NL West

The Giants are champions, wow, that never gets old.

The Giants are going to make another run at the title this year, but if things do not go according to plan by mid-season, we may see some movements by the trade deadline.

The following list does not necessarily mean that the Giants are looking to trade these guys, but they are the most vulnerable to become trade bait if things do not go according to plan.

Dexter Fowler had a decent April that saw him hit .256, with 12 runs and four stolen bases in 82 at-bats. He hit the skids in May, batting .158, with six runs and two stolen bases in 57 at-bats.

Spring training is almost here.

The sights and sounds of baseball are soon to come, and the Giants are prepared to defend their title with much of the same formula as 2010.  Pablo Sandoval, however, was not a part of the 2010 formula.  To say 2010 was a "disappointment" for Sandoval is an understatement.

After a very successful first four and a half years to start his major league career, Los Angeles Dodgers’ closer Jonathan Broxton had a miserable second half in 2010.

Broxton was an All-Star in 2010, putting up great first half numbers with an ERA of 2.11, as well as 19 saves in 21 chances.  

However, after the All-Star break Broxton proceeded to post an ERA of 7.13 with just three saves in eight opportunities, and Broxton had more walks than strikeouts.

Well now the Super Bowl is over (congrats, Green Bay) it's just about time for baseball season!

The countdown to Opening Day has just begun. There are 51 days left until then (as of Monday, February 7); that gives us just about a month-and-a-half to prepare.

The Rockies spent a lot of money this offseason locking up Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki along with getting some good infield depth.

While they have the defending World Series Champions Giants in the division, the Rockies should still give them a hard time.

Back in 2006, all the buzz was about how Barry Zito signed the largest contract in the MLB for a pitcher. In 2011 that contract is still the talk of the baseball world, but for all the wrong reasons.

By signing the seven year contract, Zito immediately became the richest pitcher in baseball history. His contract was worth $126 million and included another option year in 2014.

Just over half way through his contract, the Giants I'm sure have been trying to find some kind of way to move Zito and the $60+ million left on it.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Tom Gordon, 22-year-old Dee Gordon is currently on the fast track to play in the major leagues for one of baseball's highest profile teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gordon is currently ranked first on Baseball America as the Dodger's top prospect.

Widely considered as a tremendous hitter and fielder, Gordon may also be the best all-around athlete in the highly talented farm system.

The other day, we wrote a post looking at the “10 Breakout Candidates for 2011.” Today, we are going to look at five players who potentially could bounce back from relatively poor seasons in 2010.

These are guys who looked like they were headed for fantasy stardom after the 2009 season, but for some reason or another, had a down 2010. These are also guys that you might be able to get later in the draft because some of the other owners in your league are down on them. But you shouldn’t be.

In 2010, Matt Kemp had a -15 DRS. Before I define and explain, let me put in perspective, if only for shock value.

In 2010, Juan Rivera had a -8 DRS.

Yes, the same Juan Rivera who attacks fly balls with the same ferocity that Dodger fans chase beach balls with on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

We here at Baseball Professor think about our readers first and ourselves second—albeit a close second. That’s why we decided to reach out to other bloggers (who follow their respective teams more closely than we do) to give you a deeper look into the important issues every fantasy owner has to come to grips with this season.