Julio Borbon:

Borbon was given an opportunity towards the latter half of his rookie season in 09’ due to the struggles and injuries of Josh Hamilton, and it paid off in great fashion for the Rangers. The speedster hit .312 with 4 homeruns and 19 swipes in 157 at-bats, and enters his 2010 campaign as the starting centerfielder. Borbon will also handle the leadoff duties, as he showed great promise in the spot, and in a lineup as stacked as the Rangers now is, you should expect a lot of runs coming your way. I would be shocked if Borbon did not steal more than 40 bases this year—with his speed I see that as the bare minimum.

Rajai Davis:

The A’s outfielder came out of nowhere last season and went absolutely nuts in the second half. Rajai hit a very respectable .325 and stole 30 bases in 68 games post all-star break. Don’t expect him to hit very many out—he only has 7 in his entire career—but if you’re looking for a cheap way to bolster your steals, expect to snag him in the later rounds. With the addition of Coco Crisp, Davis is slotted to move to a corner spot in the outfield, but will receive the nod over fellow speedster Eric Patterson.

Nyjer Morgan:

Morgan exploded last season with both the Pirates and Nationals before a freak hand injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. In only 120 games the speedster posted 42 stolen bases, with 24 of them coming in a 49 game span with the Nats. He is poised to be the starting center fielder and leadoff man for Washington on opening day and should be available on most waiver wires. Look for Morgan to swipe 50-58 bags this year—given he stays healthy.

In a massive eight-year, $184 million deal, the 27-year old catcher is slotted to spend presumably the rest of his playing career in the Twin Cities—the deal included a full no-trade clause—and in a day and age where powerhouse markets like the Yankees and Red Sox have dominated big money players, the deal stands as a significant statement that smaller markets like the Twins can compete.

To put it plain and simple: this deal is good for baseball. With Mauer’s unique set of skills, and the fact that he is in his own universe in terms of talented catchers, he could have easily tested the waters of the free agent market and walked away with an A-Rod type deal somewhere in the ballpark of $250 million. The fact that he didn’t is a throwback to old baseball culture—where players spent their entire career with one organization—and shows something about Mauer’s character.

All loyalties aside, the $184 million deal is the most money that has ever been signed to a catcher—far surpassing the four-year, $52 million deal Yankees catcher Jorge Posada signed in 2007. The only players to ever sign for more guaranteed money is of course Alex Rodriguez, and also Derek “the captain” Jeter.

The deal however, does present an intriguing situation for the club. With $195 million going towards newly constructed Target Stadium, and nearly the same amount going towards Joe Mauer, how will the Twins continue to make the moves they need to make and bring in new talent? The Twins may already be in the market for a new closer with Joe Nathan sidelined for the year with Tommy John, and that in all probability will not be the only need for the club in the near future.

Nevertheless, do not let that detract from the deal. Mauer is arguably the best player in the AL, and is worth every penny of $185 million. The Twins made all the right moves with this one, and will continue to benefit from the all-star catcher through at least 2018.

Is it too early to chalk him up as a first ballot hall of famer? I think not.

Unfortunately for the Cubs, Guzman looked to be the guy they were going to rely on in late inning situations before the ball was handed off to closer Carlos Marmol. Guzman had made significant strides in 2009 in terms of establishing himself as a legitimate force in the Cubs pen, and had posted a sub 3.00 ERA for the first time in his career with a 2.95. With the inability to pitch in his current condition, and presumably being out for the year—if not the majority—if he goes ahead with the surgery, manager Lou Pinella will have to look to other, unproven options in key late-inning situations.

Newly acquired pitcher Carlos Silva is the only pitcher in the pen with more than 5 years of big league experience, and one must wonder if that lack of experience in the pen is going to hinder the Cubs chances this season. The bullpen is by far the most questionable portion of their roster, and the loss of Guzman has created an even more daunting question for coaches. Do not be surprised if the ever busy Jim Hendry picks up the phone and makes a move to solidify the pitching staff and limit the amount of damage done in those middle to late innings that hurt the team so much last year.

Except in the Nationals case. They can’t get much worse in D.C.

With a dismal 59-103 effort in 2009, the Washington Nationals shared the infamy of the Pirates as laughing stock of the league. However, there is reason to consider that their worst days may be behind them.

Yes, all hope lies in No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg in the distant—and arguably immediate—future of the organization, yet there is much more outside of Strasburg that points towards the possible success of the Nationals in 2010.

The middle of the order for D.C. falls short of nothing, as they are likely to combine for 100 bombs this season. Dunn alone is a lock for 40 homers and 100 RBI, and Zimmerman is only going to continue to build off his breakout campaign in which he hit 33 long balls while posting a .292 average. Couple that heart of the order with speedster Nyjer Morgan—who has quickly become one of the premier leadoff hitters in the game—and you’re looking at a very dynamic 1 through 5.

Furthermore, the Nats made several key additions this offseason through the acquisitions of second basemen Adam Kennedy, closer Matt Capps, and catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. All will be an intricate part of the drive towards victory for Washington, but one stands out as the most vital asset to the team and that’s Rodriguez. He will be essential to the development and success of a young and inexperienced pitching staff—with the exception of veteran ace Jason Marquis.

I’m not saying the Nationals are going to come out, shock the world, and win the East—sorry Washington fans, not in a million years. What I am saying though is to expect a much-improved team, and a team that is going to make significant strides towards future accomplishment. A .500 season is not out of the question and one could very well see the team pull themselves out of the humiliation that is last place, and 34 games out.

So let’s move him to the 3-hole.

In a recent announcement Mets manager Jerry Manuel discussed his intentions of making the rehabilitated Reyes the team’s No. 3 hitter in front of the likes of David Wright and recently required Jason Bay. According to MLB.com, Reyes was quoted as saying, “I’ll do anything to help the team. He’s the boss. If he wants me to bat third, I will.”

Personally, I think it’s a terrible idea. With Reyes at the top of the order the Mets have the possibility of being one of the most potent offensive clubs in the league. He presents an immediate challenge for any opposing pitcher, and when on base changes the pitching strategy towards every hitter who follows him. Removing him from that role would only limit his capabilities and diminish his impact in the game. The only suitable replacements for the leadoff slot would be second-basemen Luis Castillo, or outfielder Angel Pagan. Although Pagan had his best season thus far last year, he cannot be considered to effectively supplement the absence of Reyes at the top given the fact he only had a small sample of at-bats last year. Castillo would be the better option, and notably has the most leadoff experience on the team with 4,067 appearances in the position, but his speed has moderated over the years and would not nearly bear the same influence as Reyes’s.

The move is only being considered because of the injury to Carlos Beltran, who won’t be in the lineup until at least May. It’s a rash compensation for a situation that actually does not need to be compensated for all that much. The addition of Jason Bay in itself is enough to provide an effective solution, as he is the means of protection for David Wright and vice versa. Starting off the game with the likes of Reyes, Castillo, Wright, and Bay is much more intimidating to an opposing team than that of Castillo, Pagan, Reyes, Wright/Bay. In addition, when Beltran eventually returns, only small adjustments would have to be made, in effect keeping the lineup as comfortable and familiar as possible.

A general rule of thumb: when you have the best leadoff hitter in the game, you keep him in the leadoff spot. Manuel would be wise to follow it.

What the league is in dire need of however, is immediate reform to the Revenue Sharing Policy that was established in 1997. The policy was a measure taken by current commissioner Bud Selig to help create a competitive balance between small-market and large-market organizations. The idea of the policy is for the larger-market teams—such as the Yankees—to pay the league a set amount of revenue that will go toward the likes of teams such as the Pirates, Royals, Marlins, Rays, and Blue Jays to help “improve the product on the field”.

Problem is, owners aren’t necessarily using these funds for the intended purpose. Or at least by what is indicated by the numbers. For instance, the Pittsburg Pirates—current laughing stock of the league—received about $40M from revenue sharing, and an additional $35M from the league’s central fund (revenue from licensing, properties, national TV, and advanced media). This puts the club with already $75M in the bank, without taking into account the money generated from local networking. Given that the Pirates had a payroll somewhere in the ballpark of $48M, that would leave them with about a $27M profit before the selling of one ticket. Question is: where is this money going?

Yes, granted, the Yankees blow the most money in professional sports, and the amounts the Steinbrenner’s have injected into the franchise could more than likely support a third world country for a generation. But at least they put it toward improving the team and organization for their fans. I have more respect for that than for an owner who does nothing to be competitive and instead makes the claim that they’re losing money and to compensate must trade away all of their best players and start over. In fact, due to the luxury tax—a levy placed on the maximum payroll one team can have—the Yankees are benefitting the MLB and its affiliated clubs with their exorbitant spending; since 2003 the Yankees have paid $174M of the tax’s $190M revenue.

Why not tax the minimum payroll as well?

Prevent teams and owners such as the Pirates from abusing the privilege they have through the revenue sharing policy and tax them if they do not adequately use that money to improve upon the field. This will give incentives to owners who have grown accustom to pocketing the cash and doing with it what they please.

Case and point: do not cry for a salary cap with the basis that the Yankees spend too much money and that it’s “not fair” for teams with smaller markets. The fact of the matter is that the Yankees have been the lifeblood of the smaller market organizations for years now and to blame them would be to bite the hand that feeds. Put the blame on the fraudulence of the owners and call for reform that will negate the corruption behind their methodology.

However, if the Royals wish to play that same type of ball with the rest of their division, they’re going to need more than a Cuban giant—who will most presumably begin the season at Class A Wilmington—and a lot of players to step up and play to their full potential.

Given the state of the AL Central, nothing is necessarily out of the question in terms of how much success the Royals may have in the upcoming 2010 campaign. There is no true dominant force in the division, and it looks to be up for grabs to anyone. Besides the Indians of course, who are absolutely abysmal, and have paraded their way down the slippery slope to holding the status of—in my opinion—“worst team in the MLB” (minus the Pirates, who I do not even consider an organization anymore).

Like I said though, for the Royals to have any shot whatsoever, they’re going to need a lot to go right for them, and that starts with their rotation. Zach Greinke is as good as it gets but the absence of that solid number two starter behind him does not bear well for their chances. Gil Meche simply does not cut it and to put it bluntly, imploded in 2009. The Royals cannot bank on the hope that Meche will return to his 2007/2008 form, especially coming off a season ending injury, and it is imperative that the front office fills this void either by making a move, or turning to the free agent market. Watch for Luke Hochevar to have a breakout year, who showed glimpses of brilliance in an otherwise disappointing 2009 campaign.

On another note, I cannot stress enough the importance of the Scott Podsednik and Jason Kendall additions to the team. Kendall will be an essential asset to the development of the pitching staff, more specifically Hochevar and Arugelles (depending on his initial progress), and will shore up the defensive side of the ball as he is regarded as one of the better game-callers and his blocking skills are very good as well. Given that the Royals had a big issue with balls making their way towards the backstop in 2009, this could be crucial in their bid to be a competitor; they led the majors with 89 wild pitches and 14 passed balls. Podsednik will obviously provide that spark at the top of their order and will give them a legitimate leadoff hitter who is a game-changer on the basepaths. Look for up and coming centerpiece Billy Butler to have a lot more RBI opportunities because of this.

With all this said, the key to whether or not the Royals will be a legitimate contender in the Central is whether or not Alex Gordon shows up or not. To this point he has far from lived up to the hype he entered the league with and is arguably coming off of his worst season in 2009 where he severely underperformed and was cut short by what might has well have been season ending hip surgery. If he even lives up to half of what he was advertised, it would only bode well for their success.

My prediction? Vast and dramatic improvement from last season, yet only a third place finish behind Minnesota and Chicago. Not as bold a statement as KC fans might desire, but I just don’t believe the Royals have the staff or the offensive firepower to withstand that of the Twins and Sox. Nevertheless, I would not be astonished if they pulled off a feat similar to that of what the Tigers did from 2005-2006 in which they came out of nowhere—last place more specifically—to win the Central the next year. There is potential in Kansas City, but whether that potential will be tapped or not remains to be seen. Only time will tell.