Best Slideshows - League

The NL West was arguably one of the best divisions last season thanks in large part to the Giants bullpen and the Padres' early success.

With young talent running deep, the NL West looks to continue its exciting play and eventually sponsor a squad in a playoff run in October.

Let's look at 25 guys that could make that a reality, or a repeat.

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As a typical fan, you always wonder what if? What if my favorite team made the postseason? What if my favorite team made a move to sign this hot name off the market? What if the team I hated had it's franchise player suffer an injury like a torn rotator cuff?

Well it goes to show you we live in a world of what ifs and we always seems to wonder, what if.

Now that the MLB offseason is starting to cool down and the dust is starting to settle, which teams will make the playoffs in 2011?

The Boston Red Sox added superstars Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, Philadelphia added veteran starter Cliff Lee to their already dominant rotation, the Brewers added former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke, and much more.

How will these additions and subtractions affect the MLB standings in 2011?

Which teams are for real and which teams are overrated?

Here are my predictions. Prepare to be frustrated.

Rafael Soriano headlines the market of remaining free agents this MLB offseason.

The biggest hitters left on the market are all aging stars like Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero and Manny Ramirez.

There are also plenty of pitchers on the market, including Jeff Francis and Brad Penny.

But the number of teams with enough money to sign some of these players is starting to drop off. If teams haven't made moves by now, they might not make moves at all.

However, there are still a few teams, like the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets, with money to spend.

When you think about the most important positions on a baseball field, what comes to mind? The starting pitcher is the one who gets his name in the paper before the game. The catcher calls the shots, a corner infielder anchors the lineup and the closer pumps his fist when the game is won.

Outfielders don't get much glory. Patrolling the big green is a thankless effort.

In an attempt to help shine some light on these deserving players, I humbly present my power rankings of the 30 Major League Baseball teams' outfields.

MLB Free Agency has started to quiet down somewhat as most of the bigger names have moved on to greener pastures and spring training is almost a month away.

But there are still some big names and great players who can be had now for a bargain price, or at least a lower price in January.

Names like Rafael Soriano, Andy Pettitte and others are still unsigned and looking for a home for next season. Although there have been rumors involving some of these players, nothing has been made official yet.

So here's where the top 10 free agents remaining will land.

The baseball writers made him wait far too long, but Bert Blyleven has finally gotten what he long deserved: He and Roberto Alomar became the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

It's the ultimate variable in sports. It's the frustration of every fan when one man makes a blind call. It's simple, however: Umpires are the last true holders of sports destiny.

The NBA and NFL can pause everything and revert to replays. Baseball can do the same, but only in very specific instances. Even though home-runs can now be replayed, it's only a recent development. Umpires can make a pitchers life hell on every single pitch. They can aggregate an entire city on what they consider to be a strike.

This off-season has already seen the three biggest free agents switch teams for the lure of a nine-figure contract, and two of the biggest names in the game traded to title contenders.

As more and more free agents agree to terms, we begin to see a clearer picture of what to expect next season.

Pitchers and catchers will begin reporting in less than two months and opening day is just over three months away.

With next season rapidly approaching, let’s take a moment to stare into my crystal ball and examine 50 bold predictions for the upcoming year.

The 2010 MLB postseason has hit it's stride and players are being snatched up like sugar-free doughnuts at a weight watchers meeting.

Many teams look to be left in the dust, I'm looking at you New York teams, and have done little this post-season to improve their teams from a year ago.

They have missed the boat, as they say, and are more or less treading water at this point, signing bench guys and stretching for bullpen help, but gaining no greatly effective players in the process.