FanNation

The Death of Big Markets

Yankee haters rejoice. No not because they're in last place, but thier method of success. i.e. signing big name free agents to contracrs so big that no other team can match it, has become obelsete. If you want proof all you have to do is check the Major League standings, and its not just the Yankees. The Tigers are in last place. The Mets havent played at a level worthy of thier exorbitant payroll, the Phillies are stuggling despite a $100 Million payroll, and after a off season of big spending the Mariners are cemented in the AL West basement. Meanwhile the Marlins, thats right the same Marlins who most "experts" (myself NOT included) wrote off as dead after trading thier biggest names in Willis and Cabrera to Detroit, the same Tigers who most were predicting to be an October lock (again, myself NOT included). The Diamondbacks are in in first place and should be there for another 5 years, and the Twins and Devil Rays are right smack in the mix. Well atleast in late May.

When Enough Is Enough

The Yankees and Red Sox has transformed from a rivalry in to an outright annoyance for baseball fans. The rivalry has transcended beyond the 2 most talented teams in baseball in to a circus of he-said-she-said nonsense, extensive speculation over "curses", as well over the top coverage of each and every event in this rivalry by ESPN. New York-Boston has gone from being a reigonal rivalry that nobody outside the NY-New England Area really cared about, into a nationally televised nuisance that is forced down baseball fans thorats. But the thing about this rivalry is that is hasnt always been about 2 great teams, because for the longest time the Yankees were by far the superior teams, winning the 26 World Championships in the span between 1918 and 2004. It was more of a rivialry in the way the Eagles and Cowboys are rivals, born out of Eagles fans bitterness over thier teams inferiority, and many defeats to a far superior Dallas Cowboys franchise, all the while Cowboys treated the Eagles as a non-factor. The Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry is no differnt, its bred out of Red Sox fans disdain of the Yankees success and the Red Sox 86 years of futility.

MLB OFFSEASON GRADES(UPDATED) AND 2008 PREDICTIONS

OK, so after assessing what each team had done and not done in the offseason a few big moves were made. Ok 2 moves really but they were big ones that could shift the balance of power. So heres some upgrades marks for a few teams and new 08 predictions

New York Mets:

What they did right: The got Johan Santana for absolutley nothing. They didnt have to give up thier most promising young pitcher in Pelfry or thier top prospect in Fernando Martinez. The did have to give him $150 mil for 6 years and that is VERY excessive, especially for a guy with 11 losses in 07.

What Does Santana Really Do For The Mets

On paper the Mets acquisition of Johan Santana from the Twins gives New York, what at least on paper, the best team since the 98 Yankees. I mean look at this roster they got going for them

Reyes

Castillo

Wright

Beltran

Delgado

Alou

Church

Schneider

And thier rotation

Santana

Pedro Martinez

Orlando Hernandez

John Maine

Mike Pelfry

And thier bull pen

Wagner

Schoenwies

Feliciano

I mean look at those names, how can this team lose. But when you look a little closer and consider the current state of those players:

MLB Offseason Grades and 08 Predictions

Ok, so after a rather lame, hardly eventful offseason heres the rundown on how teams have done so far and where thier moves will put them at years end. Theres still a few weeks until spring training, so teams have some time to make small upgrades and some big names could still be traded so the grades arent final just yet.

American League

AL East

Boston Red Sox:

What they did right: The Red Sox have the best nucleus in baseball under contract, so there wasn't much they had to stay competitive. Re-signing Lowell and Timlin was the right move. Not trading Ellsbury and Bucholz for Johan Santana was also the right decision because they have the best rotation in the bigs without him, so theres not much sense in giving away two future stars for one current star.