NL West

Just about every single fan across Dodgertown is elated the 2010 campaign is now in the past, yet Matt Kemp, although his season was not a total bust, holds both higher hopes and expectations for the journey ahead.

Although he led the Dodgers in RBI, extra-base hits, runs scored and home runs (setting a career high in the process), it was a tough year in many other ways—his batting average dropped dramatically over last season, he was caught stealing 15 times on the basepaths, he set a club record for strikeouts and at times his defense was much less than stellar.

The Dodgers have spent over $80 million so far this off-season, and in a city like LA, they can't afford to bring second rate talent to the plate in 2011.

It's been a rumor for years, but once again, Matt Kemp has been a subject of trade rumors. He's only 25 years old, and with his contract taking him through the 2012 season, only the perfect trade would be a viable option.

Chad Billingsley was a trade topic in the summer, and with back-to-back seasons with a 12-11 record, Billingsley is certainly not immune from a deal that would net the Dodgers some talent.

Two of the better moves made by the Giants this offseason were also two of the quietest ones. 

By bringing back Pat the Bat and resigning Mike Fontenot, Brian Sabean is keeping fans happy, the team competitive and the chemistry in place.

My buddy Vinnie over at Talking Giants Baseball contacted me and told me he would like me to do a guest blog entry about the Dodgers. He wants me to throw a preview at him. Well...he's not going to like what I'm about to write, because the Dodgers are coming back full force next year for a 100 win season and that NL West title.

With the hot stove season already past its boiling point and the beginning of spring training less than eight weeks away, many teams across Major League Baseball continue to dot their I's and cross their T's while preparing for the long season ahead.

Buried deep within the trade rumors and the free-agent market are the teams' farm systems, and for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the next generation of future stars is both extremely talented and very exciting.

Pitchers and catchers report in about two months, but that does not silence the baseball talk.

The winter meetings have come and gone, but it seems the Giants prefer to stand pat. They have publicly stated they aren't going after any of the top free agents, and why should they? The team of misfits they put together last year achieved baseball immortality, so why should the team be assembled any differently?

I will say, if nothing else, the San Diego Padres have had one interesting offseason.

I really believed that after surprising baseball by winning 90 games, finishing just two games behind the San Francisco Giants and seeing a close to 200,000 attendance increase, the Padres would capitalize on their 2010 by adding to their team for 2011. Instead, well, I have really have no idea what they are doing.

The Rockies will have all three of their superstars next season—and that’s all that matters to Colorado fans right now.  But, as we inch closer to the dreaded winter of 2014, when Carlos Gonzalez and Ubaldo Jimenez are eligible to become free agents, the upcoming decisions are weighing heavy on GM Dan O’Dowd’s mind.

Fans have dubbed most of the Giants’ 2010 season and postseason as torture, but after the team’s impressive World Series victory against the Texas Rangers, the Giants’ faithful at the High Five Pizza Co. restaurant and sports bar felt euphoric.

On Monday night, Cliff Lee shocked the baseball world when he signed a five-year, $132 million dollar contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.  Interest in Lee’s 2011 destination began as soon as he threw his final pitch to the Giants in the World Series, and all signs pointed to New York. 

When the Phillies announced Monday that Lee would become a member of their already elite pitching staff, baseball fans around the country wasted no time in dubbing this fearsome four the best staff in baseball—and possibly, of all time.