Pierre Today, Gone Tomorrow

In what seems to be one of the most anticipated announcements coming out of Spring Training, Dodger skipper Joe Torre officially announced that Andre Ethier will start in left field, leaving Juan Pierre without a job.

Courtesy of Rotowire.com:

Ethier has won the Dodgers' starting left field job over Juan Pierre, the LA Daily News reports.
Spin: Ethier clearly had the better spring and is a better hitter than Pierre. Just because he won the battle now, don't assume that he's completely out of the woods here. A slow start might force manager Joe Torre to play Pierre more often.

The slow start would mean Ethier would have to bat worse than .173, Pierre's contribution to the Dodgers' offense this spring. We're willing to bet that Ethier could bat .150 with a blindfold on. It's going to take a lot on Pierre's end to regain his starting role.

Torre has faced a similar situation involving young outfielders replacing veterans (Google search Melky/Damon). He was able to gracefully handle the situation, partially because Damon could still hit water if he fell out of a boat.

Pierre's throwing arm is suspect too. Initially we thought he was using his left arm to toy with base-runners. Apparently, he's not kidding when he throws the ball.

Pierre's future may lie with actions of Dodger GM, Ned Colletti. There are a handful of teams that could use a speedy leadoff hitter like Pierre, that's assuming that Pierre fulfills his end of the bargain by approaching at least the Mendoza line.

Casualty of the Mitchell Report?

ESPN.com is reporting that the Baltimore Orioles have released outfielder Jay Gibbons, noting this move has nothing to do with his impending suspension due to his involvement with receiving a shipment of HGH (Human Growth Hormone).

Yep, and the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause both exist, Barry Bonds is the rightful Home Run King, and JFK was killed by only one shooter.

According to ESPN.com:

Gibbons batted .189 with no homers and four RBIs in 16 games this spring training after playing in only 84 games last season. Baltimore owes him $11.9 million for the next two seasons as part of a $21.1 million, four-year contract he agreed to in January 2006.

You don't think that the Orioles could have gotten something for him, even if it was a low level prospect or two? The Mets are badly in need of a healthy outfielder, and the Orioles could have taken advantage of that situation.

Time and time again this spring, we've seen the same old line of "Don't worry about his spring training numbers, they don't translate into regular season success/underperformance". Why would the Orioles be so quick to pull the trigger on Gibbons?

The AP broke the initial story, with team president Andy MacPhail leading the propaganda machine:

The team didn't see him getting much time as a reserve outfielder and left-handed designated hitter, and keeping the more versatile Scott Moore as a utility player made far more sense.

"The decision was essentially down to two players, and we made a baseball decision," said club president Andy MacPhail, who delivered the news to Gibbons.

"We laid it out pretty clearly," MacPhail said. "For you to be a productive player you need to play, and that opportunity just doesn't exist here absent some horrific injury. His words were, 'I agree completely.'"

Spencer Fordin, from MLB.com, writes:

Excising Gibbons from the roster means a little more of a clear substitution pattern for Trembley. Huff and Kevin Millar will rotate at first base and designated hitter, and Moore will pick up playing time from them and from third baseman Melvin Mora. Gibbons will likely end up elsewhere within the next few weeks, but his former teammates will keep him in mind.

"When you hear something like that, its always emotional," said Millar. "It's like one of your family members, [but] you understand where it's coming from. You understand when you look around at the roster and there's a lot of left-handed hitters. ... It was going to be tough for Jay to get at-bats, and obviously, it's been a dogfight for the last couple years for him."

Nitpicking the Experts

ESPN's baseball spent the offseason tossing and turning, each lying awake at night, full knowing this day would come.

It is the eve of the start of the baseball season, and the staff at 108 Red Stitches is ready to analyze their baseball season predictions.

	World Series	American League	National League	Wild Cards
Jayson Stark, ESPN.com	Braves over Tigers	East: Red Sox Central: Tigers West: Mariners	East: Braves Central: Cubs West: Rockies	AL: Indians NL: Mets
Peter Gammons, ESPN/ESPN Insider	Indians over Braves	East: Red Sox Central: Tigers West: Angels	East: Braves Central: Cubs West: D-backs	AL: Indians NL: Mets
Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com	Tigers over Mets	East: Red Sox Central: Tigers West: Angels	East: Mets Central: Cubs West: D-backs	AL: Indians NL: Braves
Buster Olney, ESPN The Magazine	Indians over Cubs	East: Yankees Central: Indians West: Mariners	East: Braves Central: Cubs West: Rockies	AL: Red Sox NL: Mets
Tim Kurkjian, ESPN The Magazine	Red Sox over Mets	East: Red Sox Central: Indians West: Angels	East: Mets Central: Cubs West: Dodgers	AL: Red Sox NL: Phillies

Sometimes we wonder who's drinking out of the tainted water cooler over in Bristol, CT. Of the five reporters we've selected, (each of whom we hold in the utmost regard as journalists) Buster Olney is the most creative in his picks, and really is the only one of the five that puts his reputation on the line by selecting the Yankes, Indians, and Mariners to win their Divisions, while choosing the Braves, Cubs, and Rockies, to nestle in first in their divisions.

Everyone else loves the Red Sox or (gasp) the Tigers. Ray Charles could have taken a look at the Tigers' lineup and seen that they could wrap up the Central.

The Sox, Tigers, Mets, and Cubs are all safety picks. There's nothing interesting about them. And we, of course don't agree with any of them.

Here are our picks for the 2008 season, and guess what...we're going to be right.

World Series

American League

National League

Wild Cards

Cubs over Yankees

East: Yankees Central: Indians West: Mariners

East: Braves Central: Cubs West: D-Backs

AL: Blue Jays NL: Brewers

Believe it or not, the Cubs will win the World Series, because of a bullpen anchored by Kerry Wood. With the Reds out of a playoff run by early June, they'll send Ken Griffey Jr to the Cubs to give him (and them) a shot at that elusive World Series ring.

A lot of people are giving the Red Sox a lot more credit than they're worth. A cranky rotation, old age at important positions (catcher, corner outfield, third base) and a bullpen that'll be on again/off again; the Red

Sure, everyone says the Yankees biggest problem is their rotation, but they'll score enough runs to cover the five runs a game their staff will allow. They're a year away from going back to the World Series, and coming out on top.

The Mets will stumble out of the gates due to injuries that have ravished their roster. With Sox aren't the same team as last year. Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Elisbury will have their growing pains as well. only Wright and Reyes fully capable of playing everyday without the fear of shattering a hip, the Mets will patch together a lineup and rotation that will lead to "too little, too late" once everyone is fully healthy and healed.

Prince Fielder: Fantasy Nightmare?

Here's a season line that would make you jumpy if you held a good draft slot in your fantasy league draft:

50 HRs, 119 RBIs, .288 BA, 35 Doubles, 109 Runs Scored, 90 walks, .618 Slugging %, and...oh what the heck, 2 Stolen Bases.

Fielder has hit 78 home runs in his first two full big league seasons. He's hitting in the heart of a potentially dangerous Brewers lineup and faces National League Central Rotations who are more likely to be confused for their Stadium's grounds crew than they are for a major league pitching staff. So why are we concerned about Fielder this season?

Earlier in the year, Fielder announced that his diet changes included switching to an all vegan diet. This will likely increase his flexibility and give his knees a break from holding up that tummy of his. Next time you see a vegan, however, take a good look at them and figure out whether they can hit a baseball 500 feet, and repeat that action fifty times, for that matter.

We're really concerned with Fielder's latest newswire activity. No, not the flu, which has kept him out of his remaining Spring Training. Fielder's issues stem from a bigger disease; egomania.

Take a look at this statement from Fielder, courtesy of Rotowire;

Fielder expressed displeasure with the new contract he signed with the Brewers on Sunday, the Associated Press reports.

Spin: "I'm not happy about it at all," Fielder said. "The fact I've had to be renewed two years in a row, I'm not happy about it because there's a lot of guys who have the same amount of time that I do who have done a lot less and are getting paid a lot more." Fielder is up for arbitration at the end of the season.

Does this sound like a guy who is going to give his all this season? Sure he's up for arbitration, but we don't tend to fall in love with arbitration eligible player like we love players who are in their contract year. Arbitration relies too heavily on other players at Fielder's position, who all produce similar numbers. Arbitration does not fuel a player like the prospect of winning free agency lotto.

If the Brewers are out of the playoff run by Mid-July, Fielder can either phone it in for the rest of the season, or try to pad his stats by swinging for the fences. Either way, his strikeout total will increase, as will his waistline once he realizes how bad tofu really tastes.

Is That Big Brother Tapping on My Shoulder?

Barry Bonds is being targeted again by Federal Prosecutors, according to ESPN.com Newshere; ESPN details the Government's decision to file a new superseding indictment against Bonds:

Last month, a federal judge ruled the U.S. government did not properly structure its charges that the seven-time National League Most Valuable Player lied to a federal grand jury about past steroid use.

"Pursuant to the Court's written order of March 4, 2008, we write to inform the Court and counsel that the government intends to seek a superseding indictment in this case," U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello wrote in a legal filing.

In a superseding indictment, the government can add more counts to its indictment against Bonds, but he won't necessarly face additional charges that weren't listed in the original indictment.

ESPN Reports: McNamme Faints, Hits Bus

ESPN.com is reporting that Brian McNamme, Roger Clemens' famed ex-trainer, fainted while driving and crashed his car head on into a city bus:

McNamee told police he blacked out because of an ongoing medical problem, the New York Daily
McNamee's Lexus, another car and the bus were involved in the crash around 12:30 p.m. Thursday on Central Avenue in Queens' Far Rockaway neighborhood, according to the newspapers.
No one was seriously hurt, according to the newspapers.
No one was charged with any offense in the wreck, the Post said. No information was immediately available from police early Friday. News and New York Post reported Friday.

108 Red Stitches: Mailbag

Time to open up the 108 Red Stitches Mailbag. To ask us a question email 108redstitches@gmail.com. Try to keep it baseball related, spammers not welcome, we know where you live and have Italians on our staff, and we're not afraid to use them.


Dear 108 Red Stitches,

I've got a question regarding closers, or the apparent lack of late in fantasy drafts. Looking over my team, I've notice that I'm weak in the saves category, partially because I failed to draft a K-Rod or a Rivera earlier in the draft.
Looking over my waiver wire, I've got three options; Kerry Wood, BJ Ryan, or Eric Gagne. Any thoughts?

- Kris, New York

We're beginning to believe that you can win in mixed leagues (head to head) without relying too heavily on a closer. What's the big deal if you lose out on one stat category, when you can spend higher picks on guys that will produce in three or four different categories? Back to your question regarding which closer to pick. We faced a similar situation in our league, and decided to go with Ryan. In our situation, we were able to grab Bobby Jenks later in the draft, so we can afford to gamble on Ryan. Wood is tricky, because they have two other options for closer if he doesn't work out. Gagne seems to be the most stable with his role, no one threatening to replace him, as in Ryan and Wood's situations.

That being said, Gagne is fat and lazy. Without anything nipping at his heals, he might have the tendency to become complacent. He signed a one year fat contract, nothing incentive laced, and that scares the hell out of us.

Meet Your 2008 Lugnuts: Fantasy Baseball

After finishing a spot above the cellar last season, the 2008 Lugnuts look dominant, on paper.

But the game isn't played on paper, yada yada, played on a field, yada, injuries, yada, man crush on Nick Swisher.

Determined to re-think our draft strategy, we focused on building a pitching staff with low WHIP and good strike out to walk ratios. Not overly concerned with wins, we even made a few stabs at guys who play for less than stellar teams, partially because of their ability to control their pitches.

Here's our current lineup, keepers from last season listed in red, picks we considered steals in green, re-drafts from last season in yellow, and sleepers in blue. Analysis to follow.

C: Joe Mauer
1B: Prince Fielder
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Miguel Tejada
3B: Garret Atkins
OF: Nick Swisher
OF: Chris Young (Arizona)
OF: Kosuke Fukudome
Utility: Ryan Garko
Bench: Justin Upton, Cameron Maybin

SPs: Jake Peavy, Justin Verlander, Dan Haren, Carlos Zambrano, Jeff Francis, James Shields, Jon Garland, Gil Meche, and Jake Westbrook
RPs: Bobby Jenks, Tony Pena, BJ Ryan, and Scott Shields

Here's What We Love:

Starting Pitching: This is as dominant a fantasy rotation as we've ever had. Haren will be nasty behind Webb, and we drool at the prospect of Haren facing 8 hitters, most of whom never batting against the former Athletic. Peavy, Verlander, and Zambrano will bring the K's and the W's, while Shields, Francis, and Garland provide a very strong back end of a rotation.

Keepers: Our three keepers built a foundation that allowed us to go pitcher heavy in the first five rounds. With Mauer working extra hard on offseason conditioning, he'll be way more productive this season. If Utley and Fielder produce half of what they did last year, it'll be more than the majority of the teams in our league.

What We're Excited About:

Tejada and Young: Tejada is moving to a ballpark that will fall in love with his swing. Young could possibly put up a 30-30 season this year, and fills a power slot in our lineup that was missing (after Fielder). They are major upgrades over JJ Hardy (SS, 2007) and Casey Blake (OF, 2007). We're not going to miss the morning sickness that came with checking Carlos Beltran's stats or the rapid increase of BJ Upton's strikeout total.

What We're Concerned About:

Bullpen: Drafting BJ Ryan late could pay off big time, or he could wind up being a left handed specialist with a sore pitching arm that throws once every five days. We were a little upset with ourselves for not knowing enough about Tony Pena (apparently not their heir apparent to the closer role in Arizona). If every goes wrong according to Murphy's Law, we have one decent closer and three guys who will dominate the ever important holds category.


Jury's Still Out On:

Fukudome, Upton, and Maybin: This could either be the biggest steal since the trade that landed the Padres Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez, or the biggest bust since, well... last season's Lugnuts second to last place finish.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Short Stops

Short stops used to be the fantasy gem position, before first basemen started routinely hitting 40 Home Runs and driving in 100 plus runs ever season. A few years ago, your first round consisted of A-Rod, Jeter, Tejada, and occasionally Frucal, gone before the end of the first round.

Things have changed a little, so we're glad you came looking for some advice.

First, the obvious. Jose Reyes will get you steals, Hanley Ramirez is turing into a cheap 90's A-Rod imitation, Jimmy Rollins will be a MVP Candidate for the next four years, and Derek Jeter will continue to put up solid numbers.

Assuming that you didn't get any of those short stops in your draft, you're left with little options to fill your lineup.

Our biggest "get" at short stop this season will be Miguel Tejada. He'll likely fall in your draft, partially because of the emergence of Troy Tulowitzki as a new fantasy fan favorite, and partially because of his involvement in the steroid scandle.

The last time we checked, being accused of taking steroids is not a major fantasy league statistic. Home runs, rbi's, and run scored, however, are. And since Mr. Tejada will be playing in a ballpark tailored to his offensive approach, we highly recommend grabbing him if he's available.

Edgar Renteria is a quite attractive option at short, too. He'll be hitting in one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball and should have a bunch of at bats with runners in scoring position.

We're suggesting to shy away from two particular short stops this season; J.J. Hardy and David Eckstein. Having Hardy in your lineup is like riding a roller coaster throughout the season. He hit a ton of home runs (15) before the All-Star Break, but fizzled in the second half, barely scraping above 20 dingers to end the season (21).
The Blue Jays signing of Eckstein is a complete head scratcher. If it was a move to sure up defensively, is doesn't make sense; the Jays had one of the best defenses last season. Coupled with the fact that their previous short stop wasn't half bad (John McDonald), signing Eckstein seems like a knee-jerk reaction.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Third Base

If you are looking for the biggest piece of fantasy advice on the internet, you have come to the right place. Get ready for this, and make sure you're sitting down in a chair.

Ready?

DO NOT DRAFT RYAN BRAUN. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU CONSIDER TAKING RYAN BRAUN WITH ANY OF YOUR 25 DRAFT PICKS. LEAVE HIM ON THE FREE AGENT WIRE.

Confused yet?

Good.


We're talking about (obviously) Ryan Braun of the Kansas City Royals. It will be the single most mistake this draft year. Our advice to you is to pay extremely close attention during your online draft, if you are hoping to select Braun. Make sure that you're drafting the correct Braun, the one who plays for the Brew Crew.

Ok, back to normal, every day, 108 Red Stitches advice.

If you can't get your hands on Rodriguez, Wright, or Cabrera, do yourself a favor and pick up Garrett Atkins. As long as Atkins is playing in Coors Field, he'll do wonders for your fantasy team. If you're able to draft Atkins, make sure you have spend a lower level pick on a backup third basemen like;

Chase Headley, Padres. This kid can flat out hit. His only problem is where he plays in the field. With Kevin Kouzmanoff plopped down at third for the Padres, Headley could wind up playing in the outfield, or second base. If he's in the outfield, he'll platoon at first, and won't be worth keeping him on your team. If he plays second, we've got a totally different story. In a position with two great options, (Cano and that other Chase) if moved to second, Headley will immediately increase his value.

Scott Rolen, Toronto. His suggested starting bid is $13. He's a great option because he's hitting in a lineup of guys who love to get on base. If you get into a bidding war with another owner, let him go. $13 is relatively high for a guy on the down slope of his career. Rolen has a little something left in his bat if he can stay healthy this year.

Joe Crede, White Sox. The Giants have expressed interest in Crede, as long as he stays healthy during spring training. With the White Sox having a youngster settling in at third (Josh Fields) Crede becomes expendable. If he heads over to the Bay, his value increases, but not by much. We're not suggestion to draft Crede, just want to make you aware of his current situation.

Fantasy Baseball Help: First Base

Our theme for the 2008 fantasy draft is simply put; "Don't waste high picks or spend tons of hard earned cash on a first baseman." First basemen in this draft come a dime-a-dozen.

Even if the top ten first basemen (as listed by Fantasy Baseball Index) are taken before you have a chance to blink, names like Todd Helton, Kevin Youkilis, Conor Jackson, James Loney, Daric Barton, and Lyle Overbay are still available.

Stay away from high priced under-producers like Carlos Delgado ($15) or Richie Sexson ($12). And be wary of flash in the pans like Dmitri Young or Mike Jacobs. Jacobs should be a 30 Home Run guy with huge fantasy upside, but his swing is way to wild and unpredictable to be a consistent contributor to your team.

And if you ever, ever think about drafting Lance Niekro, you should contact your fantasy league manager and tell him to lock your team for the rest of the season and have a love one submit you to a psych ward. Because you obviously have not idea what you are doing and are considered a danger to the human race.

Joey Votto, Cincinnati. Keep an eye on this rookie, if he wins the starting first base job from Scott Hatteberg, scoop him up. He'll most likely be available in your draft, because he plays for a media-less market and 90% of folks in your draft likely won't ever have heard of him. We realize that we downgraded Brendon Phillips because he plays for the Reds, but there's something about a young lefty with something to prove playing in a hitter's dream park that makes us want to take him later in the draft.

Ben Broussard, Texas. Ron Washington, manager of the Rangers, gave Broussard the starting job at first base, no matter what hand the pitcher is using to throw the ball. So this translates into Broussard getting more at-bats, but that doesn't mean he'll get more quality at-bats. He hits like crap against lefties, but playing in a cozy Arlington ballpark should increase his power numbers a bit.

Joe Koshansky; Rockies. He will be the sleeper pick of the year if the Rockies begin to bottom out early in the season. If they head south quickly, the Rockies would look to trade Helton's hefty contract and pick up some minor league prospects or add to their bullpen. Koshansky can rake, and we can only sit back and smile at the thought of what he would do in Coors Field. If Koshansky becomes trade bait himself, his value decreases just a little, depending on where he winds up.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Second Base

So here's a common situation that many fantasy players find themselves in; It's late in the draft and you've spent a lot of money and draft picks on solidifying your lineup, have a decent bullpen going, and your rotation is looking pretty. However you realize that you missed filling out your second base slot.

First, let us congratulate you on a wise draft so far. Unless you are in the position to draft Chase Utley or Robinson Cano, your top picks shouldn't be wasted on a position that hasn't produced big numbers since Alfonso Soriano lost his eligibility.

While our recent articles have given suggestions on who to take in your draft, we'd like to start out by suggesting players to avoid.

Take Dustin Pedroia for instance. Post season heroics don't translate into season long success. Be careful not to overbid or draft Pedroia too much or too early. Fantasy players have long been known to react to hype machines, and Pedroia is such a machine.

While Fantasy Baseball Index lists Brendon Phillips as their #2 second basemen, we are urging all of our readers to stay far away from Phillips. Cincinnati is a totally different baseball team than last year, and Manager Baker scares us. Look for a significant drop in Phillips' numbers this season.

Let's take a look at some reasonable options that should be around late in the your draft:

Howie Kendrick, Angels. Don't be discouraged by his lack of power, after all, he did break his hand twice last season. If he can improve his strikeout/walk ratio, he's got a great chance to add 20 points to his already high .322 batting average. Be wary, he's not a producer when it comes to stolen bases, so if you need that statistic from a second baseman, pass on Kendrick.

Kelly Johnson, Braves. Drafting Johnson could pay off in two different ways. If he is slotted in the leadoff spot in the Braves lineup, He'll score a bunch of runs and might steal a base or two. If he's bumped down in the lineup, he'll have more RBI opportunities. Watch his progress in the spring, and then draft him (or not) based on his lineup position.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Pitchers

So here's a common situation that many fantasy players find themselves in; It's late in the draft and you've spent a lot of money and draft picks on solidifying your , lineup,have a decent bullpen going, but your rotation could use . You look at your slots and notice that you need to pick up another starter, but since its so late in the draft, almost everyone is gone.

Let's take a look at some reasonable options that should be around late in the your draft: (Players chosen are based on a 10 team league, with the top 60 players ranked by Fantasy Baseball Index removed from consideration, assuming that each team has already drafted four or five starters).

Barry Zito; Giants. Zito is listed at 61 in the rankings, and has a starting bid of $10. Our advice is to offer up to $12, to see if any other owner might bite, but don't go any higher. Sure Zito had a rough season last year (11-13, 4.53 ERA), but he's capable of bouncing back. Since Zito is most likely going to be facing other team's 1 and 2 starters, his run support (from an already listless lineup) will likely be non-exsistant. There's going to be plenty of other options out there, but if he's your number five starter, you're staff is probably in good shape to begin with.

Dontrelle Willis; Tigers. Willis is one of our sleepers in this years draft. He moves to a pitcher's park and has a lineup of devastating hitters. The Tigers could easily average 5-6 runs per game, which would win him a boat load of ballgames if he shaves a run off of last years 5.17 ERA. The Tigers have a nice bullpen that will save him 3 or 4 wins this year, but its the lineup, the ballpark, and the fact that he'll be low in the rotation that makes Willis an attractive grab.

Mark Prior; Padres. Suggested starting bid, $6. Can he stay healthy? Can he regain his old form? Our answer is a maybe. But isn't that what you're looking for in a back end starter on your fantasy team? He's going to be pitching in another pitcher heaven and facing back end of the rotation types. We'd bench him whenever he starts against Colorado, so take a gamble on Prior.

Manny Parra, Brewers. He threw a perfect game in Triple-A. The Brewers had enough confidence to start him during their playoff run. The suggested starting bid is $4. Most of the guys in your league never have heard of any other Manny than the lazy left fielder on the Red Sox. Do it. Do it. Pick up Parra. You can send us the thank you checks in the fall.

Matt Clement; Cardinals. Look at the resurrections that have occured in St. Louis. Carpenter, Suppan, Izzy, Looper, whether its post operation or a place where careers go to resurrect from the dead, there's something about Clement that says he'll follow precedence. While Clement is a fringe prospect, we're just here to remind you that stranger things have happened to pitchers wearing the Red Birds uniform.

Fantasy Baseball Help: Outfielders

So here's a common situation that many fantasy players find themselves in; It's late in the draft and you've spent a lot of money and draft picks on solidifying your rotation, lineup, and have a decent bullpen going. You look at your slots and notice that you need to pick up another outfielder, but since its so late in the draft, almost everyone is gone.

Let's take a look at some reasonable options that should be around late in the your draft:
(Players chosen are based on a 10 team league, with the top 80 players ranked by Fantasy Baseball Index removed from consideration).

Carlos Quentin; White Sox. Fully healthy coming into this season, Quentin, if given enough playing time, could blossom in Chicago. Living in a hitter's park could mean greater home run numbers for Quentin, which is unexpected in an outfielder chosen this late in the draft.

Josh Anderson, Braves. Twenty five years old, runs like the wind, covers ground like a cheetah. Might not have the best shot of cracking the opening day lineup, but with an aging Kotsay in centerfield, its only a matter of time before Anderson takes over. In an era where the running game seems to have disappeared, Anderson's 84 steals over the past two minor league seasons is exciting.

Endy Chavez, Mets. With the chance of Moises Alou out for an extended period, Alou owners might want to consider picking up Chavez until he returns. He's relatively cheap (suggested starting bid is $1) and has a major upside sitting in the Mets lineup.

Ryan Sweeney, Athletics. Dealt to Oakland in the Swisher deal, Sweeney had a rough Triple-A in Charlotte last year, but a change in scenery and a chance to play every day in the bigs can get a young guy going. He's not our favorite out of this group, but he's got a major, major upside if he cracks Oakland's lineup.

MLB 2K8: IGN Releases XBox360 Achievements

IGN.com released a list of Gamerpoint Achievements that you can unlock while playing the latest installment of MLB 2K Sports video game for the Xbox 360:

MLB 2K8 Achievements
Achievement Name	Description	Pts
Control Artist	Throw a Total Control Pitch with superb execution.	5
Frozen Rope	Get a line drive base hit using Right Stick Hitting (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Advanced Mind, Advanced Pleasure	Complete 10 games using advanced controls.	50
Fantasy Cards	Create a complete card team.	10
Buy A Pack	Use your duplicate cards to buy a new pack of cards.	20
Earn A Team	Unlock all the cards for a team in card series 1.	30
Earn 100 Cards	Unlock 100 different types of cards.	50
Quality Start	Have your starting pitcher give up 3 or fewer runs in 6+ innings of work (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Hold!	Get credit for a hold (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Save!	Get credit for a save (min 3 batters faced, Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Keep it Down	Complete a 9-inning game without giving up a home run (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
1-2-3	Retire all 3 batters faced in an inning (Pro difficulty or higher).	10
Strikeout The Side	Strikeout all 3 batters faced in an inning (Pro difficulty or higher).	50
A Day To Remember	Throw a no-hitter using any number of pitchers (minimum 9 innings, Pro difficulty or higher).	100
Skillz	Make a spectacular defensive play (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Catch 'em Nappin	Successfully bunt for a hit (Pro difficulty or higher).	10
Red-Handed	Throw out a runner attempting to steal a base (Pro difficulty or higher).	10
He's Got a Gun!	Throw out a runner at homeplate from the outfield using Right Stick Throwing.	20
The Train's Comin' Through	Score a run after plowing over the catcher at homeplate (Pro difficulty or higher).	20
De-Railed	Successfully prevent a runner from plowing over your catcher and scoring (Pro difficulty or higher).	20
Triple Double	Turn 3 double plays in one game (Pro difficulty or higher).	20
Eagle Eye	Get a Base on Balls (Pro difficulty or higher).	10
Double Triple	Hit two triples in one game (Pro difficulty or higher).	30
Goliath	Hit 5 home runs in one game (Pro difficulty or higher).	20
Legendary	Win a 9-inning game on Legend difficulty.	50
What's Your Fantasy?	Complete at least 25 rounds of a fantasy draft in franchise mode.	5
Glove of Gold	In franchise, have a player win the Player's Choice Best Fielder award (min 20 games played).	10
Platinum Bat	In franchise, have a player win the Player's Choice Best Hitting award (min. 20 games played).	10
Star-Studded	In franchise, have 3 or more players make the All-Star Team (min 15 games played).	20
Makin' a Splash	In franchise, have a rookie earn the Rookie of the Year award (min 20 games played).	20
Contender	In franchise, have your team make the playoffs (min 20 games played).	20
Domination	Win at least 105 games in one season (min 20 games played)	30
Layer Cake	In franchise, win a game at each minor league level (A, AA, and AAA).	10
Brink of Stardom	In franchise, have a player win the Minor League Player of the Year award.	10
I'm a Winner!	Win a ranked match on Xbox LIVE.	10
Win 20 Online	Win 20 ranked matches on Xbox LIVE.	30
Card Master	Win a Card Battle match on Xbox LIVE.	50
Slugger	Win a Strikes Only match on Xbox LIVE.	20
League Participation	Play a game in a league or tournament on Xbox LIVE.	10
Cards Shmards	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'Earn 100 Cards'.	20
David vs. Goliath	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'Goliath'.	20
Another Level	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'Legendary'.	20
Live Wire	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'Win 20 Online'.	20
You're Not So Tough	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'A Day to Remember'.	50
What Makes YOU So Special?	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked a Top 'em achievement.	50

Team Outlook: San Fransisco Giants

Last Season's Record: 71-91
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 5th NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Aaron Rowand: CF

Major Offseason Losses:
- Barry Bonds: LF (???)


This organization is an embarrassment to Major League Baseball. They had their chance to right the ship with Bonds leaving, make room for some younger players, but they chose to hold onto their old farts.
This Giants club will be the worst team in baseball, and the only record they will be chasing this year will be for the most losses by a team in one season.

Team Outlook: San Diego Padres

Last Season's Record: 89-74
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 4th NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Randy Wolf: LHP
- Jim Edmonds: CF
- Mark Prior
- Tadahito Iguchi: 2B

Major Offseason Losses:
- Milton Bradely
- Mike Cameron

On paper, this rotation looks dominant; Peavy, Maddux, Prior, Young, and Wolf. But everyone knows that these games aren't played on paper. Maddux is another year older, Prior is one bad pitch from landing on the DL again, Wolf is a ticking time bomb, and Peavy has to be wondering how many times another unbelievable pitching season will find him watching the playoffs from his couch.
The lineup is littered with young guns, but acquiring an aging Jim Edmonds
is a questionable move. Its hard to believe that the Padres don't have anyone in their system that could play centerfield.
Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headly provide a little hope for the Padres, who are looking to add some offense to a lineup lacking punch. Who knows though, maybe the lineup would be amazing if they didn't play half their games in Petco Park.

Team Outlook: Colorado Rockies

Last Season's Record: 90-73
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 1st NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Jose Capellan: RHP
- Luis Vizcaino: RHP

Major Offseason Losses:
- Kazuo Matsui: 2B
- LaTroy Hawkins: RHP

The Rockies were the Cinderella Team of 2007, making the playoffs after tearing through the NL in the last month of the season. Barnstorming through the playoffs, the Rockies kept on winning until they met the Red Sox in the World Series.
A lot of the Rockies problems in the World Series had to do with the inexperience roster that the team put on the field. This year the Rockies are a little older and a little wiser, so look for them the win the NL West outright and by a large margin. Despite the rotation being a bit shaky after Francis and Cook, Colorado's lineup should mash opposing pitchers.
Talented youth seems to be a dime a dozen in Colorado. Some of their best position players will probably not break camp this year (see Stewart- Koshansky).
Matt Holiday is a perennial MVP candidate and if Brad Hawpe can figure out how to hit lefties, they'll be staring at another World Series appearance awfully soon.

Team Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers

Last Season's Record: 82-80
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 3rd NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Andrew Jones: CF
- Hiroki Kuroda: RHP

Major Offseason Losses:
- Randy Wolf: LHP
- Mark Hendrickson: LHP

Bringing Joe Torre over from the Yankees during the offseason sent a wonderful message to the veterans in the Dodger's organization: "Time to start cashing in on that retirement plan".
Torre will not put up (for long) with the organizational tendency to give playing time to their rustier parts. Torre coming in will usher in a youth movement in LA.
Curious is the decision to sign guys like Jason Schmidt and Hiroki Kuroda, while LA has arms like Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw. LA also has guys like Andy LaRoche and James Looney that need to get more at bats, in order for LA to win ballgames.
Until LA fully commits to an overhaul and a youth movement, the old and the new will continue to butt heads and keep LA out of the playoffs.

Team Outlook: Arizona Diamondbacks

Last Season's Record: 90-72
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 2st NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Dan Haren: RHP
- Connor Roberston: RHP
- Chris Burke: 2B
- Chad Qualls: RHP

Major Offseason Losses:
- Carlos Quentin: RF
- Dana Eveland: LHP
- Jose Valverde: RHP

This team had a -20 run scoring differential last season, and still made the playoffs. Their pitching staff received a major upgrade thanks to the Oakland Rebuilding Project. The Diamondbacks are a young and extremely talented team. If Chad Tracey becomes healthy and produces numbers that he's capable of putting up, the Diamondbacks won't have to rely on their pitching staff as much as they did last year.
The Diamondbacks biggest weakness going into the 2008 season is obviously their offense. The Front Office did little to improve their lineup, and will have to look to their younger players to adapt to big league pitching and have better years.