Preview/Prediction

Only in baseball can a 93-69 record and a playoff berth seem like a failure. For the Boston Red Sox, that is just what last season was. Ever since 2004, the Red Sox have had the championship-or-bust mentality and this year will be no different. The Sox are on a never-ending task of keeping up with the Yankees and this offseason was no different. The Yankees won the World Series so what did Boston do? They overhauled much of their lineup. 

Key Arrivals : Marco Scutaro, Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron, John Lackey

The greatest time of the year is upon us. As the weather warms up, so does that spot in our heart for baseball. Spring Training has finally begun!

Thirty MLB teams now begin their preseason games knowing that in under a month, it finally counts again.

So if your favorite team's dreams were crushed last season, you once again have reason to hope. Embrace this chance because, come October, you may just have to wait another year.

I have been looking forward to writing this piece for a long time.  I wanted to do it weeks ago when teams reported to camp, but I decided to be patient.  However, we are less than a month away from opening day, and with games in spring training leagues starting this week, it is time to talk baseball.

How important is Manny Parra to the Milwaukee Brewers?

To many fans, he is nothing more than an erratic left-hander that will be lucky to make the starting rotation in 2010.

His 2009 stats bare that out to be true: Parra finished the season 11-11 with a 6.36 ERA in 140 innings, spending time in the minors due to ineffectiveness.

In three seasons with the Brewers, Parra has become the ultimate underachiever.

No one will argue with the talent the 27-year-old possesses, but he has yet to put together any significant stretches of success.

1. Introduction

Buster Olney of ESPN wrote an interesting article about the analysis of each team’s schedule and how tough it is for those teams. I personally think MLB should take the article into consideration in making future MLB schedule and try to make tough team facing tougher schedule and weaker team facing easier ones, especially early in the season.

Today, the Mets played their first official spring training game, beating the Braves 4-2.

While the score of the game and the wins and losses are irrelevant, it sure is nice to see the Grapefruit League schedule kicking off and real games against other teams starting up again.

Yes, the offseason is officially over, baseball fans. (Unless you're one of the remaining free agents still looking for a home, like Joe Beimel and Kiko Calero.) And that means we are inching ever closer to Opening Day 2010.

Now that Johnny Damon is a Tiger, every major free agent in the majors has been inked to a deal.

There was much activity this offseason: Roy Halladay became a Philly, Cliff Lee a Mariner, Jason Bay a Met, and Matt Holliday was given a deal that will haunt the Cardinals for years to come. 

All eyes are now on spring training and the 2010 MLB season, which promises to be a wild ride.

But let's take a look into the crystal ball for a moment, let's take a look at next year's offseason.

The boys are back in Fort Myers, and there are 30-plus days until the 2010 season begins with the BoSox against the Bronx Bombers—could the season start off any other way, I ask?  

No one bashes the Mets more than I do. That is a fact. My Mets' glass is always half-empty.

Lately, more and more fans and pundits have begun to feel the same way.  The Mets are going nowhere, fast.  All hope is lost. What is point of watching a team that continues to fall flat in every key situation?

Well, that's the reason why I'm picking the Mets for the NL playoffs this year. No one thinks they can win.

The Tampa Bay Rays are coming back from a disappointing 2009 campaign after a World Series run in 2008. The Rays have a long list of youngsters that are ready to break free and bust open the door.

The only real acquisition of a position player came in the form of C Kelly Shoppach, who was sent over from Cleveland. He will be platooning at the catcher spot with Dioner Navarro.