Beltran: "We're the team to beat"

Let the trash talk and the player predictions begin. When the Phillies reported to camp prior to the 2007 season, Phillies' SS Jimmy Rollins predicted that his team would be the team to beat, turns out he was right.

Now, with players reporting to camp, the trash talk and the player predictions have started. This time, it came from Mets' outfielder Carlos Beltran. Without being asked a single question, Beltran sat in the team dugout and, again, without being prompted said "To Jimmy Rollins, we're the team to beat."

When asked to ellaborate, Beltran stated "Let me tell you this, without Santana, we felt, as a team, that we had a chance to win in our division. With him now, I have no doubt that we're going to win in our division. I have no doubt in that. We've got what it takes."

Trevor Hoffman throwing out of a windeup?

In an article from Corey Brock of MLB.com, San Diego Padres' closer Trevor Hoffman worked mostly out of the windeup instead of out of the stretch, something Padre fans have been used to seeing.

Asked how he felt doing something he hasn't done a very long time, Hoffman responded "I almost felt dizzy ... I almost fell over, it was a little weird but it's something we'll take a look at."

Hoffman is in the final year of a 2-year $13.5M contract he signed at the end of 2006. There's been a lot of talk that right-hander Heath Bell could see more 9th inning appearances this season, leading to the assumption that Bell is being groomed as Hoffman's successor as the Padres' closer.

Looking Forward to 2008: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

This may be one of the strongest teams, not only in the American League West, but the entire American League.

After finishing 94-68 in 2007 and winning the AL West, you wouldn't think this team needed to make much of a change to be just as strong next season. Apparently, the front office thought otherwise, coming out of nowhere to sign free agent outfielder, and former Twin, Torii Hunter to a 5-year $90M deal back in November.

Hunter gives the Angels the cherry on top of an already stacked outfield with Vlad Guerrero, Gary Mathews Jr, Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits. It gives manager Mike Scoscia a combination of options that he could start on any given day and still have a scary offensive lineup, it will also allow him to move Chone Figgins back to the infield to possibly be the Angels' opening day 3rd baseman.

Arrivals:
RHP Jon Garland
CF Torii Hunter

Departures:
SS Orlando Cabrera
3B Dallas McPherson

On the pitching side, the Angels made a move that made a lot of their fans scratch their heads, sending SS Orlando Cabrera to the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Jon Garland. Garland had struggled in the White Sox rotation the last 2 seasons, but with a change of scenery, and being behind guys like Jared Weaver and John Lackey, it could give him a boost in confidence.

The one issue the Angels are still dealing with is the arbitration hearing with closer Francisco Rodriguez. Neither side is blinking, could this mean an end to an era? Talking to Angels' beat writer Lyle Spencer a few months ago, he mentioned that the Angels would be reluctant to give KRod $12M/year but that Rodriguez could be using the extension of Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera as a bargaining point.

Prediction Time:

The Angels, on paper, look strong enough to make a run at another World Series appearance, I think they should win the AL West fairly easily, especially with the A's in a rebuilding stage and the Rangers also starting a new era.

Angels - 99-63

Steve Goldman of YES Network

Steve Goldman, a noted Yankee historian and author of the Pinstriped Bible on YESNetwork.com, was nice enough to give me a few minutes on the Yankees and their upcoming 2008 season.


Baseball-Rumors: Let's start with Alex Rodriguez. Did Alex not want to opt out of his contract at the end of the 2007 season and how strained is his relationship now with his agent Scott Boras?

Steve Goldman: I think only Alex Rodriguez can tell you that for sure. It seems doubtful that Boras went cowboy and opted out all by himself. It may be that Alex wanted to stay and found that he had overplayed his hand to some degree, that the market wasn't going to top the Yankees or top them by enough to really want to make a change. Add in the botched announcement during the World Series and you had a complete disaster. It could be that Boras is just taking one for his player so that Rodriguez doesn't have to spend another year answering questions after they decided to stage a general retreat.


Baseball-Rumors: Fans had heard the name Ian Kennedy mentioned in the Johan Santana trade rumors, but the Yankees were unwilling to part with him. What do the Yankees like so much about Kennedy and what should Yankee fans look forward to about him?

Steve Goldman: It's a cliche, but he knows how to pitch. Kennedy's stuff is unexceptional, but he knows what to do with it. You hear about these polished college pitchers with a low ceiling--they are what they are. Teams draft them because they're guaranteed a certain minimum level of competency. But what if the player doesn't get even to that low ceiling, if he gets only 75% of the way there. Then you have, I dunno, a back-end guy, someone qualified to pitch for the O's or the Royals. Kennedy, as my Baseball Prospectus colleague Kevin Goldstein put it, has nailed that ceiling. It will be interesting to see if big league hitters figure himout, if he can keep making adjustments.


Baseball-Rumors: When do you expect the deal to be finalized with Robinson Cano?

Steve Goldman: Done, and not a moment too soon. The Yankees did themselves a favor by locking Cano in at a set cost rather than dragging through arbitration and all that jazz. He's really grown these last couple of years, and if he has just a little more of that coming he's going to be something quite special. Maybe he's already there.


Baseball-Rumors: Do you expect Joba Chamberlain to be in the starting rotation or will he be coming out of the bullpen?

Steve Goldman: They seem to be fluctuating on this somewhat. I don't think it matters so much so long as he's ultimately a starter. If a pitcher has his stuff and can sustain a starter's workload there isn't much of an argument for putting him in the pen. Unless you get 100 innings, all crucially timed, I don't think the contributions are equal, and of course most relievers don't throw 100 innings and most managers don't get the timing right, throwing away the best pitchers on some fairly safe game situations.


Baseball-Rumors: I understand there's going to be quite a battle for 1st base during Spring Training. Is there one guy that you think is the front runner going into camp?

Steve Goldman: It's hard to describe it as "quite a battle" when the players involved are such minor chess pieces as the pawn, the other pawn, the jester, and thejanitor. The Yankees decided to punt on the position again, hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and maybe keep things empty for Mark Teixeira a year from now. Jason Giambi is an amazingly productive hitter even batting .250, but that's if he's healthy and you can tolerate his defense, and both criteria haven't been met in some time. You have to hope Joe Girardi feels differently about these things than Joe Torre did. Failing that, a Wilson Betemit/Shelley Duncan platoon might be adequate.


Baseball-Rumors: What are you expectations for this team going into 2008?

Steve Goldman: I think it's going to be a very interesting year, with the young pitchers coming on line. There isn't much of a safety net and the Red Sox are going to continue to be very good... There isn't a whole lot of middle ground given that even if you label this a rebuilding year, because it's the Yankees it will be called a failure if they don't make the playoffs. As such, the youth movement will either succeed gloriously or fail gloriously. Either way, it was the right thing to do.

Reds avoid arbitration with Phillips

The Cincinnati Reds settled their last arbitration eligible case, signing 2nd baseman Brandon Phillips to a 4-year $27M contract on Friday which included a club option for the 5th year.

Phillips made it clear to the Reds that he wanted to stay with the team that gave him a 2nd chance after he was traded from the Cleveland Indians.

Rockies, Hawpe agree to 1-year deal

On Thursday, the Colorado Rockies came to an agreement with outfielder Brad Hawpe on a 1-year $3.925M contract, avoiding an arbitration hearing.

On top of his base salary, Hawpe can earn $100,000 in performance bonuses: $50,000 each for 600 and 675 plate appearances.

He finished the 2007 season with a .291 batting average with 29 HR's and 116 RBI's for the National League Champions.

Spring Training opens

Baseball fans, you can officially smile. Spring training camps opened in Florida and Arizona yesterday, your favorite players reporting for the first time since their seasons ended in September and October.

That means you can dream of celebrating a World Series Championship for your team at the end of the season, perhaps a few no hitters, a few more records falling, the possibilities are endless at this point.

Will this be one of the better seasons we've seen in quite some time? Will the Red Sox repeat as champions? How will Johan Santana, Erik Bedard and Dan Haren do with their new teams? How strong will the entire NL West be in 2008?

All those questions and more will be answered very shortly...baseball season is finally here, go ahead, curl those lips upward baseball fans, you can smile.

Tony DeMarco of MSNBC Sports

Tony DeMarco, who is a regular contributor to NBC Sports and MSNBC Sports, gave his take on the upcoming 2008 season and a few teams to watch.


Baseball-Rumors: Are the Angels still the favorite in the AL West even with the Mariners' acquisition of Erik Bedard?

Tony DeMarco: Yes, I'm sticking with the Angels. I believe the two rotations are very similar now that Bedard has been acquired and Escobar is hurt. But I'd take the Angels in pretty much everything else across the board -- bullpen, lineup, defense, speed. The Mariners to me overachieved last year, winning 88 games despite outscored. I really like the Silva signing and getting Bedard, but I see them being about the same as last season. I have the Angels winning 92 games, and just to let you know, I have spring preview capsules of every team posted on the website now.


Baseball-Rumors: The NL West has gone from the NL Worst just a few years ago to one of the strongest divisions in baseball. What do you attribute that to?

Tony DeMarco: In the cases of Arizona and Colorado, you have teams built from within, with a lot of younger talent that came of age. I like the Rockies' chances a bit better than the DBacks'. The Rockies' nucleus is in its prime, as opposed to the DBacks' still being young and relatively inexperienced. The Rockies also have more upside in Jimenez, Morales, Greg Reynolds, Juan Morillo. And like the Mariners, I think the DBacks overachieved last year, same type scenario of their record being way better than their run differential.

As for the division as a whole, just look at the pitching. It's outstanding. The Dodgers, Pads and Giants all have excellent rotations, and the first two have great staffs as a whole. Part of it is because those three teams play in pitchers' parks. But it's hard to name another staff in the other two divisions that matches up. Maybe the Cubs?


Baseball-Rumors: The AL Central looks like it's going to be a great race between the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. Was the acquisition of Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera enough to push the Tigers past the Indians?

Tony DeMarco: I'm picking the Tigers, yes. The big concern there is health, as they have a lot of old players, and we aren't certain about Rogers and Bonderman bouncing back. But that lineup could score close to 1,000 runs, and there is a win-now mindset. There's nothing wrong with the Indians, though, and I have them as the wildcard over the Yankees and Mariners.


Baseball-Rumors: Were you surprised that neither the Red Sox or Yankees pulled the trigger on the Johan Santana deal or did neither team want to give up what the Twins were asking?

Tony DeMarco: I was more surprised in the Yankees' case. The Red Sox really don't need him, and in fact, I'd argue that I'd rather keep Buchholz and Lester and Ellsbury than lose a couple of them, plus pay Santana $137 million. I thought the Yankees would make the deal because they really need Santana, but the desire to keep their young pitching is commendable. But Kennedy, Joba and Hughes need to be good in a hurry.


Baseball-Rumors: With Curt Schilling possibly out until the All-Star break, does that weaken the Red Sox at all, or are they strong enough to stay in front in the AL East without him?

Tony DeMarco: I'm still picking the Red Sox. Losing Schilling hurts, but perhaps not that much. I don't think they expected him to pitch more than 150 innings anyway. But again, they need the young starters to come through, Wakefield will have to have one more durable season, or perhaps will have to add a veteran type. It might cost them a couple of wins in the regular season, but I see them in the playoffs.


Baseball-Rumors: Last question for me, is this going to be one of the best seasons we've seen in a long time?

Tony DeMarco: I think they're all good, each in their own way. Every one has its own developments, story lines, surprises and dramas. That's why we watch.

Cubs' Dempster predicts end to World Series drought

As pitchers and catchers get set to report to their respective camps tomorrow, it brings new found confidence to a lot of players.

One of those players is Cubs' right-hander Ryan Dempster. As he showed up to their facility this morning, Dempster made a bold prediction, "I think we are going to win the World Series, I really do." A bold prediction coming from a team who was swept in 3 games by the NL West Champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

If you fans remember correctly, it was Carlos Zambrano who guaranteed a World Series for the Cubs in 2007 and, although Dempster isn't making any guarantees, he says confidence isn't a bad thing, "I wouldn't show up here and work as hard as I did and everybody work as hard as they did to not believe that."

Saito, Dodgers agree on 1-year deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers, on Wednesday, came to an agreement with closer Takashi Saito on a 1-year $2M contract, avoiding an arbitration hearing.

Saito finished the 2007 Dodger campaign with a 2-1 record and a 1.40 ERA, including 39 saves in 43 chances which earned him a spot with the NL All-Star team.

Son of a former Padre turned Padre killer

Tony Gwynn Jr spent his childhood in the Padre locker room, around guys like his Hall of Fame Father, but spent the majority of his time in 1 locker in particular...Trevor Hoffman.

He idolized Trevor, would watch his workout routine, how he prepared for a game, how he'd go about his business. Now, Jr is a big leaguer himself and wouldn't you know it, would face the same person he spent a lot of his childhood around, and in the biggest spot of the Padres 2007 season.

If you don't know the whole story, here's a great article from Tom Friend of ESPN the Magazine that tells it from start to finish and it's a great read.

Looking Forward to 2008: Houston Astros

Is there a team with more to prove going into 2008 than the Houston Astros, especially coming off a 73-89 season?



What do you do when you need to make big changes to the club that finished 16 games under .500? You bring in a new GM (Ed Wade), a new manager (Cecil Cooper) and get right to work during the offseason to make this team better.



So, with that in mind, new general manager Ed Wade wasted no time in making some jaw dropping moves, trading for SS Miguel Tejada and former Arizona closer Jose Valverde. Both moves, however, have drawn criticism for giving up too much and making a deal for a player who was named just a day later in the Mitchell Report (Tejada).

Arrivals:
2B Kazuo Matsui (free agent)
RHP Doug Brocail (free agent)
RHP Geoff Geary (trade)
RHP Oscar Villarreal (trade)
IF Geoff Blum (free agent)
OF Reggie Abercrombie (waiver)
OF Michael Bourn (trade)
OF Yordany Ramirez (free agent)
LHP Wesley Wright (Rule 5)
SS Miguel Tejada (trade)
RHP Jose Valverde (trade)
RHP Ryan Houston (waiver)
Darin Erstad (free agent)
RHP Chad Paronto (free agent)
RHP Jack Cassel (free agent)

Departures:
LHP Trever Miller
OF Josh Anderson
RHP Brad Lidge
IF Eric Bruntlett
RHP Jason Jennings
OF Orlando Palmeiro
IF Mike Lamb
RHP Brian Moehler
SS Adam Everett
RHP Chad Qualls
2B Chris Burke
RHP Juan Gutierrez
RHP Dennis Sarfate
LHP Troy Patton
OF Luke Scott
3B Mike Costanzo
RHP Matt Albers

Among the additions to the Astros roster are 4 former San Diego Padres. Geoff Blum, Doug Brocail, Yordany Ramirez and Jack Cassell were all signed as free agents this offseason. Though there are new faces to this team, there are a lot of faces that fans had gotten used to seeing that won't be on the field when the 2008 season opens. Chris Burke, Adam Everett, Luke Scott, Mike Lamb, Jason Jennings and Brad Lidge will all be with new teams in 2008, but the one big name missing from the roster is 2nd baseman Craig Biggio who retired after the 2007 season.

The question this team faces is their starting rotation. Leading the rotation is ace Roy Oswalt along with Wandy Rodriguez, Woody Williams and possible Brandon Backe, but are any of those names, with exception to Oswalt and maybe Woody, for sure? I guess we'll see how the younger pitchers fare in spring training.

Prediction Time:

Though the Astros have made a lot of moves, they didn't upgrade their rotation which will end up really hurting this ballclub in the long run. Yes they have a guy who has shown he can shut the door in the 9th (Valverde), but if your rotation can't hand a lead to the bullpen, how many games is he going to be able to close out? Yes, their offense is going to put up runs, especially with guys like Tejada, Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman in the same lineup, but I just don't think it's going to be enough.

Astros - 79-83

Rocker: "I failed drug test in 2000"

John Rocker is back in the news and he threw Commissioner Bud Selig under the bus during an interview on Atlanta station 680 AM.

During the interview, Rocker claims he failed a drug test ordered by Major League Baseball in 2000 and that Bud Selig "didn't do anything about it." He also says that during his 2002 season with the Rangers, management doctors pulled himself, A-Rod and Rafael Palmeiro aside and told them how to take steroids.

Though Rocker didn't identify the doctors by name, this is what he's claiming they told the 3 players.

"Look guys, if you take one kind of steroid, you don't triple stack them and take them 10 months out of the year like Lyle Alzado did. If you do it responsibly, it's not going to hurt you."

Joba Chamberlain to open season in the bullpen

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports, the Yankees say young right-hander Joba Chamberlain will work up to being a starter by starting the 2008 season in the bullpen.

With Joba only being 22 years of age, there's a higher risk of damage to his arm if he pitches a lot more than his 112.1 IP in 2007. The Yankees are counting on the rotation of Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy to stay healthy before sliding Joba into the mix, plus, he's an almost untouchable setup man to Mariano Rivera.

Livan signs with Twins

The Minnesota Twins and right-hander Livan Hernandez have agreed on a 1-year $5M contract on Tuesday. It will include an additional $2M in incentives.

Last season with the NL West Champion Diamondbacks, he was 11-11 with a 4.93 ERA in 33 starts.

Fred Inglis of Fox 2 in Oakland

Fred Inglis, a 2-time Emmy Award winning reporter (1996, 2007), from Fox 2 in Oakland was good enough to give me a couple minutes on the Oakland A's.


Baseball-Rumors: A lot of fans have been scratching their heads about the A's signing Emil Brown, especially with them already having Travis Buck, Ryan Sweeney and Chris Denorfia. Did they bring in Emil to give one of the other 3 a challenge or are they serious about him starting?

Fred Inglis: Emil Brown is expected to bat against only left handed hitters. Check his numbers, he is terrible against RHP. He will not remind you of Jay Payton or Shannon Stewart, that’s for sure. He is making over $3 million so he will get a good look, but you’re right, there are several candidates who will get a chance to play. He does have more MLB experience than many of the other guys, like Ryan and Chris, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t stay on the team all season.


Baseball-Rumors: With Hudson, Zito and now Haren gone, is it just a matter of time before Joe Blanton is traded?

Fred Inglis: It sounds more and more like Blanton is headed elsewhere ( Dodgers?). It may bring in someone for that outfield position that Brown is vying for. I talked to Billy Beane two weeks ago and he admitted the team we see now may not be the team that we see opening day. They really have loaded up on relievers lately, Devine, Foulke. You gotta wonder if Street is the guy who gets moved instead of Blanton.


Baseball-Rumors: Jack Cust really came up big for Oakland last season. Was 2007 a fluke or do you expect him to put up good numbers again in 2008?

Fred Inglis: Signing Mike Sweeney today means Cust will only have to face RHP. That should help his batting, but it may also mean he’ll play outfield and scare the hell out of us with his glove. I talked to Cust two weeks ago also, and he says he will take a drug test everyday if they want and you gotta hope getting mentioned in the Mitchell Report doesn’t have a negative effect on the field. He’s a fast ball hitter.. why do they throw fastballs to this guy? He strikes out too much, but they if the A’s keep playing for the 3-run Homer, who else will do that?


Baseball-Rumors: Bubba Crosby has missed a lot of games due to injury. Can he stay healthy next season and, if not, who is the next in line?

Fred Inglis: Bobby Crosby is starcrossed and if he and Rich Harden ever drive in a car together, it seems a crash would be inevitable. I’m not sure if a healthy version of Bobby Crosby is all that big a deal. Marco Scutaro where are you? I know Beane likes Bobby, but with all those injuries dealing him would get nothing in return. It’s going to be do or die season for Bobby. He must get over this or he becomes expendable for a bag of peanuts.


Baseball-Rumors: Who's the one young prospect you see coming up and making an impact for this Oakland team in 2008?

Fred Inglis: Fresh face? I don’t know the new six dozen or so players they picked up in the Haren and Swisher trades. I know my friends in Arizona Fox station say Carlos Gonzalez is a can’t miss prospect. But who knows? Jumping from AA to MLB is a leap for anyone.

I do like the A’s new starting pitcher…. Justin Duchscherer. He’s got more fire and guts than people think and his hip is fine then look for him to do well.

Daric Barton seems ready to make club in Spring and make an impact.

Rockies, Atkins reach agreement on 1-year deal

On Monday, the Colorado Rockies and 3rd baseman Garrett Atkins have agreed to a 1-year contract worth $4,387,500.

Atkins finished the 2007 with a .301 batting average to go along with 25 HR's and 111 RBI's for the National League Champions.

Biggio agrees to personal service contract with 'Stros

Recently retired Craig Biggio has agreed to a 3-year personal service contract from the Houston Astros on Monday.

Biggio will work as a special assistant to GM Ed Wade, helping coach young players as well as assisting the Astros on the business side. He'll split time between the Astros and St. Thomas High School, where he's the assistant baseball coach. His oldest son, Conor, plays for the team.

Dan Miller of Fox 2 in Detroit

Dan Miller of Fox 2 in Detroit, who's also the play-by-play voice of the Detroit Lions, stopped by to talk a little Tigers' baseball.


Baseball-Rumors: Take me back to the Winter Meetings, how did the Tigers get involved in the trade discussions with the Marlins, especially because their name never came up prior to that day. Did they pull the trade last minute?

Dan Miller: According to Dave dombrowski, owner Mike Illitch had heard that Cabrera might be available and told him to look into that. Dombrowski did and found that the Marlins were interested in making a deal. Florida in fact wanted to make the deal bigger by including WIllis in what amounts to a salary dump. The cost was going to be the Tigers top two prospects in Maybin and Miller and then some. The Tigers had mapped out exactly what they thought Florida would ask for and they nailed it, the two top prospects and others. They agreed.

Broken down, its trading two top prospects and some maybes for guys that already had done it at the major league level and two guys that if they stay healthy shuold be productive for a long time.


Baseball-Rumors: How good does a Dontrelle Willis make the Tigers rotation?

Dan Miller: I don't know because I need to see what Willis is that this point. His numbers have been down and his control has been a question. Does a change of scenery and significantly more run support get him back to his old level? We'll have to wait and see. I have questions about their rotation. Verlander is a given, Bonderman has yet to find consistency, Robertson is a number five at this point and Kenny Rogers certainly has age working against him. They could be very good but I don't think it's a given.


Baseball-Rumors: Do you have an update on the Brandon Inge situation? I know the Tigers had asked him to stick around this year because Ivan Rodriguez could depart via free agency after this season which would open up the catching position for Inge. What's the latest?

Dan Miller: Brandon has said that he will go to camp and work as a utility man and a catcher. I believe that would be in his best intrest. He can play the position defensively and offensively his numbers would be good for a catcher. As a third baseman his production and high strike out numbers don't put him anywhere near an elite level.


Baseball-Rumors: Were you surprised the Tigers didn't offer a contract to Chad Durbin?

Dan Miller: A bit, just because I figured he could be another arm to try out in the bullpen.


Baseball-Rumors: What are your expectations for this team going into 2008?

Dan Miller: They should be very very good offensively. They are going to score runs. There is not an easy out in the line-up. However, you have to get the pitching from your starters and relievers. They haven't done much to shore up their pen, although they did bring in a couple guys that they are hopeful can help out.

I'd be less than truthful if I told you that they are guys that I am familiar with. Detoit has to be high on the list of favorites to represent the AL and certainly Schillings situation hurts one of their key competitiors, but this is not a team without questions.

Mike Sweeney signs with Oakland

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reports, the Oakland A's have signed long time Kansas City Royal Mike Sweeney to a minor league contract on Sunday.

Sweeney had received interest from the San Diego Padres as recently as last week, but the Padres are close to a deal with former DBack Tony Clark.

Padres, Clark close to 1-year deal

2.10.08 9:53pm PST

The Associated Press reports, the San Diego Padres are close to a 1-year $900,000 deal with free-agent Tony Clark.

The deal would bring back a guy who played high school and college ball in San Diego. The Padres always seem to bring back the hometown boys (ex. Brian Giles, Marcus Giles, Adrian Gonzalez, Mark Prior, etc.).

2.7.08 2:51pm PST

According to the San Diego Union Tribune, the San Diego Padres are deep in contract negotiations with Clark.

2.6.08 2:52pm PST

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the San Diego Padres are in talks with former DBack Tony Clark.

Clark grew up in San Diego County and would be a great addition to the Padre clubhouse, not to mention that right-hander Chris Young wouldn't have to face Clark again. He's 4-9 against Young, all 4 hits were HR's.

Mark Sweeney close to returning to LA

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reports, the Los Angeles Dodgers are close to an agreement with free agent Mark Sweeney on a 1-year deal to bring back the pinch-hitting specialist back to LA for 2008.

There's no figure on the contract yet, but Sweeney's agent Barry Axelrod said, "It's not a done deal, but we're moving in the right direction.''

Looking Forward to 2008: Florida Marlins

The Florida Marlins will report to Spring Training with 2 familiar faces missing from previous years.

During the Winter Meetings, the Florida Marlins pulled the trigger on a trade that sent left-hander Dontrelle Willis and 3rd baseman Miguel Cabrera to the Detroit Tigers. Willis was the last remaining member from the Marlins World Championship team in 2003. Another missing face from 2007 will be catcher Miguel Olivo, who was signed by the Kansas City Royals during the offseason.

Though the trade has been talked about on Detroit's side because of the players they received in Willis and Cabrera, the players the Marlins received in return aren't too shabby either. Top outfield prospect Cameron Maybin, who was among the players sent to Florida, should make an immediate impact in 2008.

Arrivals:

OF Maybin

LHP Miller

C Rabelo

RHP Eulogio De La Cruz

RHP Dallas Trahern

RHP Burke Badenhop

Departures:

LHP Willis

3B Cabrera

C Miguel Olivo

INF Aaron Boone

RHP Byung-Hyun Kim

Another piece that was sent to the Marlins from Detroit was left-hander Andrew Miller, who should be able to step right into the Marlins' rotation when they open the 2008 season. Joining him in the rotation from 2007 will be right-handers Scott Olson, Sergio Mitre and Ricky Nolasco, but let's not forget about the addition of veteran Mark Hendrickson as well as highly touted left-hander Taylor Tankersley who finished 2007 with a 6-1 record and a 3.99 ERA in 47.1 IP.

On the offensive end of things, this will be one of, if not the youngest team in major league baseball. That's not to say, however, that this team isn't going to surprise people because when you have young talent such as outfielder Cameron Maybin, 2nd baseman Dan Uggla, outfielder Josh Willingham, shortstop Hanley Ramirez and 1st baseman Mike Jacobs, you're going to put up runs. The question becomes, how is this rotation going to do when they're given run support? Will their bullpen be able to hold leads in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings?

Prediction Time:

Yes the offense will put up runs, but they're going to lose a lot more games than they're going to win, especially playing in the same division with the Atlanta Braves and NY Mets.

Marlins - 65-97