NL West

Previewing the starting five of the Colorado Rockies is like looking at five really good Indie bands that would be much better off if they could land a record deal—in the Rockies' case, in a different ballpark.  But many hardcore Indie fans will defend their little band to the death, so here I am to defend the staff of the Rockies.  Except Aaron Cook because he sucks.

The way the Los Angeles Dodgers finished the 2010 season, you would think that there's no right for someone to be thinking about a World Series Championship this year. 

The team looked like a complete mess during the second half of the season.  Manny Ramirez was given away, Jonathon Broxton was giving games away, and then there's the lingering threat that the McCourts may have to give the whole team away.

There are rumors swirling that Joe Blanton of the Philadelphia Phillies is available for trade. The Phillies currently have the best rotation in baseball with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and either Kyle Kendrick or Blanton.

As a Rockies fan, I don't see us trading for Blanton, but I believe we should, and I would definitely welcome the move. Here's why.

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When Clint Hurdle brought the Colorado Rockies' first manager back onto his staff before the 2009 season, the move was celebrated.

Here is what I wrote about Jorge Cantu in my “Free Agent Primer” post…

On Monday afternoon, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced the signing of right-handed starting pitcher Armando Galarraga to a one-year contract for $2.3 million.

You may remember Galarraga from last year, as he was only one out away from a perfect game. But, in what may go down as one of the worst blown-calls in major league history, umpire Jim Joyce missed an obvious call that kept him a few feet away from a perfect game (literally).

Revert back to July 10, 2009. After struggling earlier in that season, Jonathan Sanchez, after being banished to the bullpen, spot started for the injured Randy Johnson.

The result on that fateful night was a dazzling performance against the San Diego Padres, as he no-hit them in an 8-0 rout. Not a single walk tainted Sanchez's line.

Fast forward to Oct. 23, 2010. The Giants are battling the Phillies in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series in Philadelphia, needing a big start from their left-handed hurler.

After five seasons behind the dish for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Russell Martin signed a lucrative one-year contract to suit up as the catcher for the New York Yankees.

Martin became the face of the franchise over the past few seasons for the Dodgers. Though injuries plagued him in 2010, Martin still established himself as one of the top backstops in the game.

Here are 10 reasons why the Dodgers will miss Martin in 2011.

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It's that time of the year when baseball publications and blogs far and wide weigh in with their opinions as to which players deserve mentioning on their respective teams' Top 10 prospects lists, and for the Los Angeles Dodgers, those number of listings are seemingly endless.

Periodicals such as Baseball America, Fangraphs, The Hardball Times, and a number of blogs from SB Nation are among only a few who have published prospect lists in the past week alone.

Marc Kroon has agreed with the San Francisco Giants on a one-year deal, according to Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse. The deal includes an invitation to spring training.

For those of you who have never heard of this guy, Kroon was drafted by the New York Mets back in 1991. After short stints with the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies. His career ERA in Major League Baseball was 7.43.