal for Scherzer could have perhaps been better spent elsewhere, and that mega-contract might limit the flexibility of GM Mike Rizzo to make deals if needed at midseason. This might anger number one fan Charles Krauthammer, who can be spotted at the top of the first deck behind the plate at most home games, but between munches on a chili half-smoke from Ben's Chili Bowl down the third base line, we're looking "under" at Nats Park.

Is this the year the New York Mets (81 ½) finally become relevant again? Maybe. The return of ace Matt Harvey, who started the 2013 All-Star Game for the NL before missing 17 months with Tommy John surgery, should be a plus for the staff. But we wonder about a rotation that already lost projected number three starter Zack Wheeler (another Tommy John surgery) during March in Port St. Lucie and has to cross its fingers not only regarding Harvey's return but also Jon Niese, who has battled shoulder problems the past two seasons. And how much more can skipper Terry Collins squeeze out of 41-year-old Barolo Colon, the oldest opening day starter in the bigs since 2006, when Jamie Moyer (Mariners) and Randy Johnson (Yankees) both were tabbed?

There is potential in the batting order if 3B David Wright (off of his worst-ever season in 2014) is beyond last year's shoulder problems and LF Curtis Granderson avoids last season's abysmally slow start. Vet RF Michael Cuddyer could also be a useful addition to a batting order that uncovered a new power source last season in 1B Lucas Duda (30 homers) and a potential future batting champ in 2B Daniel Murphy. Whatever, the Mets appear a tough read, with the potential to threaten 90 wins if all falls right, but fall back to the low 70s if things don't. So it's a no call for us at Citi Field.

NL CENTRAL

BEST BET...We'll say this about the Chicago Cubs (82 ½); their two-year old spring training home (Sloan Park) in Mesa is one of the best facilities among many superb ones in the Phoenix area. And getting a ticket was even harder than usual this March because of the excitement surrounding the Cubs' significant offseason upgrades (including new skipper Joe Maddon, heisted from Tampa Bay, and potential ace pitcher Jon Lester) and the hype of Cactus League phenom 3B Kris Bryant, who blasted one of his nine spring homers in front of us at the A's Hohokam Park last Tuesday. Bryant's agent Scott Boras and Cubs fans might disagree, but GM Theo Epstein, for reasons relating to future arbitration and free agency, is going to park Bryant at AAA Iowa at the outset of the campaign.

And that might be one of the first disappointments this term for the win-starved fans at Wrigley Field, which continues to undergo renovation to the outfield seats that might not be completed until May (just to warn those who might wonder what they are looking at when tuning into WGN or Comcast next week). There are going to be several moving parts, including Bryant, in and out of Wrigley all season, as the lineup still has contact issues, the relief corps is relatively inexperienced, and the recent arm concerns of Lester (shut down for ten days in March) and erratic spring of fifth starter Edwin Jackson are concerns for the staff. The NL Central is also a tricky neighborhood. We're not buying the Wrigley P.R.-machine hype just yet; it's an "under" for us on the North side.

OTHERS: Nobody seems to remember that the Milwaukee Brewers (78 ½) spent 150 days in first place last season before a 9-17 September caused the Brew Crew to tumble out of the playoff picture. True, there was more roster outflow than inflow at Miller Park in the offseason, but we'd keep an eye on these guys regardless. The lineup should benefit from a healthy former MVP RF Ryan Braun, who was hampered by thumb injuries all of last season but looked closer to his old self this March in Maryvale, and 3B Aramis Ramirez, who was also ailing last September, and now appears back at 100%. Key offseason addition 1B Adam Lind is also expected to provide some needed left-handed pop in the batting order.

The staff has a lot of fly-ball pitchers (which makes ground-covering CF Carlos Gomez an important asset), but even with former ace Yovani Gallardo moving to Texas, we kind of like the rotation, more so if fourth and fifth starters Mike Fiers and former minor league phenom Jimmy Nelson bolster the back end behind serviceable Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza, and Wily Peralta. And if vet closer Francisco Rodriguez has some gas left in his tank, Milwaukee's bullpen might not be a liability, either. If the Brewers can forget about last September, they might even chase the Cards and Pirates. It's an "over" for us at Miller Park, and if you have a chance, try to tune into 81-year-old Bob Uecker, still as colorful as ever on the Brewers radio network.

The Cincinnati Reds (77 ½) had some valid reasons for falling out of contention around the All-Star break last season, with key bats 1B Joey Votto and RF Jay Bruce either sidelined or limited by injuries. But unless both bounce back in a big way, we're not sure where this season is going at Great American Ballpark after the Reds failed to score 600 runs in a season for the first time in more than 30 years. In a best-case offensive scenario, with a healthy Votto and Bruce, plus top offseason addition LF Marlon Byrd, and CF Billy Hamilton (56 SB in 2014) with the potential to lead the NL in steals, maybe the offense will be fine. But we have major concerns about skipper Bryan Price's pitching staff, especially since ace Johnny Cueto is coming up on free agency after this season and might be dealt before the deadline if Cincy is not in the playoff picture.

Moreover, number two starter Homer Bailey had offseason arm surgery, and the back end of the rotation is suspect after trades of two of last year's starters, Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon. An arson-squad bullpen also had no bridges a year ago to fireballer closer Aroldis Chapman, imploding on several occasions. With so many questions on the mound, we suspect crusty play-by-play man Marty Brennaman might be in a surly mood this summer. The food (Skyline Chili!) and ambiance are going to be the best things at GBP this season, because we're looking "under" with the Reds.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (84 ½) continue to be downgraded, and we don't know why. The Pirates appear to be built to sustain their recent success that has produced consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since the early '90s, with the added bonus of CF Andrew McCutchen perhaps the best player in the game. Along with emerging LF Starling Marte and five-tool RF Gregory Polanco, the Bucs can challenge the Marlins for the best outfield in the NL. Moreover, Josh Harrison has finally found at home at 3B, which allows Pedro Alvarez to move to 1B and perhaps not have to worry as much about his defensive responsibilities. Spring work in Bradenton revealed that high-priced Korean SS Jung-Ho Kang might not be ready to replace Jordy Mercer at SS, though manager Clint Hurdle will keep Kang as a utility man and hope he finds his batting stroke during the season.

The only issue we have with the offense is replacing C Russell Martin's clutch bat, which could be a problem for new featured backstop Francisco Cervelli. Re-acquiring vet starter A.J. Burnett, who flourished under pitching coach Ray Searage in 2012 & '13 before moving to the Phils a year ago, adds further depth to a staff that has been one of the NL's best the past two years. The only downside to the Bucs' recent success is that tickets are a bit harder to acquire at PNC Park, still our favorite venue in the bigs. It's another "over" for us in Pittsburgh.

One role of the St. Louis Cardinals (88 ½) the past two years has been that of Dodger-killer in the playoffs; we're not sure another team was going to beat the Blue in the postseason. And we would not be surprised to see the Redbirds have a chance for a hat trick against the Dodgers this October. We are not, however, as excited as some about the addition of FA RF Jason Heyward, who should provide some defensive help, but whose contact issues at the plate made him one of the wind machines that helped derail the Braves' offense last summer. Perhaps batting in the two spot ahead of Matt Holliday will help this season, but Heyward's addition also keeps the batting order a bit lefty-heavy.

There are plenty of options in the rotation for manager Mike Matheny, who will hope that Adam Wainwright will avoid some of the recurring arm issues that hampered him a year ago. Closer Trevor Rosenthal, however, did have control issues last season, and a so-so bullpen is hoping that ex-Brave and Angel Jordan Walden can add a reliable set-up arm and perhaps act as insurance should Rosenthal not deliver. We believe the Redbirds probably get back to the playoffs, but getting to 90 wins is no guarantee, so it's a no-call for us at Busch Stadium.

NL WEST

The Los Angeles Dodgers (92 ½) got bold in the offseason in ways other than throwing around hundreds of millions of dollars in salary, luring on-the-rise GM Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay. Friedman immediately turned over nearly half of the roster from last year's 94-win NL West champs/playoff flop, in the process getting rid of some of the distractions (mainly Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp) that disrupted the clubhouse a year ago. Friedman hasn't completely discarded those potential trouble spots (more on that in a minute), but he also made a determined attempt to strengthen the team up the middle, renting a vet double-play combination (Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick) for 2015 while also upgrading at catcher with ex-Padre Yasmani Grandal. The result is an over-30 infield (along with 3B Juan Uribe and 1B Adrian Gonzalez) that makes the Blue a sort of baseball equivalent of George Allen's 1970s "Over The Hill Gang" Washington Redskins, but defense, leadership, and clubhouse presence now seem much improved.

And then there is the staff, with the untouchable Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, the modern-day equivalent of Koufax and Drysdale at Chavez Ravine. We do, however, have a few questions at the back of the rotation and in the bullpen that opens the season with closer Kenley Jansen (foot) on the DL. And, speaking of those distractions still on the roster, there are mercurial RF Yasiel Puig, relegated to a pinch-hitter in last October's NLDS, and OF Andre Ethier (still owed $56 mill for three more years), who will be an expensive ornament to keep on the bench if he can't beat out young CF Joc Pederson, and a difficult chip to move at the trade deadline unless Friedman wants to eat a lot of salary (as he is currently doing with Kemp, now in San Diego), who could become disruptive forces. Still, this is the NL's best threat to reach 100 wins and return to the playoffs...we'll speculate in October if Kershaw will finally begin to pitch, instead of simply throw hard, in another postseason. It's an "over" for us at the Ravine, where many Dodger fans will have to go to see their team in person while Time Warner's Dodger TV channel is still unavailable on many cable systems in the region.

The Arizona Diamondbacks (71 ½) commenced yet another reboot after last season, when the Kirk Gibson era finally ran aground and the D-backs threatened 100 losses. Can new manager Chip Hale really coax an additional 8-10 wins out of this dysfunctional roster? We're not convinced. A jerry-rigged pitching staff makes any significant progress unlikely, with plenty of questions in a rotation that is crossing its fingers that Trevor Cahill and Jeremy Hellickson both can rediscover lost form from past seasons, and that has both Bronson Arroyo and Patrick Corbin still on the mend from Tommy John surgery and perhaps not available until the All-Star break...if then. The lineup also has several questions beyond 1B Paul Goldschmidt, himself on the mend from a hand injury that ended his 2014 season in early August.

Moreover, as Cactus League camp breaks at Talking Stick, there is still uncertainty what to do with high-priced Cuban signee Yasmany Tomas, projected at 3B, but just as likely to open the season at AAA Reno after an uncertain spring. The poor fits on the roster are reflected by sorts like Tomas and ex-Angel Mark Trumbo, whose best bets are to play 1B (not happening in Phoenix with Goldschmidt around) or at DH (except for a few interleague games, no help to Arizona, which plays in the wrong league), not in the outfield, where Hale likely starts Trumbo in right. This is an awfully big projected jump in wins for a team with so many question marks...it's an "under" for us at Chase Field.

Like the Diamondbacks, we don't think the Colorado Rockies (71 ½) contend for the playoffs, either. Especially after losing 96 times last season when they dropped 30 of their last 35 on the road, where their 3.15 runs pg as a visitor were MLB's worst, and where their .636 OBPS was also last in the bigs. Moreover, the Rocks didn't make many significant offseason additions. So why any optimism? Well, just having a healthy SS Troy Tulowitzki (hip last season) is almost the equivalent of adding an MVP candidate to the lineup, which was without Tulo and star RF Carlos Gonzalez (knee in 2014) for a combined 163 games last season. While it's no guarantee that either of those injury-prone guys can stay healthy, if they do, it's a huge plus. The Rocks also changed direction in their front office, with 37-year-old dynamo Jeff Bridich replacing Dan O'Dowd as the GM, with manager Walt Weiss given more voice in personnel matters. The immediate result was a restructured roster with numerous apparent bargain additions.

Several of those new faces will hopefully bolster a staff that a year ago had the highest ERA (4.84) in MLB and whose starters (4.89) and relievers (4.79) ranked last in the NL. After releasing Jhoulys Chacin in March and with lefty Jorge De La Rosa opening the season on the DL, it's time to see if young flamethrowers Jon Gray and Eddie Butler can anchor the back of a rotation that should get some benefit from ex-Phil Kyle Kendrick, who can eat innings and was the highest-profile offseason addition. Mostly, however, we bank upon a healthier Tulowitzki and Gonzalez to get the Rocks at least six more wins above their 2014 total...and cross our fingers. It's a light "over" call for us at Coors Field.

For the first time in a long while, the San Diego Padres (84 ½) look kind of interesting entering the season. New GM A.J. Preller, tired of the Padres' popgun offense, went out and acquired a brand-new outfield that now features ex-Dodger Matt Kemp, ex-Ray Wil Myers, and ex-Brave Justin Upton, plus a new All-Star C in ex-A's Derek Norris, while also signing workhorse starter James Shields, the ace of the Royals' World Series rotation, to the most expensive contract ever awarded by the franchise. Such dramatic immediate makeovers, like the 2012 Marlins and 2013 Blue Jays, tend to derail. But we were thinking the Padres might be better in 2015 even before the flurry of offseason moves because of their underrated pitching staff that looked solid even before the addition of Shields, with Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross (an All-Star last season) both hinting at ace-like stuff, Ian Kennedy an effective innings-eater, and Odrisamer Despaigne flashing some upside a year ago.

Still, we suggest pumping the brakes a bit, because Petco Park's big dimensions will suppress the power numbers of all of the new acquisitions, and the Padres are going to lose some defense in the outfield (not an insignificant development at Petco) if CF Cameron Maybin has to sit and Myers, not known for his glove, must patrol the biggest part of the expansive park. We are also not sure that 37-year-old Joaquin Benoit, a pleasant surprise in 2014 after Huston Street's trade to the Angels, is going to be able to handle closer duties for a contender. At least it's not same old same old in San Diego this season. Still, it's a no-call for us at Petco, though we highly suggest, while you can, buying the MLB TV package just to hear Dick Enberg (on his way to Cooperstown this July as winner of the Ford Frick Award, which might be worth a trip for us) call the games.

The last two times the San Francisco Giants (83 ½) won the World Series, in 2010 & 2012, the Bay Bombers disappointed the following campaign. After winning the Fall Classic for the third time in five seasons a year ago, can skipper Bruce Bochy prevent another backslide? We'll see. On the negative side, they have little momentum on the eve of Opening Day, having floundered at the plate almost the entire spring, resulting in the worst record in the Cactus League. They have two veteran pitchers in their rotation (Matt Cain and Tim Hudson) coming off surgeries, a third who began 2014 with one win in his first 23 starts (Jake Peavy), and a fourth who basically hasn't gotten anybody out since President Obama's first term (Tim Lincecum). But they have Bochy, who has taken three flawed rosters to World Series glory, and ace Madison Bumgarner, who almost single-handedly won the title for the Giants in the best October pitching performance since Mickey Lolich with the Tigers in 1968. Bumgarner is so dominant that even if the rest of staff can't get above .500, the Giants still might threaten the playoffs, with Bumgarner a threat to win 25 games. The first-rate bullpen returns almost intact as well.

Still, many believe the Giants went on the cheap to replace key cogs Pablo Sandoval and Michael Morse (both gone in free agency), with only Casey McGehee and Nori Aoki added in the offseason. And with RF Hunter Pence (broken arm) opening the season on the DL, there is little pop in the outfield. The reasons we are not downgrading the Giants completely are Bochy, Bumgarner, and shrewd GM Brian Sabean, who has had a magic touch with midseason moves in the past and is not likely to sit on his hands if the offense (OF in particular) isn't producing. The Giant lineup in August and September could thus have a much different look than it does in April. Given those considerations, along with all of the other mixed signals, we'd rather just sit back and watch what transpires with the Giants, enjoying the incomparable Jon Miller describe the action on blowtorch flagship station KNBR 680 with the colorful Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow doing the same on the TV side. Whatever, it's a no-call for us at AT&T Park.

[StarDust Bum]

Pitchers to Watch - Rising 5

April 2, 2015

When you spend several hours every single day working on finding the best over/unders within the daily baseball slate, there’s a lot of factors to take into consideration. However, at the end of the day, the foundation of it all -- at least as it concerns my own personal work -- relies solely on starting pitchers, hence why I always seek out sleepers every year prior to Opening Day to sort of latch onto before the oddsmakers in Las Vegas get a true feel for them.

It gives you the opportunity to beat the sportsbooks to the punch, in a way, as they themselves are still learning about breakout players on their own prior to adjusting the lines accordingly.

In this case, getting a beat on certain pitchers is extremely crucial, as it is pitching matchups that mainly dictate what the over/under for any given game is going to be, so if you have a strong beat on someone weeks before their breakout is imminent, that gives you a leg up over the guys standing behind the betting counter.

Last year, I was extremely successful through this avenue, labeling Tanner Roark, James Paxton, and David Hale as my distinct top three sleepers for 2014 (Jake Arrieta was a huge sleeper of mine as well, remember).

The first two obviously panned out remarkably well, with Roark (15-10, 2.85 ERA) and Paxton (6-4, 3.04 ERA) carving out tremendous campaigns in their first full seasons in the bigs, while Hale would have done the same if the Braves weren’t so painfully stubborn in sticking with washed-up veterans at the end of their rotation (He was 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his six total starts in ‘14).

It’s actually something I take pride in, “discovering” starting pitchers before they become household names, and last season was definitely one of my finest performances in that regard.

That being said, let’s take a crack at who I’ve dug up for 2015…

Note: VegasInsider.com subscribers of mine from last year may recall me saying Marcus Stroman was absolutely going to my No. 1 Sleeper this season, but since he’s unfortunately already out for the entire campaign, I obviously cannot include him here. But his future is still incredibly bright and I wish him a speedy recovery from his torn ACL. The sky is still his limit.

Jesse Hahn – Oakland

Usually, when a starting pitcher is leaving the very friendly confines of Petco Park in San Diego -- most likely the best setting in all of baseball for a starting pitcher -- their future outlook with a new team instantly becomes a bit bleaker. Luckily, for sophomore Jesse Hahn, he’s actually staying in California and landing in another pitcher-friendly venue, the O.co Coliseum in Oakland, after being dealt in the Derek Norris trade this offseason.

Hahn arrived on the Major League scene in the beginning of June last season, and while he only lasted 3 2/3 innings in his debut start -- in which he toed the rubber against Pirates ace Gerrit Cole -- that would actually end up being his shortest assignment of the season. In fact, in all of his ensuing 11 starts, Hahn would go five innings or more, and allow three runs or less in all but one of them. That’s exactly the type of consistency you want from a young pitcher.

Simply put, Hahn was excellent, as he finished his rookie campaign 7-4 with a 3.07 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, registering 70 strikeouts in 73 1/3 total innings, versus 32 walks. Even those stats don’t fully do Hahn’s impressive freshman season justice, as he yielded only four home runs all season (Half of those came in his very first start!), while holding opposing hitters to a .199 batting average as a starter. He also made two relief appearances to cap off his year, due to nearing his innings limit, allowing a run in both of those outings, which is the only reason why his season ERA ended above the 3.00 threshold.

While moving to Oakland and being able to call the O.co Coliseum his new residency for half of his starts helps ease the blow of leaving San Diego, in the case of Hahn, it might actually not matter as much. In 2014, the 25-year-old finished with an excellent groundball percentage on balls put in play (50.3 percent), and had he pitched enough innings to qualify, that number actually would put him amongst the top 30 in that category -- right next to AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, in fact. With a nice five-pitch assortment, it’s safe to assume Hahn can maintain a similar percentage. Thus, he might be one of the safest sleepers in all of baseball when it comes to starting pitchers for 2015.

It remains to be seen what will happen with the bottom of Oakland’s rotation once Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin return from their Tommy John surgeries at some point during the campaign. But if there’s one thing for certain, it’s that Jesse Hahn is here to stay and could end up being one of the more valuable starting pitchers in the American League this season. His future is extremely bright.

Taijuan Walker – Seattle

In 2014, I latched onto a promising young starting pitcher from the Mariners, that of course being James Paxton, and it yielded great results, as the imposing left-hander was fantastic in his first full season. This year, I’m going with another prized youngster from Seattle, specifically Taijuan Walker, who has really significant potential in possibly achieving ace-like status as early as the upcoming campaign.

Interestingly, Walker was supposed to be alongside Paxton in the Mariners’ Opening Day rotation last year, but a shoulder injury intervened, and Walker’s arrival was delayed a few months. Even when he finally came up following his minor league rehab outings, the team took the cautious approach with him, not letting the gifted right-hander pitch deep into starts, and ultimately, they also used him a bit in the bullpen as well. Even so, Walker was still good overall, finishing with a 2.61 ERA and 34 K’s in 38 innings pitched. His only undoing was his amount of walks (18), but he has worked considerably on cutting down that number down.

There’s no question Walker has supreme talent, and it was also obvious during his first taste of big league action in 2013 (1-0 in three starts with a 3.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 12 K’s in 15 IP). He can hit the upper-mid 90’s on the radar gun with his fastball, and utilizes a very active five-pitch repertoire that will make it tough for any hitter to get a beat on him throughout any given contest. Walker is basically one of those guys who are really his only worst enemy; if he just maintains control and consistently pounds the strike zone, there is absolutely no question the kid can evolve into something very special.

Furthermore, the 22-year-old has been enjoying a marvelous spring. In fact, he hasn’t given up a single run in his 18 innings of work! Perhaps most importantly, his walks are down, at least in these exhibition games, as he possesses a 19/4 K/BB ratio during his spring showing.

As a result, it’s more likely than not that Vegas has been tracking him closer than other pitchers on the way up, and is prepared to institute tougher-than-anticipated lines on his matchups. While this may be true, it still might be beneficial trying to lock onto Walker early. For example, if he has assignments at home with an over/under line of 7 or above, most likely, you’d want to take that, as I guarantee before this season is all said and done, he’ll regularly be commanding lines of 6½ and lower -- especially for home assignments at pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. He’s someone who has a legitimate chance to be an upper-rotation starter for many years, and in his first full season, you’ll definitely want to reap the benefits of being part of that. It’s pretty much a lock that he breaks out.

Tyler Matzek – Colorado

It began on a mid-June evening at Coors Field against the Atlanta Braves. The Rockies, already decked by injuries to their pitching staff at this early juncture of the season, had to press someone into duty to square off with one of the best aces in the National League, Julio Teheran. Despite atrocious minor league numbers up to that point, Colorado selected young Tyler Matzek for this dubious assignment, and the results were anything but atrocious. In fact, the outcome was stellar.

Matzek ended up delivering seven dazzling innings of two-run ball, while striking out seven and walking none, as the Rockies prevailed on this night with one of the more improbable victories of the entire 2014 Major League Baseball season. More importantly, they instantly gained what turned out to be one of the more stable cogs in their depleted rotation the rest of the way. While it was mostly yet another lost season for the lowly Rockies, they did learn some crucial things about their future, such as the potential flashed by Matzek over the ensuing four months.

Although the 24-year-old left-hander ultimately finished 6-11 with a 4.05 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and a 91/44 K/BB ratio in 117 2/3 innings of work, there were signs within his rookie campaign that suggest Matzek is about to trend considerably in the right direction for the upcoming season. First off, and this is highly unusual for a pitcher residing in Colorado, his home numbers (3.61 ERA, .253 BAA) were actually much better than his road numbers (4.41 ERA, .279 BAA), which is an excellent sign for a young starter. Why? Well if you’re able to maintain that type of pitching at hitter-friendly Coors Field, it’s only a matter of time that your road numbers even out, which could lead to a much nicer overall output from the southpaw. Furthermore, Matzek had some bad luck, as his batting average of balls put in play was .312. It’s tough to envision that number remaining as high -- even in the highest of altitudes.

However, the thing that was most impressive about Matzek was the notable consistency he displayed in his 19 starts. In fact, he managed to go at least five innings in 18 of them -- something that is rousingly impressive for any rookie starting pitcher, let alone one who plays in Colorado where pitchers are routinely knocked out early -- and in 14 of those 18 outings, he yielded three runs or less. In other words, that’s a guy who was remarkably consistent for a rookie. If he’s able to continue that and pick up where he left off, especially since he posted a 1.69 ERA in the final month of the season with at least six strikeouts in each start, then you have a guy under the radar that can be trusted before Vegas identifies it. Being in Colorado helps mask the disguise, and if he’s being bunched together with those other regular lines of 10 and above at Coors Field, Matzek just may be cashing unders every week until the linesmakers adjust.

Tommy Milone - Minnesota

Last year, as it pertains to starting pitchers, the Twins yielded one of the great surprise stories of the 2014 season -- Phil Hughes -- and this season, there’s a fine chance they might just churn out another. There’s a few within this rotation that actually have the potential to emerge into something significant (Watch out for Kyle Gibson!), but Tommy Milone may ultimately be the one who ends up sticking out the most, given his already proven, albeit underrated, track record in the big leagues.

Milone will be entering his fifth Major League season in 2015, and his first full one with the Minnesota Twins. That’s because he was traded midway through last year as part of Billy Beane’s rapid questionable dealings -- the slew of moves that actually transformed Oakland from arguably the best team in all of baseball into some sort of messy vehicle wandering all over the road on their way to an embarrassing collapse in the AL Wild Card play-in game. Unfortunately, Milone and his solid ’14 statline (6-3, 3.55 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 61:26 K:BB ratio in 96 1/3 IP) were amongst the casualties of that, as he was wrongfully sent down while still in Oakland during the end of his tenure there, before coming over to Minnesota and looking like a completely different pitcher. In fact, in six games (five starts) with the club, he was 0-1 with a 7.06 ERA and 2.22 WHIP, while barely recording more strikeouts (14) than walks (11). Yikes.

But sometimes, all it takes is a new beginning to get someone going back in the right direction. There was actually some good news concerning Milone this offseason that might explain his sudden drastic decline -- he had a benign tumor removed from his neck in early December, issues that he pitched through for a chunk of the 2014 season. Luckily for the left-hander, he was able to resume throwing two weeks later and feels much better, paving hope for the return of the Tommy Milone that won a combined 25 games over the prior two seasons.

Being healthy again certainly helps, and while it might be feared that Milone’s fly-ball tendencies would hurt him outside of Oakland, he fortunately landed in a city that hosts a ballpark with similar dimensions, as is the case with Target Field when compared to the O.co Coliseum. And that’s a strength Milone will have to rely on; he’s by no means a strikeout pitcher, but is one of the better control guys in the American League. This sentiment is best illustrated by the fact that he walked only 39 guys in 156 1/3 innings in 2013, and was even better in 2012 when he racked up only 36 walks in 190 innings pitched. The bottom line is Milone can be a quality innings eater while maintaining a more-than-satisfactory ERA and WHIP for your fantasy squad, with an okay amount of strikeouts (6.48 career K/9). If we witness the Milone of old that was developing nicely the past few years, you’ll gladly take that.

Brett Anderson – Los Angeles Dodgers

These days, it’s understandably a gamble when you’re relying on Brett Anderson -- no, not because of his talent, which is probably still underrated actually, but because he’s seemingly always an injury waiting to happen.

Want to know an interesting stat? Since debuting in 2009, Anderson has made more than 20 starts in a season only once… and that one time happened, well, in 2009 when he was a rookie. Anderson was solid in that freshman display, as he registered 30 starts and went 11-11 with a 4.06 ERA and a very acceptable 150/45 K/BB ratio in his 175 1/3 innings of work. It appeared like the Athletics had introduced yet another standout young arm from a system that was producing them in bunches, as the left-hander would produce an ERA below 3.00 in two of the three ensuing seasons. The problem, of course, was that Anderson made only 38 starts in those three years combined. He would then struggle in 2013, mostly due to injuries, before arriving in Colorado last year, and actually held his own with a 2.91 ERA, which is never easy when half your starts are at Coors Field. However, multiple stints on the disabled list limited him to just eight starts.

Now, it’s 2015, and Anderson finds himself in his most high-profile situation yet. The Dodgers decided to invest in him considerably, nabbing the southpaw with a one-year, $10 million deal during the offseason, and Anderson has a chance to reemerge for a probable playoff team. He’s back in a pitcher-friendly venue, Dodger Stadium, and staying in the National League will improve his odds of maintaining quality numbers.

But as always, it all boils down to his health. Can he finally make more than 20 starts again? His stuff is still really good, enabling him to register a groundball percentage of above 60 percent over the past three seasons. Anderson can still throw in the low-90’s, has a solid four-pitch assortment, and avoids the longball as much as any starter in baseball. In fact, he yielded only one in his eight starts last year. He’s probably fallen under the radar in the eyes of oddsmakers because of his inability to stay on the field, but if he’s drawing over/under lines of 7 and above early on, I look forward to cashing consistently. The 27-year-old left-hander still has loads of potential.

Honorable Mention

Kyle Gibson - Minnesota
Drew Hutchison - Toronto
Brandon Morrow – San Diego
Chad Billingsley - Philadelphia
Brad Peacock - Houston
Daniel Hudson* - Arizona
Tyler Thornburg* - Milwaukee
Nick Tropeano* - Los Angeles Angels
Tsuyoshi Wada* - Chicago Cubs
Andrew Heaney* - Los Angeles Angels

*If/When they ever get into their club’s starting rotation

[StarDust Bum]

American League East preview: Plenty of value in competitive division

The American League East is projected to feature one of the tightest division races in baseball in 2015. No fewer than four teams have a legitimate shot at finishing on top with the Red Sox an improbable favorite coming off a disastrous 71-win campaign.

Baltimore Orioles (2014: 96-66, +34.77 units, 69-89-4)

Division odds: +350
Season win total: 82.5

Why bet the Orioles: Make it three straight winning seasons for the Orioles. There’s no question they’ve turned the corner from being a doormat to a contender in the A.L. East. Despite a few key personnel losses, their roster remains intact for the most part. Baltimore’s starting rotation is good enough to keep it in contention all season long.

Why not bet the Orioles: They might be one bat short after losing Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis. Those aren’t easy voids to fill. The O’s bullpen takes a hit as well, with Andrew Miller lost to free agency. There are going to be a lot of moving parts in the early going and in a crowded A.L. East race, that could ultimately spell trouble.

Season win total pick: Under 82.5


Boston Red Sox (2014: 71-91, -26.47 units, 71-86-5 O/U)

Division odds: +200
Season win total: 86.5

Why bet the Red Sox: There will be no shortage of star power in Beantown this season, with Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval among those joining the fold. The Red Sox young prospects got thrown into the fire during a disastrous 2014 campaign and should be farther along in their progression because of it. Like the Orioles, the Red Sox boast a starting rotation capable of keeping them in contention at the very least.

Why not bet the Red Sox: What happens if the injury bug bites again? Dustin Pedroia seems to have a new ailment each season and Hanley Ramirez wasn’t exactly a rock in Los Angeles. The Red Sox are counting on a lot of production from a select few and that leaves them exposed to failure once again if a couple of key injuries pop up.

Season win total pick: Under 86.5


New York Yankees (2014: 84-78, -2.4 units, 68-90-4 O/U)

Division odds: +400
Season win total: 81.5

Why bet the Yankees: The bullpen has the potential to dominate with Andrew Miller, David Carpenter and Justin Wilson joining an already promising group led by last year’s rookie standout Dellin Betances. Who knows what A-Rod can contribute but I do anticipate some improvement from the Yankees offensively, and even a small boost in that department could catapult them to the top of the A.L. East with a strong starting pitching staff.

Why not bet the Yankees: We’ve seen this story before. In recent years, every time the Yankees seem to show potential, it is quickly dashed. Expectations are high as usual in the Bronx but it will be tough to improve on last year’s 84-win campaign. Rarely do we see the Bronx Bombers as an undervalued commodity. The betting public always seems to keep the price high with this club.

Season win total pick: Over 81.5


Tampa Bay Rays (2014: 77-85, -26.54 units, 74-79-9 O/U)

Division odds: +700
Season win total: 78.5

Why bet the Rays: As evidenced by their division odds, few are giving the Rays a chance this year. A lot of the key pieces to the Rays success over the years have jumped ship but Evan Longoria remains and will continue to lead the offensive charge moving forward. The bottom of the order is ugly to be sure, but if Asdrubal Cabrera can over-achieve and one other hole can be filled, the Rays could show some life.

Why not bet the Rays: Gone are the days of a dominant starting rotation in St. Petersburg. Alex Cobb now finds himself at the top of the rotation and it will probably take career years from Drew Smyly and Chris Archer to keep this group afloat. The bullpen has similar question marks. Grant Balfour has a ton of miles on his arm and can’t be relied upon as an anchor.

Season win total pick: Under 78.5


Toronto Blue Jays (2014: 83-79, +1.19 units, 78-79-5 O/U)

Division odds: +250
Season win total: 83.5

Why bet the Blue Jays: No American League team made a bigger splash in the offseason than the Jays, as they brought in catcher Russell Martin and third baseman Josh Donaldson to add to an already potent lineup. Toronto’s youthful starting rotation shows a lot of promise and boasts just enough of a veteran presence (R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle remain on board) to qualify it as one of the best in baseball.

Why not bet the Blue Jays: The bullpen needs to bounce back after finishing as one of the worst relief corps’ in all of baseball last year. It’s not clear whether the Jays have done enough to improve substantially in that department and that could lead to their downfall. There’s also the concern that Josh Donaldson could regress after a stunning breakout with the A’s, although that’s a risk Toronto was willing to take.

Season win total pick: Over 83.5




National League East preview: Nationals' division to lose

The Nationals won the NL East by a whopping 17 games last season and are the favorites to win the division, NL pennant and the World Series in 2015. Covers Expert Steve Merril breaks down the National League East as we begin our preview of each division in the bigs.

Atlanta Braves (2014: 79-83, -1803 units, 63-86-13 O/U)

Division odds: 35/1
Season win total: 73.5

Why bet the Braves: Atlanta has one of the best closers in baseball in Craig Kimbrel. He blew just four saves all year long so if the Braves get a lead late, he should be able to hold it. They've got some nice pieces at the top of their rotation in Julio Teheran and Alex Wood, plus Nick Markakis is a solid addition to the lineup.

Why not bet the Braves: Shelby Miller is the team's number three pitcher and he's been hard to figure out after up and down years the last two seasons. Getting to Kimbrel could be an issue with the retooled bullpen featuring Jim Johnson, Shae Simmons and Jason Grilli. The offensive bench is extremely young and may not be able to get the job done at the plate.

Season win total pick: Over 73.5 wins


Miami Marlins (2014: 77-85, -2 units, 83-68-11 O/U)

Division odds: 5/1
Season win total: 81.5

Why bet the Marlins: Miami opened up the check book and acquired several new additions, along with giving slugger Giancarlo Stanton a huge contract. Mat Latos solidifies the top of the rotation to go along with Jose Fernandez when he is ready to return. Mike Morse, Dee Gordon and Martin Prado provide depth to a lineup that needed some additions.

Why not bet the Marlins: Latos only made 16 starts last year due to injury. The back end of the rotation features Dan Haren who doesn't really want to be there and Tom Koehler. A thin bench won't provide much offensive help, plus Stanton needs a solid lineup around him to ensure he sees good pitches and isn't just walked all the time.

Season win total pick: Over 81.5 wins


New York Mets (2014: 79-83, +311 units, 72-72-18 O/U)

Division odds: 6/1
Season win total: 82

Why bet the Mets: Second best pitching rotation in the division with Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Bartolo Colon, Jon Niese and Jacob DeGrom. David Wright should be able to bounce back after he struggled last season. Curtis Granderson will be happy with the fences moving closer and Michael Cuddyer is now in the lineup as well.

Why not bet the Mets: Who will be the closer for the team and who is going to provide middle relief? This bullpen has some live arms in Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia, but they are young and inconsistent. Will Matt Harvey stay healthy all year and can DeGrom stave off the sophomore year jinx?

Season win total pick: Under 82 wins


Philadelphia Phillies (2014: 73-89, -462 units, 83-69-10 O/U)

Division odds: 100/1
Season win total: 68.5

Why bet the Phillies: Ryan Howard and Chase Utley still have talent and they are both too good to struggle again this season. Dom Brown and Grady Sizemore combine well with Ben Revere in the outfield. Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee are still solid veterans in the rotation. Jonathan Papelbon is a strong closer and the team has several live arms in middle relief.

Why not bet the Phillies: Who is behind Lee and Hamels in the starting rotation? Right now it looks like Jerome Williams, Chad Billingsley and Aaron Harang are fighting it out with David Buchanan and none of those options inspire confidence. Will Howard and Utley be able to make it through the entire season without injuries? This team might also start trading away veteran talent as the season progresses.

Season Win Total Pick: Over 68.5 wins


Washington Nationals (2014: 96-66, +1062 units, 77-72-13 O/U)

Division odds:1/4
Season win total: 93.5

Why bet the Nationals: This team has the best pitching rotation in baseball with Strasburg, Zimmermann, Gonzalez, Fister and Scherzer. Opponents will struggle to score against Washington all season long. The offensive lineup will benefit with a full season of Ryan Zimmerman. The bench is also talented and deep.

Why not bet the Nationals: The bullpen is weaker without Tyler Clippard. Matt Thornton and Craig Stammen will have to step up their game. Jayson Werth is already banged up and Zimmerman is injury prone. Can the team handle the expectations that come with being the preseason World Series favorites?

Season Win Total Pick: Under 93.5 wins




National League West betting preview: Can the Dodgers get it done?

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites in the National League West despite the defending World Series champs, the San Francisco Giants, and an improved San Diego Padres team in the mix. Is this the season the Dodgers' talent-rich roster finally figures it out and lives up to expectations?

Arizona Diamondbacks (2014: 64-98, -3160 Units, 74-82-6 O/U)

Division odds:
Season win total: 72.5

Why bet the Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt is a real good hitter and Mark Trumbo can be one as well. Addison Reed has put together back-to-back solid seasons at closer. They have a decent bench filled with veterans who can help mentor the younger players.

Why not bet the Diamondbacks: Their rotation lacks an ace and is filled with mediocre starters. Josh Collmenter pitched well last year, but his awkward motion has now been seen repeatedly by everyone in the division. Rubby De La Rosa and Jeremy Hellickson come over from the American League and will now have to pitch in a very hitter friendly ballpark.

Season win total pick: Under 72.5 wins

Colorado Rockies (2014: 66-96, -2790 Units, 79-70-13 O/U)

Division odds:
Season win total: 71.5

Why bet the Rockies: The lineup returns pretty much intact and if Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon can stay healthy, the Rockies will roll offensively. Justin Morneau and Nolan Arenado are solid pieces as well. The rotation has talent at the top with Jhoulys Chacin and lefty Jorge De La Rosa who pitches especially well at Coors Field.

Why not bet the Rockies: LaTroy Hawkins is at closer and might regress after just three blown saves last season. The rest of the rotation is questionable with Tyler Matzek, Jordan Lyles, Eddie Butler and others vying for positions. Carlos Gonzalez is injury prone and missed 92 games last year. The team needs to put up better offensive numbers away from home.

Season win total pick: Over 71.5 wins

Los Angeles Dodgers (2014: 94-68, +1005 Units, 83-70-9 O/U)

Division odds:
Season win total: 92.5

Why bet the Dodgers: They feature the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, and he's backed by an incredible staff. Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu are very nice complementary pieces. They added Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick to an already strong offensive lineup. Relief pitcher Kenley Jansen converted 44 of his 49 save opportunities last year and the bullpen is filled with live arms.

Why not bet the Dodgers: Yasiel Puig hit only five home runs in his last 132 games and his attitude could be an issue, especially if he or the team hits a rough patch this year. Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson vie for the back end of the pitching rotation and neither inspires much confidence. The catcher position needs an upgrade between AJ Ellis and Yasmani Grandal.

Season win total pick: Over 92.5 wins

San Diego Padres (2014, 77-85, -905 Units, 61-95-6 O/U)

Division odds:
Season win total: 84.5

Why bet the Padres: San Diego opened up the check book and added James Shields to a strong pitching rotation which already has fireballers Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross. Ian Kennedy and Brandon Morrow are solid starters as well. The offensive lineup got an infusion of talent with Wil Myers, Matt Kemp and Justin Upton. Joaquin Benoit and solid middle relievers make up one of the best bullpens in the league.

Why not bet the Padres: San Diego's bench is weak and is comprised of several players that struggled last season. Wil Myers and Yonder Alonso are injury prone and have consistently missed games during their careers. The Padres appear improved this season, but they still need to prove it on the field where San Diego has won 77 games or less in six of their past seven seasons.

Season win total pick: Under 84.5 wins

San Francisco Giants (2014: 88-74, +802 Units, 76-76-10 O/U)

Division odds:
Season win total: 83.5

Why bet the Giants: They are the defending World Series champions and they have a solid pitching rotation with Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy and more. The bullpen is back intact and is one of the best in the league. The offensive lineup has Hunter Pence and Buster Posey in the middle and both are coming off very good seasons.

Why not bet the Giants: Age is becoming an issue with four regular pitchers at least 35 years or older. The team needs more offensive punch to help Pence and Posey in the lineup. The team missed the playoffs following their other two recent World Series titles, so a regression is possible this year.

Season win total pick: Over 83.5




American League Central preview: White Sox join the party for division title

Detroit Tigers (2014: 90-72, -380 units, 84-72-2 O/U)

Division odds: 9/4
Season win total: 84.5

Why bet the Tigers: Their lineup is just as imposing as ever. Even if there are a couple of holes, as long as Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez are around to anchor the order, it will put up big numbers. I strong believe the Tigers won the deal that sent Rick Porcello to the Red Sox in exchange for slugger Yoenis Cespedes.

Why not bet the Tigers: Will their pitching staff hold up its end of the bargain? Losing Max Scherzer hurts. Their bullpen will likely face a heavy workload and isn’t exactly dripping with talented arms. There’s going to be an awful lot of pressure on the offense to produce, which it will, but getting involved in slugfest after slugfest could be a recipe for disaster.

Season win total pick: Under 84.5


Chicago White Sox (73-89, -148 units, 80-75-7 O/U)

Division odds: 9/4
Season win total: 81.5

Why bet the White Sox: The White Sox didn’t sit idle in the offseason, acquiring the likes of Melky Cabrera and Adam LaRoche to add to a lineup that appears poised to bust out in 2015. Of course, it’s Chicago’s starting rotation that shows the most promise. Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija make up as good of a 1-2 punch as you’ll find in baseball. The emergence of Jose Quintana last year makes the future that much brighter.

Why not bet the White Sox: The secret is already out. Most bettors are anticipating major progress from the White Sox this season. If they’re able to get off to a strong start, the value could be quickly sucked out of the equation. The back-end of Chicago’s rotation is a question mark and the reality is, Sale, Samardzija and Quintana aren’t going to win every start.

Season win total pick: Under 81.5


Cleveland Indians (85-77, +126 units, 76-83-3 O/U)

Division odds: 12/5
Season win total: 84.5

Why bet the Indians: The young core that led the Tribe’s resurgence in 2014 remains intact entering the new campaign. If last year’s numbers hold up and Brandon Moss is able to make an immediate impact, Cleveland should be in contention all season long. The Indians batting order is sneaky-good from top-to-bottom and this is a team that could fly beneath the radar of most bettors’ once again providing substantial value.

Why not bet the Indians: We have to anticipate at least some regression from last year’s breakout performers such as Lonnie Chisenhall and Yan Gomes. The same goes for surprise A.L. Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. How much regression we see (if any at all) will determine how far the Tribe can go and whether they’re worth laying your hard-earned money on.

Season win total pick: Over 84.5


Minnesota Twins (70-92, -654 units, 87-69-6 O/U)

Division odds: 18/1
Season win total: 71.5

Why bet the Twins: It would be easy for the opposition to overlook the Twins every time they take the field. Most have Minnesota pegged as one of the A.L.’s worst teams in 2015 but there’s no dominant team in the Central and that could help the Twinkies exceed expectations. They did make small upgrades in a number of areas during the offseason and it won’t take much to improve on last year’s results.

Why not bet the Twins: The offense will be inconsistent while the young pitching staff needs a lot more seasoning before it can start progressing. There are still considerable growing pains to endure in Minnesota, even after a campaign that saw the Twins fail in struggle in virtually every department. Patience may pay off for Twins fans, but for bettors, this team can only be considered a spot play.

Season win total pick: Over 71.5


Kansas City Royals (89-73, +317 units, 73-81-8)

Division odds: 9/2
Season win total: 80.5

Why bet the Royals: They did win the A.L. Pennant last year and return plenty of talent from that club. Everyone is expecting regression from Kansas City in 2015, as you can tell by the below .500 season win total most books are dangling. That could potentially open up serious value backing what remains a quality team in a manageable division.

Why not bet the Royals: There were a number of changes made in the offseason and few of them figure to improve the Royals net results. There was a lot of luck involved in last year’s run to the World Series. How will this club, which isn’t exactly used to success, respond to being the hunted rather than the hunters? One thing’s for sure, the departure of James Shields leaves a gaping hole at the top of the starting rotation.

Season win total pick: Under 80.5




American League West preview: Can Astros compete?

Oakland Athletics (88-74, -16.14 units, 77-76-9 O/U)

Odds to win division: +454
Season win total: 81.5

Why bet the Athletics: It's easy to forget that the A's were the best team in baseball for a considerable period last season. While they're coming off a down-year for their backers, they have a history of bouncing back and their re-worked middle of their order should pace the charge with Josh Reddick, Billy Butler and Brett Lawrie ready to inflict damage.

Why not bet the Athletics: While the middle of the A's order is solid, the latter half is ugly at best. Oakland's pitching staff certainly isn't as air-tight as it has been in previous years either, with at least two question marks in the starting rotation and closer Sean Doolittle expected to start the season on the D.L.

Season win total pick: Over


Seattle Mariners (87-75, +3.63 units, 66-88-8 O/U)

Odds to win division: +148
Season win total: 86.5

Why bet the Mariners: The Mariners didn't sit idle in the offseason, doing what they could to address their offensive concerns by adding Seth Smith and Nelson Cruz. Seattle's pitching was top flight a year ago and should be in the same class in 2015. While the Mariners won't sneak up on anyone after a breakout campaign, they should still offer value as most bettors still see them as a mediocre club.

Why not bet the Mariners: The bullpen has a few bright spots but closer Fernando Rodney isn't one of them. Even with the additions to the M's lineup, there are still plenty of weak spots from 1-through-9. They'll need to manufacture runs on most nights and aren't going to win many slugfests, which may not bode well in the A.L. West.

Season win total pick: Under


Los Angeles Angels (98-64, +21.41 units, 88-77-5 O/U)

Odds to win division: +176
Season win total: 88.5

Why bet the Angels: No team won more games than the Angels last season and most of the key pieces from that club are back in the fold in 2015. The emergence of Matt Shoemaker last season gave the Angels one of the best 1-2-3 punches in baseball as far as starting rotations go. You have to like the fact that despite being a 'public' team, Los Angeles still managed to bank over 21 units for its backers last year.

Why not bet the Angels: What about the bullpen? The Angels 'pen performed well last season but I'm not completely sold on this group. Huston Street is the closer but whether he can stay healthy remains to be seen. At the dish, say what you will about Josh Hamilton but there's no question his absence will be felt.

Season win total pick: Under


Houston Astros (70-92, +1.02 units, 71-87-4 O/U)

Odds to win division: +1600
Season win total: 75.5

Why bet the Astros: This is a franchise on the way up. The Astros managed to make money for their backers last season despite finishing 22 games under .500 and figure to improve considerably here in 2015. Adding Evan Gattis should give an already powerful lineup a boost, with Chris Carter and George Springer coming into their own as well.

Why not bet the Astros: Defense is an often overlooked aspect when it comes to baseball betting and in that department, the Astros could be awfully bad this season. Their pitching staff has some upside but there will also be some more growing pains endured. This young group isn't accustomed to winning but rather learning on the fly and that could keep them from getting over the hump.

Season win total pick: Over


Texas Rangers (67-95, -20.48 units, 70-81-11 O/U)

Odds to win division: +604
Season win total: 77.5

Why bet the Rangers: Things can't go any worse than they did last year, can they? Not likely. It's important to remember that Texas had posted four straight 90+ win seasons prior to 2014's stinker of a campaign. As long as the injury bug doesn't bite hard again, the Rangers have enough talent to at the very least stay afloat in the A.L. West.

Why not bet the Rangers: I'm not sure it's as easy as simply counting on a bounce-back performance from the Rangers. They made only minor adjustments to their roster in the offseason and their pitching staff in particular still leaves a lot to be desired, especially if Derek Holland isn't able to return to form. There are simply too many players trying to get healthy and being asked to shoulder much of the load.

Season win total pick: Under




National League Central preview: Cards favored in most balanced division

Chicago Cubs (2014: 73-89, -450 units, 82-72-7 O/U)

Division odds: 11/4
Season win total: 83

Why bet the Cubs: There is momentum surrounding Chicago after a solid offseason. Jon Lester heads up an improving rotation with Jake Arrieta who was a surprise last year. Hector Rondon had a 0.62 ERA in the second half of last season. Anthony Rizzo has found his stroke and he will be solid in the middle of this offensive lineup.

Why not bet the Cubs: The rest of the rotation is weak with Travis Wood, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks most likely filling things out. The majority of the bullpen is still hard to trust and the offensive lineup is extremely young. Javier Baez struck out 225 times last year in the majors and minors combined.

Season win total pick: Under 83 wins


Cincinnati Reds (2014: 76-86, -1050 units, 71-85-6 O/U)

Division odds: 15/1
Season win total: 77.5

Why bet the Reds: Johnny Cueto is an ace and he is the second best pitcher in the league after Clayton Kershaw. Cueto is backed by veteran starters Homer Bailey and Mike Leake. Aroldis Chapman can be a dominant pitcher as well. Joey Votto and Billy Hamilton make up a solid offensive lineup that can hit.

Why not bet the Reds: The majority of the bullpen is shaky with limited depth. The bench is young and lacking in talent. Can Jay Bruce bounce back from some career lows last year?

Season win total pick: Over 77.5 wins


Milwaukee Brewers (2014: 82-80, -721 units, 75-83-5 O/U)

Division odds: 12/1
Season win total: 78.5

Why bet the Brewers: Ryan Braun returns for another season and he appears to be 100 percent ready. The former MVP has the potential to be a dominant hitter in the middle of this lineup. Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza and Yovani Gallardo provide a strong top three in the pitching rotation. Wily Peralta and Mike Fiers have also shown flashes of brilliance during their young careers.

Why not bet the Brewers: The bullpen is shaky as Jonathan Broxton is untrustworthy and the pitchers behind him are very young with few quality options available. Aramis Ramirez is getting older and his effectiveness going forward is questionable. Health has been an issue with Adam Lind as well.

Season win total pick: Under 78.5 wins


Pittsburgh Pirates (2014: 88-74, +597 units, 74-79-9 O/U)

Division odds: 5/2
Season win total: 84.5

Why bet the Pirates: AJ Burnett is back with his former team and he joins Francisco Liriano, Gerrit Cole and others in a solid pitching rotation. Andrew McCutchen continues to be one of the best hitters and overall players in the league. The bullpen is underrated as a unit and Mark Melancon had a fantastic 0.92 WHIP the past two seasons.

Why not bet the Pirates: The lineup is prone to struggle around McCutchen. Russell Martin was a big loss in the clubhouse and Francisco Cervelli is unlikely to replace him. There are new names in the bullpen that must compliment current veterans. Expectations are high in Pittsburgh this year, but the Pirates must still battle in the most balanced and competitive division in the league.

Season win total pick: Over 84.5 wins


St. Louis Cardinals (2014: 90-72, +207 units, 73-82-7 O/U)

Division odds: 6/5
Season win total: 87.5

Why bet the Cardinals: A veteran team that contains experienced players that have won in this division. The bench picked up Mark Reynolds who will be a productive role player. Jason Heyward plays good defense which improves the outfield. The pitching rotation is solid with strong starters and relievers.

Why not bet the Cardinals: Adam Wainwright's health has been an issue in the past and he missed some games last year. John Lackey is aging and he has pitched over 2,000 innings during his career. The Cardinals are favored to win this division, but all four teams behind them are capable of winning as well. This is the deepest and most balanced division in the league.

Season win total pick: Over 87.5 wins

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Sunday, April 5

St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago Cubs

Game 997-998
April 5, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis Cardina
(Wainwright) 14.990
Chicago Cubs
(Lester) 15.970
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis Cardina
-120
7
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(+100); Under




MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, April 5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST LOUIS (94 - 77) at CHICAGO CUBS (73 - 89) - 8:05 PM
ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WAINWRIGHT is 38-16 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 1387-1553 (-280.6 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 744-726 (-165.6 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 351-339 (-88.7 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1330-1466 (-255.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 217-227 (-68.7 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1016-1153 (-213.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 11-7 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.08 and a WHIP of 1.288.
His team's record is 17-10 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-13. (-3.7 units)

JON LESTER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LESTER is 2-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.19 and a WHIP of 0.882.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, April 5

Cardinals @ Cubs
Wainwright was 0-1, 6.19 in his last three starts LY; his last win was 8-0 here Sept 22-- three of his last four starts went over total.

Lester is making first NL start, first start for Cubs; he was 1-2, 2.48 in his last four home starts for Oakland LY. Five of his last eight starts stayed under. Cardinals were 21-18 vs lefty starters LY (69-54 vs RHP).

Outfield bleachers are under construction; Cubs have new manager lot of new players. Weather is expected to be OK for this




MLB

Sunday, April 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CHI CUBS
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Chi Cubs's last 18 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, April 5


A's OF Crisp undergoes elbow surgery

Oakland Athletics outfielder Coco Crisp underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow and could be out six to eight weeks.

Crisp, 35, had two bone chips removed from the elbow on Friday and also underwent a debridement of the back of the elbow to clean up bone spurs, team trainer Nick Paparesta told the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday.

Crisp will be examined in 10-14 days and a timeline for recovery will be determined. It is typically six to eight weeks.

Crisp was bothered by soreness in his right arm throughout the spring.

The 13-year veteran is in his sixth season with the A's. Last year, he hit .246, stole 19 bases and scored 68 runs.


Mariners put SS Taylor on DL, recall LHP Olson

The Seattle Mariners placed shortstop Chris Taylor on the 15-day disabled list Saturday and recalled left-handed reliever Tyler Olson from Triple-A Tacoma.

The moves put the Mariners at 25 players ahead of their season opener Monday against the Los Angeles Angels in Seattle.

Taylor suffered a broken wrist in mid-March and is expected to be out for most of April.

Olson, 25, allowed no runs and eight hits, with a .178 average, in 12 2/3 innings this spring. He struck out 15 and walked none in 10 games.

Meanwhile, manager Lloyd McClendon said Saturday that right-hander Taijuan Walker will be Seattle's No. 4 starter.

The 22-year-old recorded a 0.67 ERA this spring, giving up two runs and 10 hits in 27 innings over seven starts.

He was promoted ahead of veteran J.A. Happ in the rotation, behind Felix Hernandez, James Paxton and Hisashi Iwakuma.

Walker will pitch the Mariners' first road game, Friday in Oakland.


Zito heads to Triple-A

Next stop for Barry Zito: Nashville.

The 36-year-old left-hander threw one scoreless inning Saturday against the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition game and afterward was told he would be assigned to the Oakland Athletics' Triple-A team in Nashville.

Zito could have become a free agent; instead, he agreed to go pitch his way back to the majors and start with the Sounds.

Zito compiled a 4.79 ERA with a 14/5 K/BB ratio in 20 2/3 innings this spring. He had been hoping to win a spot in the Athletics' starting rotation, but when that wasn't a possibility, he vied for a bullpen spot.

Zito hasn't been the same since leaving the Athletics after the 2006 season. During the next seven seasons, all with the Giants, Zito posted a 4.62 ERA in 1,139 1/3 innings.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, April 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Cardinals at Cubs
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs (+100, 7)

A new season arrives for the revamped Chicago Cubs on Sunday night, but whether it's the proverbial "next year" Cubs fans have been waiting for is yet to be seen. The hopeful Cubs start the 2015 campaign by hosting a St. Louis team that has been the class of the National League Central in recent years.

St. Louis is aiming for its fifth straight trip to the NL Championship Series and its third consecutive division crown. Several members of Chicago's crop of talented, young players have arrived on the North Side, though some — including slugger Kris Bryant — will be coming along later this season, prompting high hopes for a beleaguered fan base. The Cubs' biggest offseason signing also will be on display with ace left-hander Jon Lester making his debut with the club after inking a $155 million deal this offseason. The Cardinals' focus in the offseason was upgrading the offense, which they hope to have done by adding outfielder Jason Heyward, who has eight home runs in 30 career games against the Cubs.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN2

LINE HISTORY: Initially the Cubs opened at +100 at most books before climbing slightly to -105. Ever since it's been back between those two points.

WEATHER FORECAST: Winds are expected to gust upwards of 14 mph blowing towards centerfield. The skies are expected to be partly cloudy with the temperature around 50°F to 58°F.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (2014: 20-9, 2.38 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jon Lester (2014: 16-11, 2.46)

Wainwright is coming off the second 20-win season of his career in which he matched his career-high with five complete games and tossed a career-best three shutouts. He made only three starts in the spring because of an abdominal strain but was effective, allowing five earned runs in 14 1/3 innings. The 33-year-old has had mixed results against the Cubs over the years, going 11-7 with a 4.09 ERA, but he has tossed 14 scoreless innings over the past two meetings, winning both.

Chicago's new ace was limited to 8 1/3 innings over three starts in spring training after missing a start because of arm fatigue, so his pitch count will be limited. Lester is coming off a strong 2014 in which he posted a career-best ERA in 32 starts between Boston and Oakland. Lester is pitching in the National League for the first time in his career, but he has fared well against the Senior Circuit, going 15-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 29 career starts in interleague play.

TRENDS:

*Cardinals are 54-26 in Wainwrights last 80 starts.
*Over is 13-5-1 in the last 19 meetings.
*Cardinals have gone under in their past three Opening Day games
*Cubs are 1-4 in their past five Opening Day games

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Teams' record in NCAA tournament (since '89) against teams from the Big 14........

13-2-- Duke-- Go for 14th win vs Wisconsin tomorrow night.

8-4-- Kentucky-- Tough way for a great season to end last night.

5-2-- UConn

3-0-- Missouri.........2-0-- Wichita State/Boston College

7-4-- North Carolina/Kansas

3-1-- Arkansas

6-4-- Texas-- Rick Barnes did pretty damn well in Austin.

4-3-- Florida

**********


Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Things I'm looking for this baseball season

13) Cubs have a new manager, lot of good prospects, a stadium that will be undegoing renovation all season and very high expectations. When will they call 3B prospect Kris Bryant up from AAA? America is watching......

12) Red Sox have a lot of hitting, not so much pitching; will they pull the trigger on a big trade for s starting pitcher? Injury to Christian Vazquez makes it harder to part with catching prospect Swihart.

11) Mets also have high expectations, a manager under pressure to win and a nitwit owner. They're loaded with starting pitching, thin on defense in middle infield. Will they trade Daniel Murphy? Now that New York media has deemed Matt Harvey a combination of Gibson/Koufax, will he stay healthy?

10) Rays-- Gutted by defections of GM Friedman, manager Maddon; could be headed to Montreal to become the Expos. Starting rotation starts season with three of top five guys hurt. Things are not looking up.

9) Giants won World Series in three of last five seasons; kind of odd how they became a power shortly after Barry Bonds retired-- they had a dreadful spring, didn't play well, but its an odd-numbered year, they're not supposed to win.

8) Padres upgraded their roster with Shields-Kemp-Upton; big year for Bud Black, who has to contend now, or else.......

7) Orioles lost Cruz/Markakis, really didn't replace them; they hope Machado and Wieters return fron injury and are more productive. Showalter gives them an edge, but at the end of the day, players win/lose.

6) Oakland A's have three players left who were on squad before 2013 and none of the three (Sogard-Chavez-Scribner) are world beaters- their lineup has been totally turned over, but their piching is still strong. .

5) Diamondbacks-- So much of the Arizona brass are former A's, will be fun to see how they do. Don't think they'll be timid making moves. They must like Archie Bradley if they traded Cahill to make room for him.

4) Alex Rodriguez will get lot of attention as he returns from his exile; can he still hit at a high level? Can he play third? First? They're stuck with him for another three years and $60M, so he better be productive.

3) Cubs aren't the only Chicago team that spent lot of $$$ this winter; White Sox have upgraded the roster, Detroit looks to be a little down, can they win the division? Four of five teams can make a strong case for AL Central title.

2) If Philly gets off to a slow start, will they jump ship and trade Hamels and Utley? They're in decline; Howard's contract is untradeable, they don't have lot of young prospects on way up. Could be a long summer on Broad Street.

1) Hopefully, all this talk about speeding up the game is just lip service to passify lazy media members who whine about length of games; the game is fine, our attention-deficit society is the problem. I'm looking forward to the start of the season; get info every day on my MLB page on this site.

[StarDust Bum]

30 key betting notes for 30 MLB teams

Anxious for the MLB regular season to finally arrive? So are we. As you shift your handicapping focus to the diamond, we provide 30 quick betting notes for each team in the bigs.

AL East

Check out the complete AL East preview

Baltimore Orioles

They might be one bat short after losing Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis. Those aren’t easy voids to fill. The O’s bullpen takes a hit as well, with Andrew Miller lost to free agency. There are going to be a lot of moving parts in the early going and in a crowded A.L. East race, that could ultimately spell trouble.

Boston Red Sox

What happens if the injury bug bites again? Dustin Pedroia seems to have a new ailment each season and Hanley Ramirez wasn’t exactly a rock in Los Angeles. The Red Sox are counting on a lot of production from a select few and that leaves them exposed to failure once again if a couple of key injuries pop up.

New York Yankees

The bullpen has the potential to dominate with Andrew Miller, David Carpenter and Justin Wilson joining an already promising group led by last year’s rookie standout Dellin Betances. Who knows what A-Rod can contribute but I do anticipate some improvement from the Yankees offensively, and even a small boost in that department could catapult them to the top of the A.L. East with a strong starting pitching staff.

Tampa Bay Rays

Gone are the days of a dominant starting rotation in St. Petersburg. Alex Cobb now finds himself at the top of the rotation and it will probably take career years from Drew Smyly and Chris Archer to keep this group afloat. The bullpen has similar question marks. Grant Balfour has a ton of miles on his arm and can’t be relied upon as an anchor.

Toronto Blue Jays

No American League team made a bigger splash in the offseason than the Jays, as they brought in catcher Russell Martin and third baseman Josh Donaldson to add to an already potent lineup. Toronto’s youthful starting rotation shows a lot of promise and boasts just enough of a veteran presence (R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle remain on board) to qualify it as one of the best in baseball.

AL Central

Check out the complete AL Central Preview

Detroit Tigers

Will their pitching staff hold up its end of the bargain? Losing Max Scherzer hurts. Their bullpen will likely face a heavy workload and isn’t exactly dripping with talented arms. There’s going to be an awful lot of pressure on the offense to produce, which it will, but getting involved in slugfest after slugfest could be a recipe for disaster.

Chicago White Sox

The secret is already out. Most bettors are anticipating major progress from the White Sox this season. If they’re able to get off to a strong start, the value could be quickly sucked out of the equation. The back-end of Chicago’s rotation is a question mark and the reality is, Sale, Samardzija and Quintana aren’t going to win every start.

Cleveland Indians

The young core that led the Tribe’s resurgence in 2014 remains intact entering the new campaign. If last year’s numbers hold up and Brandon Moss is able to make an immediate impact, Cleveland should be in contention all season long. The Indians batting order is sneaky-good from top-to-bottom and this is a team that could fly beneath the radar of most bettors’ once again providing substantial value.

Minnesota Twins

It would be easy for the opposition to overlook the Twins every time they take the field. Most have Minnesota pegged as one of the A.L.’s worst teams in 2015 but there’s no dominant team in the Central and that could help the Twinkies exceed expectations. They did make small upgrades in a number of areas during the offseason and it won’t take much to improve on last year’s results.

Kansas City Royals

There were a number of changes made in the offseason and few of them figure to improve the Royals net results. There was a lot of luck involved in last year’s run to the World Series. How will this club, which isn’t exactly used to success, respond to being the hunted rather than the hunters? One thing’s for sure, the departure of James Shields leaves a gaping hole at the top of the starting rotation.

AL West

Check out the complete AL West preview

Oakland Athletics

It's easy to forget that the A's were the best team in baseball for a considerable period last season. While they're coming off a down-year for their backers, they have a history of bouncing back and their re-worked middle of their order should pace the charge with Josh Reddick, Billy Butler and Brett Lawrie ready to inflict damage.

Seattle Mariners

The bullpen has a few bright spots but closer Fernando Rodney isn't one of them. Even with the additions to the M's lineup, there are still plenty of weak spots from 1-through-9. They'll need to manufacture runs on most nights and aren't going to win many slugfests, which may not bode well in the A.L. West.

Los Angeles Angels

What about the bullpen? The Angels 'pen performed well last season but I'm not completely sold on this group. Huston Street is the closer but whether he can stay healthy remains to be seen. At the dish, say what you will about Josh Hamilton but there's no question his absence will be felt.

Houston Astros

This is a franchise on the way up. The Astros managed to make money for their backers last season despite finishing 22 games under .500 and figure to improve considerably here in 2015. Adding Evan Gattis should give an already powerful lineup a boost, with Chris Carter and George Springer coming into their own as well.

Texas Rangers

We're not sure it's as easy as simply counting on a bounce-back performance from the Rangers. They made only minor adjustments to their roster in the offseason and their pitching staff in particular still leaves a lot to be desired, especially if Derek Holland isn't able to return to form. There are simply too many players trying to get healthy and being asked to shoulder much of the load.

NL East

Check out the complete NL East Preview

Atlanta Braves

Atlanta has one of the best closers in baseball in Craig Kimbrel. He blew just four saves all year long so if the Braves get a lead late, he should be able to hold it. They've got some nice pieces at the top of their rotation in Julio Teheran and Alex Wood, plus Nick Markakis is a solid addition to the lineup.

Miami Marlins

Miami opened up the check book and acquired several new additions, along with giving slugger Giancarlo Stanton a huge contract. Mat Latos solidifies the top of the rotation to go along with Jose Fernandez when he is ready to return. Mike Morse, Dee Gordon and Martin Prado provide depth to a lineup that needed some additions.

New York Mets

Who will be the closer for the team and who is going to provide middle relief? This bullpen has some live arms in Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia, but they are young and inconsistent. Will Matt Harvey stay healthy all year and can DeGrom stave off the sophomore year jinx?

Philadelphia Phillies

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley still have talent and they are both too good to struggle again this season. Dom Brown and Grady Sizemore combine well with Ben Revere in the outfield. Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee are still solid veterans in the rotation. Jonathan Papelbon is a strong closer and the team has several live arms in middle relief.

Washington Nationals

The bullpen is weaker without Tyler Clippard. Matt Thornton and Craig Stammen will have to step up their game. Jayson Werth is already banged up and Zimmerman is injury prone. Can the team handle the expectations that come with being the preseason World Series favorites?

NL Central

Check out the complete NL Central preview

Chicago Cubs

The rest of the rotation is weak with Travis Wood, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks most likely filling things out. The majority of the bullpen is still hard to trust and the offensive lineup is extremely young. Javier Baez struck out 225 times last year in the majors and minors combined.

Cincinnati Reds

Johnny Cueto is an ace and he is the second best pitcher in the league after Clayton Kershaw. Cueto is backed by veteran starters Homer Bailey and Mike Leake. Aroldis Chapman can be a dominant pitcher as well. Joey Votto and Billy Hamilton make up a solid offensive lineup that can hit.

Milwaukee Brewers

The bullpen is shaky as Jonathan Broxton is untrustworthy and the pitchers behind him are very young with few quality options available. Aramis Ramirez is getting older and his effectiveness going forward is questionable. Health has been an issue with Adam Lind as well.

Pittsburgh Pirates

AJ Burnett is back with his former team and he joins Francisco Liriano, Gerrit Cole and others in a solid pitching rotation. Andrew McCutchen continues to be one of the best hitters and overall players in the league. The bullpen is underrated as a unit and Mark Melancon had a fantastic 0.92 WHIP the past two seasons.

St. Louis Cardinals

A veteran team that contains experienced players that have won in this division. The bench picked up Mark Reynolds who will be a productive role player. Jason Heyward plays good defense which improves the outfield. The pitching rotation is solid with strong starters and relievers.

NL West

Check out the complete NL West preview

Arizona Diamondbacks

Their rotation lacks an ace and is filled with mediocre starters. Josh Collmenter pitched well last year, but his awkward motion has now been seen repeatedly by everyone in the division. Rubby De La Rosa and Jeremy Hellickson come over from the American League and will now have to pitch in a very hitter friendly ballpark.

Colorado Rockies

The lineup returns pretty much intact and if Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon can stay healthy, the Rockies will roll offensively. Justin Morneau and Nolan Arenado are solid pieces as well. The rotation has talent at the top with Jhoulys Chacin and lefty Jorge De La Rosa who pitches especially well at Coors Field.

Los Angeles Dodgers

They feature the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, and he's backed by an incredible staff. Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu are very nice complementary pieces. They added Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick to an already strong offensive lineup. Relief pitcher Kenley Jansen converted 44 of his 49 save opportunities last year and the bullpen is filled with live arms.

San Diego Padres

San Diego's bench is weak and is comprised of several players that struggled last season. Wil Myers and Yonder Alonso are injury prone and have consistently missed games during their careers. The Padres appear improved this season, but they still need to prove it on the field where San Diego has won 77 games or less in six of their past seven seasons.

San Francisco Giants

They are the defending World Series champions and they have a solid pitching rotation with Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy and more. The bullpen is back intact and is one of the best in the league. The offensive lineup has Hunter Pence and Buster Posey in the middle and both are coming off very good seasons.

[StarDust Bum]

2015 Season Predictions

April 5, 2015

The 2015 baseball season is here with plenty of new expectations and hope for all 30 teams. Our consensus of handicappers provides their annual predictions on their best season win total bets as well as American League and National League champions, along with World Series winners.

Many handicappers are high on the Mariners, Nationals, and Dodgers to hoist the trophy in October, but there are plenty of differing opinions on season win totals.

James Manos believes the Mets will finally break through this season with a solid young rotation and go OVER their posted win total. “I think the Mets outstanding spring record of 18-12 isn't a fluke. The Mets should be improved from last year and I expect a rebound season from OF Curtis Granderson, who underperformed for most of last season. They have a Gold Glove CF in Juan Lagares and RF Michael Cuddyer is an upgrade offensively over last year. Cuddyer likely won't hit the way he did in Colorado but if he can stay healthy there is no reason he can't put up numbers similar to or above what he posted in Minnesota.”

“I love the Mets rotation and SP Matt Harvey looks fully healthy as he was a beast in his spring training starts. If he remains healthy, he gives the Mets a Cy Young caliber #1 starter and the rest of their rotation is very good. #4 and #5 starters Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom have high ceilings and I think Jon Niese is undervalued. The Mets play in a division where a 2nd place finish is realistic,” Manos said.

Another NL East team that has high expectations this season is the Marlins, as handicapper Zack Cimini feels this club will be viable in the National League, “There is a lot of confidence down in South Beach with the 2015 Marlins. Jose Fernandez is set to return in June, and the team has added a plethora of roster additions. The headline move was retaining Giancarlo Stanton with a contract many did not believe the Marlins would offer the slugger. Last season, the Marlins flirted with Wild Card contention but could not overcome injuries and an offense that would slump for large stretches. Thirty-four losses either by extra inning or one-run will be an area this team needs to correct. They also had an ever-rotating pitching staff with Alvarez injured frequently and unreliable youth. A post All-Star trade for Jared Cosart may end up being the biggest difference in this team surpassing the mark of 83 wins. Veteran additions of Dan Haren and Matt Latos aren't stellar but bolster a pitching lineup that vastly needed depth and allows for Brad Hand to aid the bullpen.”

Matt Zylbert doesn’t see a lot of promise with the Rays, who will fall short in a transition season, "Simply put, this bet comes down to whether or not you think this year’s Rays club is better than last season’s squad, as the win totals are similar. Considering they still had their best player in franchise history, David Price, for the majority of ‘14, and their unparalleled longtime manager Joe Maddon is now also gone, how can they possibly be better? That, and they’re missing a handful of key bats like Ben Zobrist and Wil Myers. Plus some of their young starting pitchers are already banged up. There’s no way the current roster is superior to last year’s team that won 77 games."

Joe Nelson believes the Brewers will take a step back this season after a tough finish in 2014, “The Brewers led the NL Central much of last season before a brutal late season crash that left the team barely over .500. The 96-win 2011 season seems like a long time ago and the pitching staff for the Brewers will be banking on another big season from the erratic Wily Peralta as well as the continued breakthrough of Mike Fiers and youngster Jimmy Nelson. Ryan Braun did not resemble his MVP past last season and while the outfield looks promising, the infield for Milwaukee could struggle. Ultimately, the division looks incredibly tough with the Cardinals and Pirates likely contending for the playoffs again and the Reds and Cubs looking like potentially improved teams. Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza will need to have great seasons to keep Milwaukee in the mix as the rotation does not have a lot of fall back options. The bullpen could be respectable but the psyche of this squad after last year’s slide is certainly a question as well.”

[StarDust Bum]

2015 MLB SEASON PREDICTIONS

Handicapper Best Over Best Under AL Champion NL Champion WS Champion

Antony Dinero Chicago Cubs New York Mets Seattle Mariners Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers

Bill Marzano Cincinnati Reds Detroit Tigers Seattle Mariners Washington Nationals Washington Nationals

Bruce Marshall Oakland Athletics Boston Red Sox Seattle Mariners Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates

Dave Cokin Boston Red Sox San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers

Doc's Sports Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres Seattle Mariners Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers

Don Anthony Los Angeles Dodgers Tampa Bay Rays Oakland Athletics Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers

James Manos New York Mets Oakland Athletics Boston Red Sox St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals

Jim Feist Baltimore Orioles Texas Rangers Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers

Jimmy Boyd Cleveland Indians Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Washington Nationals Washington Nationals

Joe Nelson Cleveland Indians Milwaukee Brewers Boston Red Sox St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals

Joe Williams New York Mets Cleveland Indians Boston Red Sox San Diego Padres Boston Red Sox

John Fisher Washington Nationals Chicago White Sox Los Angeles Angels Washington Nationals Washington Nationals

Kevin Rogers Boston Red Sox Cleveland Indians Boston Red Sox St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals

Kyle Hunter Cleveland Indians Chicago Cubs Cleveland Indians Washington Nationals Washington Nationals

Marc Lawrence Oakland Athletics San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners Washington Nationals Seattle Mariners

Mark Franco Miami Marlins Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Angels Washington Nationals Washington Nationals

Matt Zylbert New York Mets Tampa Bay Rays Seattle Mariners Washington Nationals Washington Nationals

Stephen Nover Colorado Rockies Philadelphia Phillies Seattle Mariners Washington Nationals Washington Nationals

Vince Akins Detroit Tigers Seattle Mariners Detroit Tigers Washington Nationals Detroit Tigers

Zack Cimini Miami Marlins Cincinnati Reds Seattle Mariners Washington Nationals Seattle Mariners