Preview/Prediction

SP: Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw should be dominating, one day; In fact, I believe he will be as early as the second half of this season. Look for him to post around the same ERA (2.79-2.90) as last year, but with about 30 to 35 more innings pitched (200-205). Joe Torre is respected as being a very baseball-intelligent man, and he compared Kershaw to Sandy Koufax. That is a high praise for someone who respects Sandy as much as anyone who has seen him play.

C: Russell Martin

The Red Sox were faced with a difficult choice this winter: Sign LF Jason Bay for four years and BIG bucks or bring in someone new to fill one of the outfield slots until Josh Reddick and/or Ryan Kalish might be ready for a full-time gig in 2011 or 2012.

The front office had clearly made a decision to move towards a team built on pitching and defense, and while Bay had become popular in Boston, his defense (a -11 UZR/150) just didn’t fit with the new course the team had charted. And then there was the issue of his knees...

No player in recent memory for the Brewers has come under more fire and criticism than Jeff Suppan.

After he signed a four-year, $42 million deal in December 2006, expectations from most fans were for Suppan to become a very good No. 2 starter behind Ben Sheets.

He was the hot name in free agency, winning the NLCS MVP award for the Cardinals.

For the last five years or so, the AL West has been dominated by the Angels. Whether they claimed to be from Los Angeles or Anaheim, they had no problem beating up on a weak division with only four teams. However, with the Rangers getting better each of the last three seasons, I see this year as a changing of the guard.

Texas Rangers: 

Pitching wins championships. It is a mantra subscribed to by many baseball enthusiasts, managers, and the like.

However, acquiring the pitching depth and talent to make it to October is easier said than done.

Every team is looking for an ace, a starting pitcher who can compile innings and strikeouts while maintaining a low WHIP and ERA and come through when the club needs a win.

Despite the demand for staff aces, there simply are not enough to go around.

This article was originally published at TheDailyCub.com, my blog offering thoughts and insight on the Chicago Cubs.

After breaking down the starters a few days ago, it’s time to look at the guys who will be working off of their performances.

The Cubs’ bullpen has always been a concern, and they have been changing closers pretty much every season.

A lot of baseball fans will remember the name Mark Prior. He was a young right-hander out of USC that burst on to the scene in 2003 with the Chicago Cubs. He made 30 starts that season, finished 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA and struck out an eye-popping 245 batters.

The Cleveland Indians are looking to bounce back from an awful 2009 season in which they went 65-97 and finished dead last in the AL Central. The worst season led by Eric Wedge since he took over the team back in 2003 when they were 68-94. The poor 2009 performance led to Wedge being fired during the offseason. He was replaced by Manny Acta.

In 1972, the Phillies Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton went 27-10 and won the Cy Young Award on a bad Phillies team.

The team went 59-97, but on every fourth or fifth day when Carlton pitched, the Phillies were a different team and played like champions.

Fast forward to today, as another Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay took the hill against the Atlanta Braves in pre-season action Tuesday night. Halladay pitched three scoreless innings, giving up three hits, striking out five and walking none.

The Phillies won the game, 7-4.

With Spring Training in full swing, the Dodgers injuries are starting to tally. However, fans shouldn't panic—this sounds like the same record we have listened to for years. For the past decade, the Dodgers have had preseason injuries that make the news, and most often they make the news simply because it's Spring Training, and nothing else is going on.

Russell Martin, Casey Blake, and Cory Wade are already making headlines with reported injuries, but the Dodgers organization and the players don't seem concerned.