Opinion

For those of you that believe the Los Angeles Dodgers could possibly compete in the National League West race this year, they will likely be doing so without any financial help from its owner whatsoever.

View from the Rockpile: Musings From a Mile High Along the Journey to Rocktober

Opening Day 2011. Not a cloud in the downtown Denver sky. Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound for the hometown Rockies. A whistle while you work, picture perfect pre-spring day at Coors Field.  

Not so fast.

If the Astros continue to struggle, they could start to move some of their valuable pieces like Brett Myers and Wandy Rodriguez. I see Myers being the most likely of the two to be traded but Wandy could bring back more prospects.

All championship teams have this in common; can you guess what it is? I’ll bet my baseball heads can. 

The answer is a reliable closer—one who consistently gets the job done, especially in crunch time. 

After witnessing Big Adam Wainwright close out the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 World Series, many people in Cardinals Nation are starting to question whether or not Ryan Franklin is the man for the job.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are only 18 games into the season and you already hear faint rumbles in the media world regarding the early struggles of Pedro Alvarez. Alvarez, to his credit, is taking the slump in stride. He has repeatedly said he isn't concerned, nor should he be.  

This article was originally posted on TheSheaFaithful.com.

The New York Mets are facing the dreaded "R-word" that's practically a forbidden phrase in New York: rebuilding.

Until the Texas Rangers went on their run last season, defeating the New York Yankees and making it to the World Series, most people around baseball viewed the American League West as the weakest division in the American League.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw has been sensational since coming up to the big leagues in 2008. He has lived up to all of the hype and should be locked up by the Dodgers to a long-term contract.

Despite less than three full years of Major League Baseball experience, Kershaw is already one of the top pitchers in all of baseball and seems to get better each start.

The slumbering Boston Red Sox are now wide awake.  

Either that or they're faking it really well.

The Red Sox pounded out three straight wins over the Toronto Blue Jays behind excellent starting pitching, a barrage of hot hitting and a bullpen that has suddenly remembered how to not suck.

About time!

Quick! Time's running out to jump on the Matt LaPorta bandwagon. It was pretty empty here for a while, but a trickle of people are finally starting to find their way aboard.