YOUR PICKS TO CLICK
Now that the dust has settled after the most frenzied baseball trading period in any baseball fan’s memory, here are a few changes on how baseball’s best will finish…. Don’t mention it. Just part of the pro bono work I do for Gamblers Unanimous.
Wow! What a massive reshuffle of talent, with the usual result of the rich getting richer and the poor…well, look for them to make a comeback in ten years…maybe. Never has so much pricey human cargo been moved in so short a time.
And who was the biggest benefactor? The Dodgers, of course! They acquired three-time Cy Younger Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner at the Washington National’s fire-sale, and picked up some left-handed relief help from Kansas City in Danny Duffy. How do they do it? Where do they get the money?
I had been ready to demote the wounded Dodgers to second in the National League West, elevating the amazing SF Giants above them. And even though the Giants strengthened themselves within the NL West by taking blue-chip third basemen Kris Bryant from the collapsing Cubs, I’m keeping the Dodgers on top…by a whisker. Not to be outdone, the game and still-contending Padres got the promising second baseman Adam Frazier from the hapless and helpless Pirates; they also added outfielder Jake Marisnick, formerly a Cub, and reliever Dan Hudson. Tab the Padres as a definite wild card team.
In the NL Central, Milwaukee has just too big a lead for the resurgent Reds to catch them; listless Saint Louis and the melted-down Cubs are not factors. Trades have not been big enough to be a factor. Pittsburgh? Hiding in the cellar again.
The Mets remain my winners in the NL East, having strengthened themselves by acquiring the fiery Javier Báez from the Cubs to play second (and short while Francisco Lindor’s on the DL); they also have pitching ace Jacob deGrom ready to return from the injured list. But they can expect a stretch-run surge from Atlanta—winners of the division the last four years—that traded for power bats Jorge Soler from K.C., and Eddie Rosario from the Cleveland Guardians (née Indians). (Caution: both outfielders are having off years.) The Phillies are also making a stretch move, except they’ve gone mostly the pitching route—signing right-handers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy from the Texas Rangers. Though it may be a photo finish, I’m sticking with my original pick, the Mets.
In the American League West, reverse the top two; the Astros just have too many bats for the flattening-out A’s, who did get Starling Marte from Miami and catcher Yan Gomes from Washington. Those cheating Astros are just too sound all around to lose in this division. True, Seattle and the Angels are much improved and closing the gap between them and the leading pair…maybe next year. Texas seems to be rebuilding, again.
In this weakest of all six divisions, the American League Central, the Chicago White Sox are the only team worth taking seriously…as I predicted at the season’s start. Since then Chicago has improved as a team enormously by snagging the incomparable reliever Craig Kimbrel from the Cubs, giving them, when paired with Liam Hendriks, arguably the best bullpen in baseball. They also filled a hole at second by picking up Cesar Hernandez from Cleveland, and their two long-injured, first-rate outfielders Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert are poised to rejoin the team, making the Sox a nice long-shot play to win it all.
My spring pick of the Yankees to win the AL East was ill-conceived and the team remains a puzzlement. In trades they loaded up on power again by acquiring sluggers Joey Gallo from Texas and All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo…but isn’t it pitching they need? All they got was a so-so lefty Andrew Heaney from the Angels. I drop them to a mere contender for the last AL wild card spot. The winner will be either the Rays or the Red Sox. Tampa Bay lost early its best starting pitcher, Tyler Glasnow, but they have added a much-needed big bat with the ageless homer-hitter Nelson Cruz from the Twins. Boston kept pace by snagging bomber Kyle Schwarber from the Nationals. To play first base? And there’s soft talk he has a hamstring injury. Advantage the Tampa Bay Rays. Although the upward-bound Blue Jays got Minnesota starter José Berríos to bolster their starting staff, most think they paid too high a price in the talent they gave in exchange…and will only fall short of the division’s big three again. Still, if it’s any consolation, they will still be dropping their droppings on those flightless birds below—the poor Orioles.
As you can see, three of my original picks remain the same; three are changed. My prediction of wild card teams are as follows: National League—(1) San Francisco and (2) San Diego; American League—(1) Boston and (2) Oakland. At regular season’s end I will give you the playoff winners…without charge, of course, consistent with my do-gooder’s policy
In a final personal note, I express here my sadness at the passing of Chief Wahoo, longtime emblem of the Cleveland Indians. I understand the valid reasons the Chief must go—his cartoon likeness was offensive to Native Americans. The name “Indians” will also go, but that will be abandoned next season when the franchise will be renamed the “Guardians” by the Dolan family owners. Guardians? Doesn’t sound like baseball talk to me.
As a suffering and cursed Indian fan for 83 years, I loved the toothy chief and treasure my cap with his grinning likeness; I will miss him. I recall as a boy in Depression-day Cleveland how I rushed to the front door each spring and summer morning to open our copy of The Plain-Dealer. There, on the front page, I’d get graphic news on how the Indians had done the day before. If the sketch showed Chief Wahoo clutching a scalp, I knew we had won; if we had lost he’d have a black eye; if we had won a double head (once a year usually) it might be a two-scalp day; and if we lost a doubleheader the Chief would have a black eye and be on crutches. Only then would I open to the sports page and read the gory details of how my heroes had done.
Guardians? What are those “guardians” guarding, you might ask. Must be the Dolan family outhouse where I hear they keep their hoard of pennies stashed.