Blanco has spent his Major league career with the Royals and Cubs until just recently being traded from Chicago for a player to be named later or cash.

Simply put, Blanco should never be allowed to pick up a bat with his newfound team. His value is purely seated on the defensive-side of the game. He has well above average range and a powerful throwing arm; He simply has the ability to play second base, shortstop or third base with quality results.

The 26-year-old has very limited upside, and absolutely zero value in the fantasy baseball community. As the utility infielder for the Rangers, he stands to receive possibly 150-250 plate appearances. When you consider he has almost no contact or power skills and a lack of patience at the plate, well, let’s just say he’s a non-factor.

Rangers fan’s can watch and enjoy his sure-handed play in the field, but there is nothing that special about the young infielder.

Other contenders for the Ranger’s utility infielder role would be second basemen Esteban German and Joaquin Arias. Neither of the two are acceptable defensively anywhere outside of second, and that poses some versatility issues for the team. This is where Blanco alleviates this dilemma.

Say what you will about Blanco, but he has a small, established niche as a Pro player, and Texas stands to improve their bench with this addition.

Yeah, OK, there have been countless other screw-ups in sports lately. Tiger Woods is the obvious headliner. Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, the list goes on and on. But who would have expected 58-year-old Rangers manager Ron Washington to add to the Mt. Rushmore of sports f-ups?

Not I. When I heard that, I thought, could it be? Could the Sports Screw-ups Wolfpack add a new member?

Apparently.

How ridiculous is that? What an example Washington is setting. He’s the manager of a team that already carries a former coke addict (Josh Hamilton). How could he resort to drugs himself?

The manager is supposed to be the rock of the team. The one that people look up to for guidance and direction. How can he direct anybody now that he publicly screwed up? How can somebody like Hamilton turn to him for guidance in a time of weakness if there’s question whether Washington himself is stable or not?

How does Washington still have a job? I know Tony LaRussa got a DUI. He’s a great manager who made a mistake. But, Washington is no LaRussa. He’s replaceable, for sure. Plus, cocaine is some serious stuff. A lot of people drink. A very few amount of people do cocaine.

People can become addicted to both and I’m not about to defend LaRussa or minimize his DUI, but Washington’s offense was far worse. I can’t think of a time where I’ve heard a manager in the negative spotlight like this. ESPN spent half their St. Patty’s Day discussing the bad luck that Washington had to get tested when he did.

As a baseball fanatic, I think Washington is worthy of a second-chance at some point, but I don’t think he should retain his position as manager. He says this is the first time he has ever used cocaine. Who uses cocaine just once? Plus, why would he first try cocaine at age 58? He’s a freakin senior citizen, for gosh sakes. I doubt as highly that this was not his first time as much as I doubt that Ashlee Simpson never had plastic surgery.

He needs to get himself straight before he can be in charge of 25 other guys and a handful of other coaches. I won’t go so far as to say Washington is a disgrace to the game of baseball, but he certainly found a different way to taint the already-tainted MLB.

Washington’s public statement was perfect, but it was too perfect. He was coached on what to say and said exactly what he needed to say, just like Tiger Woods. I can’t believe it. I can’t take it to heart. Athletes are too much like politicians nowadays. Everything they say has a hidden agenda.

Regardless, the MLB doesn’t need any more negative attention. Managers, coaches, players, owners, general mangers, groundskeepers, whoever. Keep your s**t together, please. Let’s give the young kids who idolize this sport and everybody who plays it something that we can be proud of. They deserve it.

Baltimore Orioles

Key losses- Chris Ray, Danys Baez

Key additions- Kevin Millwood, Garrett Atkins, Mike Gonzalez

Off-season grade- C+

Justification- Kevin Millwood provides some leadership for the Orioles young staff. He’s also very durable and that should keep the young staff from pitching too many innings. Garrett Atkins is a nice low risk/high reward signing. Mike Gonzalez stabilizes the back end of the bullpen.

Boston Red Sox

Key losses- Billy Wagner, Jason Bay, Casey Kotchman

Key additions- Mike Cameron, John Lackey, Adrian Beltre, Jeremy Hermida, Marco Scutaro

Off-season grade- A

Justification- It looks like Theo Epstein set out to improve the defense on this team and this off-season reflects that. They upgraded in center with Cameron. The Cameron signing also allows Jacoby Ellsbury to move to left field, where he is better defensively. Scutaro is an upgrade over Lugo. Boston’s defense could rival Seattle’s this season. The signing of Lackey gives the Red Sox one of the best rotations in baseball.

New York Yankees

Key losses- Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Phil Coke, Jerry Hairston

Key additions- Curtis Granderson, Nick Johnson, Javier Vasquez

Off-season grade- A

Justification- They won the World Series so they did not have a lot of holes to fill, but the rich did get richer. Curtis Granderson is an upgrade defensively in center field. Nick Johnson will most likely take over for Matsui at the DH spot and he provides a nice on-base percentage. Javier Vasquez is a nice addition to an already stellar pitching staff.

Tampa Bay Rays

Key losses- Akinori Iwamura,

Key additions- Rafael Soriano

Off-season grade- C+

Justification- They were not very active, but they did upgrade the bullpen, which was a weakness last year.

Toronto Blue Jays

Key losses- Roy Halladay, Marco Scutaro

Key additions- Alex Gonzalez, Brandon Morrow

Off-season grade- C-

Justification- They lost one of the best pitchers in the game and did not get a major league ready pitcher that can fill in in 2010. I did like them getting Kyle Drabek from the Phillies though. They were probably smart in letting Scutaro walk and collecting the draft picks. They did not do much to improve the team in 2010, but they did make some good moves toward the future.

Los Angeles Angels

Key losses- Vladimir Guerrero, John Lackey, Chone Figgins, Darren Oliver

Key additions- Hideki Matsui, Joel Piniero, Fernando Rodney

Off-season grade- C

Justification- Losing Lackey hurts, but if Piniero can pitch like he did in 2009 he’s a better pitcher and cost less than Lackey. Matsui is a good choice to take over the DH spot. They did overpay for Fernando Rodney. They now have two highly priced relievers in Fuentes and Rodney. They lost one of the better defensive third basemen in Chone Figgins and have not adequately replaced him. They also lost a key piece in their bullpen last year in Darren Oliver.

Oakland Athletics

Key losses- Bobby Crosby, Scott Hairston, Adam Kennedy

Key additions- Jack Cust (re-signed), Coco Crisp, Justin Duchscherer, Jake Fox, Kevin Kouzmanoff

Off-season grade – C+

Justification-I don’t know if they did enough to win the AL West, but I think they did improve their team. They upgraded their defense with the acquisitions of Kouzmanoff and Crisp.

Seattle Mariners

Key losses- Adrian Beltre, Erik Bedard, Russell Branyan, Carlos Silva

Key additions- Cliff Lee, Chone Figgins, Milton Bradley, Casey Kotchman

Off-season grade- A

Justification- They acquired one of the better pitchers in the game in Cliff Lee. Pairing Lee with Felix Hernandez gives the Mariners a nice 1-2 punch. They improved at third base with the signing of Figgins. They upgraded defensively at first base with Casey Kotchman coming over from the Red Sox. They already had the best defense last year and it only got better this off-season.  If Milton Bradley can put 2009 behind him he can be the middle of the order bat that Seattle needs.

Texas Rangers

Key losses- Marlon Byrd, Ivan Rodriguez, Andruw Jones, Hank Blalock, Kevin Millwood

Key additions- Rich Harden, Darren Oliver, Khalil Greene, Vladimir Guerrero

Off-season grade- B-

Justification- They upgraded the bullpen with Darren Oliver. They took a chance on the talented yet oft-injured Rich Harden. They upgraded the DH spot with Guerrero.

I know we saw him last year out of the pen and I think that’s where he should stay. I don’t think he can throw 100 mph with the kind of stuff he has as a starter…so why not have him be the nastiest closer in baseball?

2) Justin Smoak-1B

Great young talent that reminds me a lot of someone else that came up with Texas. You might remember him a bit…Mark Teixeira?

3) Tanner Scheppers-SP

In a system full of young arms, Scheppers might be the best of the best. He had some shoulder issues- but if he can stay healthy…could be a top of the rotation guy.

4) Martin Perez-SP

A hard throwing lefty. Lucky Texas. Could be in the bigs later this year if a few guys get hurt…or even with a big spring.

5) Kasey Kiker-SP

I really like him. More than  most apparently. He could be outstanding. Some command issues are holding him back…but I don’t think he’s that far away.

6) Wilmer Font-SP

What is Texas going to do with all these young arms? It’s too bad their owner is selling the team and doesn’t want to spend any sort of big money. Font could be a nice trade piece for another team.

7) Mitch Moreland-OF

I see him as an outfielder even though he can play first. He won’t be playing first in this organization however with Smoak around. He’s got a nice bat but really needs to work on driving the ball the opposite way.

8) Robbie Ross-SP

A sinker baller in Texas? Come on…everyone else throws 115 mph it seems. Could be a great compliment to the hard throwing rotation.

9) Engel Beltre-OF

Maybe the most talented outfielder in the system. Maturity issues are hindering his growth. Hopefully this is the year he gets it and shoots up the system the way he should.

10) Max Ramirez-C

Deal for Lowell was killed by Lowell’s thumb surgery. Still has some potential offensively. I think given the chance somewhere else- he could really shine into an every day backstop. The tools are there.

Well, today Jim Bowden tweets “Ben Sheets negotiations, according to reliable sources, are heating up with teams most interested … the Rangers, Mets, Mariners, A’s and Cubs.”

Also, on MLB Live with Bowden and Joe Castellano, Bowden reported that his sources tell him that Sheets would like to pitch for the Cubs.

Just rumors, so far, but it seems teams are moving on Ben Sheets with pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training in just 3 short weeks.

Well, the hot stove has been awfully lukewarm thus far this winter, but the Roy Halladay three-team deal brought some much-anticipated heat. It also brought what could figure to be the first step in the changing of the guard in the AL West, as according to the dynamics of the deal so far, Cliff Lee would head to the Seattle Mariners. A couple hours later, Angels’ ace John Lackey decided he preferred Beantown over the City of Angels (and no, not the Nicholas Cage movie), as he is reportedly signing a five-year deal with the Red Sox. Combine that with the Texas Rangers signing the uber-talented, but far from durable, Rich Harden and trading for Chris Ray, the embattled former closer of the Baltimore Orioles, and what has been a one-team division the past three years has suddenly turned into a trio of contenders. Let’s take a look at each team:

The Seattle Mariners

In the spirit of former NFL coach Herm Edwards, you play to win the division. The Mariners have stirred up some buzz this offseason setting up their team to accomplish just that. With the acquisition of Lee to go along with the signing of free agent Chone Figgins, the Mariners look to be in line to put a stop to the Angels’ run of three straight AL West titles. The trade for Lee provides King Felix Hernandez with a left-handed counterpart atop what should turn out to be a pretty formidable rotation in 2010. At the very least, the M’s will have the best 1-2 punch in the game. But, if Ian Snell can rekindle his career and Brandon Morrow can find a way to stay healthy and fill out the final two spots after young lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith, the rotation could be stacked. Both Snell and Morrow are loaded with talent, it’s just a matter of them putting it together. Yusmeiro Petit, the young former Arizona Diamondbacks prospect, could also contribute if he can find a way to rebound from his atrocious 2009 season.

As for the offense, Ichiro is still the anchor and even though The Kid (Ken Griffey, Jr.) has grown up, he can still add some punch in the middle of the order. However, that’s about all the punch the M’s will pack this season, looking more like Mike Tyson in 2009 rather than Tyson in 1999. With Adrian Beltre and Russell Branyan testing the free agent market, home runs may be even harder to come by in spacious Safeco. Branyan could still resign, but with the Figgins signing, it looks as if Beltre’s time in Seattle has come to an end. Figgins provides great defense at the hot corner and a great on-base percentage (he paced the AL in walks in ’09), which is a definite plus considering his blazing speed. However, he figures to be another top of the order guy for the Mariners, who already have Ichiro, who reaches base at a .380 clip every year thanks to his soaring averages. So, getting runners on base won’t be a problem, but who’s going to drive in those runs?

Well, rumors are swirling that the Mariners are towards the front in the Jason Bay sweepstakes. If that goes down, it’s a move that would effectively push them over the top as the team to beat in the AL West. However, if they don’t sign Bay, Seattle has a huge hole in left field, where right now, Michael Saunders is the frontrunner. Saunders drove in just four runs in 122 at-bats in ’09.

Second baseman Jose Lopez has established himself as one of the top run producers in the game with 25 bombs and 96 RBIs and centerfielder Franklin Gutierrez is one of the most promising up-and-comers in the Majors today. However, those two combined with Griffey do not provide a heart of the order that would make any opponent’s heart skip a beat. There’s a lot of offseason left, but with pitching and defense an anchor (slick-fielding Jack Wilson retains his spot at shortstop), the M’s could make some noise in the AL West come next September-October.

The L.A. Angels

The list of Angels who filed for free agency this offseason reads like a horror novel: Chone Figgins, John Lackey, Vladimir Guerrero, Kelvim Escobar, Darren Oliver and Robb Quinlan. Figgins has already signed with Seattle and Lackey just signed with Boston. There goes the offensive table-setter and the ace of the staff. If Guerrero isn’t somehow retained, the offense will take another hit, as he performed very well down the stretch after an injury-marred beginning to the season. Escobar hasn’t been healthy at all the past two years (just one start), but he won 18 games just two years ago and is one of the most consistent starters in the game when healthy. Oliver and Quinlan have been great role players for the Halos the past few seasons, with Quinlan providing a professional presence in the clubhouse and a quality right-handed bat off the bench. Oliver has been one of the best relievers in the game the past two seasons, and from the left side, no less. So, needless to say, the 2007-09 division champs have a lot of holes to fill for ’10.

The Angels looked to be in the running for Roy Halladay, but the Mariners aided in the demise of that deal, so Mike Scioscia’s bunch has yet to make a positive splash in the offseason, though rumor has it that World Series MVP Hideki Matsui is just a physical away from signing a deal. Their team is still solid without those six free agents, as Kendry Morales, Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, Juan Rivera and Howie Kendrick provide some run support for Scott Kazmir, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver. All-Star Brian Fuentes is still closing and Scot Shields is still setting him up, but the Halos have question marks in a lot of areas—the 5^th spot in the rotation, the rest of the bullpen, shortstop, designated hitter (though that will be resolved if Matsui officially signs)—which allows an opening for teams like the Mariners and Rangers to sneak through.

The Texas Rangers

The Rangers haven’t made any huge moves like their counterparts in the division, but a couple of under-the-radar pitching moves have the Rangers’ roster stacked with young, budding talent.

The Harden and Ray moves look solid, but in the process of trading for Ray, the Rangers had to give up Kevin Millwood, an innings eater and a professional in every sense of the word. His veteran presence will be missed sorely in ’10, especially with the young pitching staff. However, it is that young pitching staff that could be the key to the 2010 season as 17-game winner Scott Feldman and Harden sit atop a rotation that is loaded with talent, but lacks experience. Prospects Derek Holland, Tommy Hunter, Matt Harrison and Neftali Feliz have experts and Rangers upper management excited and three of the four could fill out the remaining spots in the rotation. 2010 may be a little early for a couple of these young guys, but their all-world talent should win out sooner rather than later.

The Ray trade looks like a win-win for all parties, as the Orioles get a reliable and effective veteran to bolster their staff, Ray should get a chance to close once again and the Rangers find a guy to help cut down on the 13 blown saves they had last year. It would also move righty Frank Francisco and lefty C.J. Wilson to setup roles, giving the Rangers a formidable late-inning trio that would provide matchup problems for any team they face.

Despite outfielders Marlon Byrd and Andruw Jones, first baseman Hank Blalock and wily veterans Ivan Rodriguez and Omar Vizquel leaving via free agency, the Rangers’ offense is still one of the best in the game. Middle infielders Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus will continue to set the table while Michael Young, Josh Hamilton and the newly refurbished presence of Nelson Cruz will drive them in. If Chris Davis can find his power stroke again and David Murphy can improve slightly on his middle-of-the-road numbers, the Rangers won’t have to worry about how well their young arms are developing, they’ll just outscore everybody.

Either way, it should be an exciting three-team race in 2010.

Last winter, Mark Teixeira spurned the Sox for the evil empire, and this could be Boston’s big counter. With the loss of Lowell, this likely means the Sox are going to go after a third basemen in the likes of Mark DeRosa, Adrian Beltre, or even Pedro Feliz or they’ll move Youk across the diamond to third for good and bring  prospect Lars Anderson to the mix at first. Either of those wouldn’t be terrible moves, but they don’t scream “Here we come Yankees!”

After the Yankees successfully landed Curtis Granderson, Boston surely doesn’t want to leave the winter meetings without making a splash which is why I firmly believe Theo Epstein is going to make a run at Adrian Gonzalez. It obviously would be a heck of a trade and THAT would scream “here we come Yankees!” If my gut feeling is right, Clay Buchholz could be the centerpiece in the deal along with Michael Bowden or Casey Kelly. Boston has a heck of a farm system so I believe they’ll be able to land Gonzo without much difficulty if that is in fact the way their going and frankly- why wouldn’t it be? Adrian Gonzalez would be a monster in Fenway and frankly- as of right now- I don’t think they can compete with the Yanks with an aging Papi. They’re offseason could look alot like the Yanks last year with Matt Holliday/Jason Bay and/or Adrian Gonzalez and/or John Lackey and/or Roy Halladay.

If they can land Bay/Holliday and complete  it with Adrian Gonzalez? Look out. I just can’t sit here and believe that Theo Epstein is going to allow Brian Cashmen to beat him in a second consecutive offseason. Adrian Gonzalez- you should start packing.

Kevin Millwood head to Chicago?

A new rumor has surfaced regarding the inevitable trade of Milton Bradley between the Rangers and Cubs that would send Kevin Millwood to Chicago and Aaron Miles to Arlington along with Bradley. The rumor is being reported here, and as of now is not anything more than speculation.

Let’s take a look at the proposed deal from a production standpoint. Kevin Millwood was one of the cogs in the Braves’ starting rotation in the late 90s, including a phenomenal 1999 campaign. Since 2006, Millwood has been with the Rangers, and as you might expect from an aging pitcher in a hitter’s park, his fantasy stats haven’t been all that impressive (48-46, 4.57 ERA, 1.452 WHIP, 528 Ks). His strikeouts have been nice, but his BB% climbing above 3% has made his WHIP soar. Millwood has been durable, averaging 31 starts and 189 innings a year while in Texas.

Now, saying all of this might make Cubs fans shy away from an aging pitcher in decline. But, in real life value, Millwood is still better than any other players the Cubs have been linked to, which includes Pat Burrell, Luis Castillo, and Vernon Wells. It’s important to look at Millwood’s fielding independent statistics. His FIP (set to same scale as ERA) has bounced around from the high 3s to the high 4s in his years with the Rangers. His tRA has been in the mid-5s the past 3 seasons. To put those numbers in context, Zack Greinke led the majors in FIP with a 2.33 and a 2.81 tRA.  Millwood had a 2.4 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) last season and has had WARs in the 2.5-3.5 range for the past three seasons, which made him more valuable than Rich Harden and slightly less valuable than Randy Wells in 2009.

Kevin Millwood would be a great return considering the situation of Milton Bradley’s troubles, and Aaron Miles overall inability to play baseball well. In terms of fantasy baseball, Millwood is good only if you have a deep league or for playing matchups. In real life baseball, Millwood is a good 4^th or 5^th starter.