2013 Postseason Predictions

Let's give you a reminder of our 2013 Regular Season Picks for the playoffs.

AL East Division Champ: Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central Division Champ: Kansas City Royals

AL West Division Champ: Oakland A's

AL Wild Card Teams: Tampa Bay Rays and L.A. Angels of Anaheim

NL East Division Champ: Washington Nationals

NL Central Division Champ: Cincinnati Reds

NL West Division Champ: San Francisco Giants

NL Wild Card Teams: Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers

Wild Card Playoff Game

Tampa Bay VS. L.A. Angels

This will be a fun game to watch as one of the best pitching teams in depth (Tampa Bay) battles the power lineup force of the West (Angels). This may be the most even Wild Card game. The Rays have a great pitching staff and a lineup that's able to produce runs. The Angels have the lineup to destroy a team easily BUT they lack a good pitching staff. While a one game playoff doesn't allow for many mistakes, this game could be very easily matched. Remember how Baltimore beat Texas last year in this game? One single game is all you get for the Wild Card and anything can happen in this game.

Winner: Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay's good pitching staff will keep the Angels lineup calm. Tampa Bay will win this game but it won't be a blow out game.

Atlanta Braves VS. L.A. Dodgers

Both Atlanta and LA went out and spent big this offseason to improve their teams. Atlanta and LA have the EXACT same problem. They both have a good lineup but they don't have much of a pitching staff. LA has Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and that's about it. Josh Beckett is an unknown, he may be amazing or, as his stat trend shows, he will be terrible. Atlanta has Kris Medlen and that's it. Tim Hudson is the unknown for Atlanta, he's coming back from injury so who knows how he'll do. The lineups are pretty much the same so the game will likely feature alot of offense.

Winner: Atlanta
Atlanta has a good starter (Medlen) who'd likely pitch the one game playoff and with an amazing bullpen, it'll be hard to see Atlanta blow it. LA has a good lineup but bullpen failure's will be the reason they lose the game.

Division Series

Toronto Blue Jays VS. Tampa Bay Rays

Toronto is going to be a powerhouse in 2013, with a great lineup thanks mainly to the deal made with the Marlins AND a great pitching rotation thanks to trades with the Marlins and Mets. Tampa Bay still features one of the best pitching staffs in the AL East, so from a pitching standpoint, especially the bullpen, this series is fairly matched. The thing is that Toronto doesn't feature many players with any playoff experience, the majority of the players on the team hasn't made any postseasons. Tampa Bay does feature more guys with experience in the postseason but their last trip to the ALDS, in 2011 against Texas, left them going home after 4 games.

Winner: Toronto
Toronto has exactly what is needed to win a series against Tampa Bay and the strength of their rotation and lineup will pull them out ahead. I think Tampa Bay will give them a fight in the playoffs, making the series go to 5 games but ultimately the deals Toronto made this offseason will help them move on.

Oakland A's VS. Kansas City Royals

Crazy right? At the beginning of 2012 if I told you that I thought these two teams would make the playoffs, you would have thought I was crazy. Kansas City has done great with offseason moves to do it but they will fight to get into the playoffs. I really think Kansas City will barely make it in, only making it to the playoffs because of a win on the last day of the season. Oakland was a surprise team last year and this offseason they made even more moves to improve the roster. It's hard to figure out which way a 5 game series would go between these two teams, neither are automatic locks to move on.

Winner: Oakland
Kansas City will be the surprise team this year and make the playoffs interesting but Oakland has a great pitching staff and a much improved roster to make it into the ALCS. While Kansas City fans will be sad their team doesn't go far, just making the playoffs for the first time in years will be a great feeling. Most likely this series ends after 4 games.

Washington Nationals VS. Atlanta Braves

You want to talk about powerhouses? Washington was a surprise team last year that showed one of the greatest pitching staffs in baseball to everyone. With a amazing bullpen and strong lineup, the Nationals were going to make it back to the playoffs before their offseason moves. The moves they made this offseason makes them THE Powerhouse of the NL, not the Dodgers (sorry Dodgers fans). Atlanta has tried to keep up with the Nationals with offseason moves, getting the Upton brothers to improve their outfield. The problem Atlanta has is lack of pitching. Atlanta has probably the best bullpen in the NL, but they lack a starting rotation.

Winner: Washington
Only a die hard Braves fan would actually think Atlanta could beat the Nationals. The Nats have the best pitching staff in baseball thanks to upgrades in the starting rotation and bullpen. The Nats also went out and improved their lineup, which is better than Atlanta's. While Atlanta is going to put up a fight in this series, the Nationals are going to finally make it into the NLCS. This series will be over in 4 games.

Cincinnati Reds VS. San Francisco Giants

It was such a disappointing year for Reds fans, as the team was up 2 games to none over the Giants last year, only to lose the next 3 straight games. The Giants went on to win the World Series for the 2nd time in 3 years. The Reds made good moves this offseason the balance the roster and they have a great pitching staff. The Giants will need their pitching staff to go back to normal  this year, you can't have your 2 time Cy Young award winner stink for the whole year again.

Winner: San Francisco
Reds fans will again go home sad, as the Giants win this series again in 5 games. The Reds will put up a fight but they won't collapse like 2012. The Giants will move on thanks to a strong, returning lineup and a great pitching staff.

Championship Series

Toronto Blue Jays VS. Oakland A's

As odd as this might look at first, both teams boast an extremely upgraded roster. Both have upgraded so much that this is where they both will be playing. Toronto has the edge in pitching staff and Oakland has a much rounded out lineup. By rounded out, we mean that Oakland can always go to the bench and replace starting guys with players who will almost equal their production. It's very strange to think these two teams are going to battle it out in the Championship Series, but thanks to great offseason moves this is how it will be.

Winner: Toronto
This series will very likely go 7 games, as Oakland will put up a good fight. Sadly, Toronto will be able to muscle their way through Oakland pitching, and make it back to the World Series for the first time since 1993. While Oakland fans will be sad their team didn't make it further, no one really expected the A's to be competitive for a few years.

Washington Nationals VS. San Francisco Giants

The reigning World Series champs Giants will be back battling it out to make it to the World Series for the 3rd time in 4 years. Washington will be going to a place they have never been and have only been once in their entire franchise history, in 1981 as the Montreal Expos. The Nationals will feature one of the most feared teams in the NL, showcasing amazing pitching and a strong lineup. The Giants are going to show their strong lineup and good starting pitching staff. The problem? The Giants haven't done enough moves this offseason to improve the roster, they've only made moves that evened out their roster.

Winner: Washington
Washington will show itself as the Powerhouse that it is and walk right over the Giants, winning the series in 6 games. The Nationals will head to the World Series for the first time EVER. Strong starting pitching will be the big factor in this series, as Strausburg, Zimmermann, Gonzalez, and Haren show why the Nationals are the best of the NL.

World Series

Washington Nationals VS. Toronto Blue Jays

It's the battle of Canada!! Oh wait, it can't be that. This will be an exciting series though, as Washington will play in it's first World Series EVER and Toronto will return to the World Series for the first time in 20 years. It's a strange series if you think about it, both teams were pretty terrible only a couple years ago and now they are awesome. It's also a very even series. Both teams have strong pitching and lineups, but Washington has the bullpen to close games out completely. While I think this won't be an easy battle for either team, it's pretty obvious who is the winner in this series. 

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS: Washington

Seriously, Washington has the best team out of these two teams and the nation's capital will go crazy in celebration. The thing that got the Nationals this far, strong pitching, is going to be the deciding factor in the series. Washington will likely win this series in 6 games, bringing a championship to the only NL team to have never played in a World Series. The offseason moves of the Nationals position them for this and while Toronto is also really good, Canada will be a little disappointed this year. 

We're Expanding Our Website!

We've had a lot of you reading this blog for some time, and we really appreciate it. However like any sports blog, there's a time when your blog needs to expand. We have some really great plans coming.

In the coming months, we are going to be launching a new website. MLBTotalAccess will be our official main page. We will cover ALL 30 MLB teams for the entire season, covering each and every game. MLBTotalAccess will examine every trade and free agent rumors, stats, schedules, rosters, and basically everything else in between. We are hoping to become your one stop website for everything MLB.

Our official website, www.mlbtotalaccess.com, will come online to the public (Opening Day) April 1st. Between now and April 1st we will be working on generating content on this new website. You may notice less content on this blog (dcnatsblog.blogspot.com) during that period but don't worry, we're still gonna provide you with the best coverage of Spring Training here on DC Nats Blog. Of course, our coverage will go back to just the Washington Nationals.

We are very excited about expanding our coverage to all of Major League Baseball. This has taken a bit of work and will continue to be work but we are very excited to be doing this. We ask that you please be patient with us as we get this blog and our new website up and running smoothly. We are also looking for any freelance sports writers looking to become part of the Total Access team. If your interested, leave a comment in this post and we'll get in touch with you. We will provide more details about it at that time.

2013 Season Standings- Our Predictions

It's took a bit of work but after looking through info and digging through stats, we've come up with our standings predictions. We've based all our predictions on how teams have improved their roster or gotten worse. Check back with us in a few days for our postseason picks!

2013 Season Standings (X=Division Champ, Y=Wild Card Winners)
                          W-L           GB

AL EAST
X-Toronto          97-65            -
Y-Tampa Bay     91-71           6
Baltimore            89-73           8
New York          88-74           9
Boston                82-80           15

AL CENTRAL
X-Kansas City    90-72           -
Detriot                89-73           1
Chicago              84-78           6
Cleveland           78-84           12
Minnesota          75-87           15

AL WEST
X-Oakland         94-68            -
Y-Los Angeles   93-69            1
Texas                 88-74            6
Seattle                81-81           13
Houston             60-102         34

NL EAST
X-Washington     102-60          -
Y-Atlanta             94-68          7
Philadelphia          81-81         21
New York           77-85         25
Miami                  63-99         39

NL CENTRAL
X-Cincinnati         97-65          -
Milwaukee           87-75         10
St. Louis              85-77         12
Pittsburgh            78-84          19
Chicago              61-101        36

NL WEST
X-San Francisco  93-69          -
Y-Los Angeles     88-74          5
Arizona                81-81         12
San Diego            79-83         14
Colorado             70-92         23


Explaining Our Predictions
You might be looking at our predictions and thinking we are totally wrong on all of our picks. Here's the thing, we looked at every teams offseason moves and their current rosters. We also look at player stats, including the stats of those guys whose numbers are in a deep decline or increase.

The AL East- Simply put, Toronto spent big this offseason and made HUGE improvements to the team. No one in the AL East improved themselves more and because of that, they are the division winner. Tampa Bay has a well rounded team and offseason moves have helped the team out. Pitching is the Rays biggest strength, which is why they'll take a Wild Card. Baltimore was a surprise team last year but their offseason moves, or lack of them, will take them away from postseason contention. New York has done NOTHING to improve their ball club and there's no way they are going to top Toronto or Tampa Bay unless they make more changes. Boston has done well to improve the team but, like New York, they need to do more to compete with Toronto and Tampa Bay.

The AL Central- Kansas City has impressed me alot with their offseason moves and I think they have what it takes to win the division, IF everyone on the team remains healthy. Some would argue that Detroit is the team to beat in the Central but they haven't improved their roster enough. It'll come down to the last day between Kansas City and Detroit. Chicago has not done much for their roster to compete for a playoff spot, but they will still be a player in the division if all goes well. Cleveland has improved greatly but Terry Francona's squad will need a bit of work and improvement to compete. Lastly, Minnesota is still terrible. Although they have made improvements and players are returning to form, they need to do more to be a player in the division.

The AL West- Oakland is the team to beat, as their roster has improved with offseason trades. Los Angeles has improved but they lack starting pitching behind Weaver and Wilson. Texas has not improved their roster and I think for the first time in a few years, they won't even be in the playoffs. Seattle has improved with offseason trades but still needs a few more bats to compete in the West. Houston will be the exact same as they were in the NL Central, terrible. Houston doesn't have much going for them in 2013, except the change to the AL.

The NL East- Washington will be a force in the NL, winning over 100 games because they have made HUGE improvements to a already awesome roster. Atlanta will be good but will need more starting pitching depth in order to catch Washington. Philadelphia will again be useless in this division  failing to make the playoffs and barely making it to .500. New York hasn't done anything to get better or worse, so expect more of the same 75ish wins team. Miami got rid of everyone of great value to the team and will struggle to avoid 100 loses this season.

The NL Central- Cincinnati is still the force in the Central, as they have improved their already amazing roster. Milwaukee will surprisingly contend again in the division but will fall short of the Wild Card. St Louis has barely made it into the playoffs the last 2 years, but 2013 will see them miss the playoffs. Pittsburgh will come close to being a .500 team again but they need a little more roster improvement to get there. Chicago will be in the basement and without Houston, they'll be in last the whole time.

The NL West- San Francisco will be the team on top, thanks to offseason moves to keep guys on the team. Los Angeles has spent big but they still lack the rest of a starting pitching staff and need veteran guys to return to form. Arizona will be an improved team but will again be a .500 team due to improvement in the pitching staff. San Diego will come close to being a .500 team but they seriously need pitching help in order to do so. Colorado will struggle without good pitching and although they have a good lineup, they will be a poor ball club. 

Cleveland Indians- 2013 Preview

2012 Results- 68-94 (4th in AL Central) 

The Indians weren't as bad as their record would show. The Indians actually had a pretty good first half of the season (44-41) but the second half was a failure. The Indians went 24-53 after the All Star Break and alot of the fault can be pointed to the pitching staff. The Indians ranked 29th in the Majors in ERA at 4.78, 18th in Batting Average (.251), and 9th in Fielding Percentage (.984). The fact is the pitching staff ERA went up dramatically after the All Star break and the Indians were not able to continue on their first half success.

Before the season ended, the Indians fired manager Manny Acta with 6 games to go. Truthfully, this was the first GREAT step for the Indians to do. Bringing in Terry Francona to manage the team is awesome and regardless of what went on with him in Boston, he's the right guy to start these guys back onto the road to success.

How does 2013 look?

Offseason Moves: ARRIVALS

C/IF Yan Gomes - Trade (TOR)
1B Mike McDade - Waivers (TOR)
1B Chris McGuiness - Rule 5 (TEX)
1B Mark Reynolds - Free Agent (BAL)
SS Didi Gregorius - Trade (CIN)
IF Mike Aviles - Trade (TOR)
IF/OF Russ Canzler - Waivers (TOR)
OF Drew Stubbs - Trade (CIN)
OF Nick Swisher - Free Agent (NYY)
RHP Matt Albers - Trade (ARI)
RHP Trevor Bauer - Trade (ARI)
RHP Brett Myers - Free Agent (CWS)
RHP Bryan Shaw - Trade (ARI)
RHP Blake Wood - Waivers (KC)

DEPARTURES

1B/OF Lars Anderson - Trade (ARI)
3B/1B Jack Hannahan - Free Agent (CIN)
SS Didi Gregorius - Trade (ARI)
IF Jason Donald - Trade (CIN)
IF/OF Russ Canzler - Waivers (TOR) / (NYY)
OF Shin-Soo Choo - Trade (CIN)
RHP Roberto Hernandez - Free Agent (TB)
RHP Esmil Rogers - Trade (TOR)
RHP Hector Rondon - Rule 5 (CHC)
LHP Scott Maine - Waivers (TOR)
LHP T.J. McFarland - Rule 5 (BAL)
LHP Tony Sipp - Trade (ARI)

The Indians have turned alot of their roster over and have greatly IMPROVED the team heading into 2013. They did well in the trade that brought Drew Stubbs and Trevor Bauer to Cleveland and getting Nick Swisher and Brett Myers is good to add veteran players to this young team. The latter, Myers, is going to try to go back into the starting rotation after spending the last 2 seasons as a closer. I think he can do good in the starting rotation and I think he can help guys like Justin Masterson and, newly acquired, Bauer to gain experience from Myers. Terry Francona is really a good guy to manage these guys and the Indians did well to make his job better in 2013.

2013 Predictions- 78-84 (4th in AL Central)

I really think the Indians will be a much improved team in 2013 but they aren't quite ready to compete with Chicago, Detroit or even Kansas City this year. The offseason moves have improved the lineup and the starting rotation but there's still some unanswered questions the Indians need to figure out. Are they going to keep Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera? Those guys have been mentioned alot in trade talk the last few years and it'll be interesting to see if the Indians do anything with that. Truthfully, the Indians are WAY BETTER if they keep both guys on the team.

The Indians are going to be better but they still need to make a few more moves to compete in the AL Central. The trades they've done so far are great steps in the right direction for this team but a few more is needed. I think 2014 is a year in which Cleveland could actually start competing again for a playoff spot, mainly as a Wild Card team. 2013 will be a rebuilding year and that's ok. Cleveland has alot of great pieces in place for a good playoff run, but let's wait until 2014 for that.

Cincinnati Reds- 2013 Preview

2012 Results- 97-65 (1st in NL Central, Lost NLDS to SF 3-2)

The Reds were a great team last year. How great? Well, they were the 2nd best team in all of MLB, falling short by 1 single game. Still, the Reds captured the NL Central title with little work. Through out the season the Reds showcased their strength, without Joey Votto for 63 games. Ryan Ludwick really shined in his opportunity to play "almost" everyday, taking Votto's place in a sense by offensive production.

The Reds were set to go to the NLCS in 2012 by going up 2 games to none on the San Francisco Giants. Sadly, the Reds just couldn't finish them off and they lost the series 3 games to 2. The Reds are strong and are set up well for 2013 but it still must sting to Reds fans to come so close, and fail.

How does 2013 look?

Offseason Moves: ARRIVALS

3B/1B Jack Hannahan - Free Agent (CLE)
IF Jason Donald - Trade (CLE)
OF Shin-Soo Choo - Trade (CLE)

DEPARTURES

C Dioner Navarro - Free Agent (CHC)
SS Didi Gregorius - Trade (CLE)
OF Drew Stubbs - Trade (CLE)
RHP Ryan Madson - Free Agent (LAA

Simply put, the Reds haven't done much this offseason. They haven't really improved nor have they gotten worse. They simply did a couple good moves to even out the team. Ryan Madson didn't do anything for the Reds in 2012 so his production, or lack of it, won't be missed at all. The trade to get Jason Donald and Shin-Soo Choo was a good one for the Reds but I won't say that it was a major improvement over what they had. The Reds also didn't really lose anyone that was a major part for them moving forward.

2013 Prediction- 96-66 (1st in NL Central)

The Reds are going to be a force in 2013 and the NL Central crown is there's to lose. It's that simple, as long as the Reds don't fall apart completely the title is for them. Another season of 90 wins is also something I see for the Reds, they are going to be about the exact same. The Reds really need to work on their playoff play. I know that might sound odd but seriously, the Reds could have gone fairly fair in 2012 but managed to fail to close it out. Being able to stay healthy will also be a big thing for the Reds. If everyone stays in good shape, then that 96 win guess of mine can easily be a 101 or more.

There isn't much more to add about the Reds. There was not many down points for the Reds, besides Votto's health. The Reds are going to be a major player in 2013 and they could go very far in the playoffs.

Chicago White Sox- 2013 Preview

2012 Results- 85-77 (2nd in AL Central)

The White Sox were actually a pretty good team in 2012 and up until the last week of the season, they looked like the clear winners of the AL Central. The White Sox made a good deal mid-season to acquire Kevin Youkilis from the Red Sox and he did very well for the Sox. The White Sox ranked 14th in the Majors in Batting Average (.255), 19th in ERA (4.02), and 1st in Fielding Percentage (.988).

The flaw of the White Sox? The White Sox were terrible at the end of the season, the time when you don't want to get bad. The White Sox went 4-11 in the last 15 games of the season, before that they were 3 games ahead of the Tigers. That was the only problem of the White Sox, they simply got cold at the wrong time of the season.

How does 2013 look?

Offseason Moves: ARRIVALS

1B Mark Tracy - Trade (COL)
IF Jeff Keppinger - Free Agent (TB)
IF Angel Sanchez - Rule 5 (LAA)
OF Blake Tekotte - Trade (SD)

DEPARTURES

C A.J. Pierzynski - Free Agent (TEX)
3B Kevin Youkilis - Free Agent (NYY)
IF Jose Lopez - Free Agent (Yomiuri-Japan)
OF Kenneth Williams - Trade (CWS)
RHP Phil Humber - Waivers (HOU)
RHP Brandon Kloess - Trade (SD)
RHP Brandon Myers - Free Agent (CLE)
LHP Francisco Liriano - Free Agent (PIT)

Sadly, the White Sox managed to get WORSE this offseason. Kevin Youkilis was a big help to the White Sox lineup and the field during his brief time in Chicago. Letting him go to the Yankees and not make him much of an offer (rumors have it that the White Sox didn't bother talking to him at all this offseason) is not good for the Sox. Pierzynski is another loss for the Sox, deciding to go play for the Texas Rangers. The White Sox didn't do any moves to counter either loss, Jeff Keppinger is GOOD but not Youkilis good.

2013 Prediction- 84-78 (3rd in AL Central)

The White Sox have not done enough to compete in the AL Central like they did in 2012. 3rd place is an average guess for the White Sox based off the offseason moves and current roster. Now the White Sox could very easily compete in the AL Central if things end up like 2012. If the Tigers take a little bit getting wins in April and May AND if the Royals don't come together and pull off wins, then I see the White Sox right in the thick of things. However, if the Tigers start well and the Royals show they're a strong force, then sadly the White Sox will be just behind them.

I literally have the White Sox finishing 4 games behind the Royals in the AL Central based off the current roster but the offseason isn't complete yet. Maybe the White Sox make another move before Spring Training starts and that will improve the team to bridge that gap. Or maybe a prospect comes into Spring Training and makes it to "The Show" as a strong force. Either way, the White Sox are a move or so away from being right there for the division title. They still have to make those deals before they can do so.

Chicago Cubs- 2013 Preview

2012 Results- 61-101 (5th in NL Central) 

To plainly put it, the Cubs are just terrible. 2012 was another disappointing season for the Cubs but there are some bright spots. The team is on a slow, a VERY SLOW, road back to being a contending team but last year was just bad. The Cubs never could find there footing at any point in the season and managed to be the second team in MLB with 100 loses (Houston being the other). The Cubs ranked 24th in the Majors in ERA (4.51), 26th in Batting Average (.240), and 22nd in Fielding Percentage (.982). The Cubs were surprisingly not bad in 2012 at home (38-43) but the biggest flaw was the road record (23-58). The obvious thing the Cubs need to work on is their play on the road.

How does 2013 look?

Offseason Moves: ARRIVALS

C Dioner Navarro - Free Agent (CIN)
RHP Scott Baker - Free Agent (MIN)
RHP Marcelo Carreno - Trade (DET)
RHP Scott Feldman - Free Agent (TEX)
RHP Kyuji Fujikawa - Free Agent (Japan)
RHP Carlos Gutierrez - Waivers (MIN)
RHP Edwin Jackson - Free Agent (WAS)
RHP Barret Loux - Trade (TEX)
RHP Hector Rondon - Rule V (CLE)
RHP Sandy Rosario - Waivers (BOS)
RHP Zach Putnam - Waivers (COL)
RHP Carlos Villanueva - Free Agent (TOR)

DEPARTURES

C Anthony Recker - Waivers (NYM)
1B/OF Bryan LaHair - Free Agent (Japan)
RHP Jacob Brigham - Trade (TEX)
RHP Starling Peralta - Rule 5 (ARI)
RHP Sandy Rosario - Waivers (SF)
RHP Miguel Socolovich - Free Agent (Japan)
RHP Chris Volstad - Waivers (KC)
LHP Jeff Beliveau - Waivers (TEX)

The Cubs have improved slightly this offseason but not enough to amount to much. The biggest signing for the Cubs was without a doubt Edwin Jackson. It's a funny case for Jackson. Remember last year when he declined a multiyear contract offer from Pittsburgh to go to Washington because he wanted to play on a competing team? It confuses me why he decided to go from a winning team (Washington) to the Cubs, who are not going to be competitive for the entire length of his contract. Jackson does present a improvement in the pitching rotation for the Cubs but Jackson needs to have a better season than he had in 2012. Maybe having the comfort of a multiyear deal will help him pitch but overall, his signing shows a slight, very slight, improvement to the Cubs.

2013 Prediction- 62-100 (5th in NL Central)

The Cubs haven't won it all in a long time, well over 100 years. 2013 is going to be the same, I doubt the Cubs make it close to .500 baseball. The Cubs aren't going to be much better than they were in 2013 and will be the dead last in the NL Central. Why dead last? Well the Astros move into the AL West come the start of the 2013 season and the Cubs can expect to keep the basement nice and warm.

The Truth is simple, the Cubs need to do MORE in order to compete again. The offseason moves they have done are not enough to amount to much in terms of wins. While I think the Cubs are heading in the right direction, it's going to take a few more years. Sorry Cubs fans, but I honestly think the Cubs can become a good, competitive team....in 2017. Seriously, if the Cubs don't make more moves via trades and free agent signings, it's going to take THAT long for the prospects to come up and work.

Boston Red Sox- 2013 Preview

2012 Results: 69-93 (5th in AL EAST)

The Boston Red Sox failed completely in 2012. They were not able to come back from the historic September collapse of 2011. They managed to become an even worse team in 2012 and even traded away superstars. The Red Sox ranked 10th in batting average (.260), 27th in ERA (4.70) and 13th in Fielding percentage (.983). To be totally honest, the Red Sox were terrible and there wasn't any real bright spots for them in 2012. The Major League debut of Wil Middlebrooks was great but sadly he got injuried not very long after and didn't play for the rest of the season. That's about all the good news from Boston.

The Red Sox managed to trade away Kevin Youkilis, who had played his whole career since 2004 in Boston, to Chicago. They also traded Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and Nick Punto to the Dodgers in what had to be the stupidest trade of 2012. It was a "Get Out Of Jail Free Card" if you will for Boston, who managed to trade $400 million dollars to the Dodgers. The deal didn't make sense because of money. Why would the Dodgers take on THAT much money for players who have been in a decline? Simply put, it was a great deal fro Boston to free up alot of money.

How does 2013 look?

Offseason Moves: ARRIVALS

C David Ross - Free Agent (ATL)
C/1B Mike Napoli - Free Agent (TEX) STILL PENDING
1B/OF Jerry Sands - Trade (LAD)
2B Jeff Kobernus - Rule 5 (WAS)
SS Stephen Drew - Free Agent (OAK)
IF Brock Holt - Trade (PIT)
OF Jonny Gomes - Free Agent (OAK)
OF Shane Victorino - Free Agent (LAD)
RHP David Carpenter - Trade (TOR)
RHP Rubby De La Rosa - Trade (LAD)
RHP Ryan Dempster - Free Agent (TEX)
RHP Graham Godfrey - Trade (OAK)
RHP Joel Hanrahan - Trade (PIT)
RHP Kyle Kaminska - Trade (PIT)
RHP Sandy Rosario - Waivers (MIA); 2x: Waivers (OAK)
RHP Koji Uehara - Free Agent (TEX)

DEPARTURES

1B James Loney - Free Agent (TB)
1B/OF Jerry Sands - Trade (PIT)
2B Jeff Kobernus - Trade (DET)
3B Danny Valencia - Trade (BOS)
IF Mike Aviles - Trade (TOR)
IF Ivan De Jesus, Jr. - Trade (PIT)
OF Che-Hsuan Lin - Waivers (HOU)
OF Cody Ross - Free Agent (ARI)
RHP David Carpenter - Waivers (ATL)
RHP Josh Fields - Rule 5 (HOU)
RHP Mark Melancon - Trade (PIT)
RHP Stolmy Pimentel - Trade (PIT)
RHP Ryan Pressly - Rule 5 (MIN)
RHP Sandy Rosario - Trade (OAK); 2x: Waivers (CHC)
RHP Zach Stewart - Trade (PIT)

Without a doubt, the Red Sox have improved greatly this offseason. They managed to sign very good players to smaller, better contracts. They improved the starting rotation with the Ryan Dempster signing, improve the bullpen by signing Koji Uehara and getting Joel Hanrahan in a trade. The lineup itself has improved as well, but there is one problem still. Mike Napoli agreed to a deal with Boston back a month ago and he still has not been OFFICALLY signed. Rumors are that a hip issue has come up and Boston is trying to rewrite the deal to protect themselves in case Napoli gets hurt. The Red Sox have also looked at Adam LaRoche but they aren't really pursing him. LaRoche wants a 3 year deal but no team in baseball seems to want to give him that. You also have to keep in mind that signing LaRoche would cost the Red Sox a draft pick (2nd round) because the Nationals made him a qualifying offer.

2013 Predictions: 82-80 (5th in AL East)
Boston has made great improvements with the team this offseason and they should be a much better team than 2012. The problem is the rest of the AL East has improved greatly as well and Boston hasn't done enough to be at the top. I do believe the Red Sox could compete for a playoff spot, maybe even the AL East, but alot has to go right for that to happen. The starting rotation has to be better. They have great guys in the rotation but they have to return to form in 2013 for the Red Sox to be able to compete. The offense needs to do more of the same as 2012. Keep scoring alot of runs and keep the pressure on opposing pitching. David Ortiz is still a great player and a force in the Boston lineup and getting Mike Napoli right next to him will be great for the Red Sox.

That was basically the problem for the Red Sox in 2012, pitching. The pitching staff was one of the worst in baseball and even though they scored alot of runs, it didn't compare to the amount pitching gave up. The Red Sox are better but the focus in 2013 should be to return to healthy form. If they can do that, then they will be able to keep up with Tampa Bay, Toronto and Baltimore.

Baltimore Orioles- 2013 Preview

2012 Results: 93-69 (2nd in AL East, Won Wild Card Game, Lost NLDS to NYY 3-2)

You want to talk about a surprise team, how about Baltimore? Baltimore was not a very good team since Davey Johnson managed the team in the 90's. The Orioles came out of nowhere and became a force in the AL East. The crazy part? The Orioles manged to miss winning the AL East crown by 2 games! The Orioles ranked 20th in batting average (.247), 14th in ERA (3.90), and 18th in Fielding percentage (.983). The stats can be completely thrown out on the Orioles because of one simple fact. According to the stats, the Orioles shouldn't have won as many games. The Orioles gave up 705 runs and managed to only score 712, a run differential of +7. According to all the stats, the Orioles should have only won 82 games.

Just that one stat alone puts the Orioles in an odd group. The +7 run differential puts them WORSE than San Diego, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays. Those teams managed records of 76-86 (SD), 74-88 (NYM), and 73-89 (TOR). It's a crazy stat but that's the honest look into the numbers. Yet Baltimore remained one of the most surprising stories of 2012. Another surprising thing about the Orioles? They managed to beat the Texas Rangers in the Wild Card Game and gave the New York Yankees a real fight in ALDS by pushing the series to 5 games.

How does 2013 look?

Offseason Moves: ARRIVALS

3B Danny Valencia - Trade (BOS)
IF Alexi Casilla - Waivers (MIN)
IF/OF Yamaico Navarro - Trade (PIT)
OF Trayvon Robinson - Trade (SEA)

DEPARTURES

1B Joe Mahoney - Waivers (MIA)
1B Mark Reynolds - Free Agent (CLE)
IF Robert Andino - Trade (SEA)
OF Endy Chavez - Minor League Free Agent (KC)
RHP Jhondaniel Medina - Trade (PIT)
LHP T.J. McFarland - Rule 5 (CLE)
DH Jim Thome - Free Agent
SP Joe Saunders - Free Agent (In Talks with BAL to return)

The Orioles haven't managed to improve the team this offseason but they haven't gotten worse either. The Orioles still need to get pitching help, mainly in the starting rotation. They also could use some help in the lineup, especially a DH. Considering the Orioles were a complete surprise team in 2012, I'm not sure the team's budget allows for too much spending. The Orioles and Joe Saunders, whom they picked up from Arizona during the 2012 season, are still talking about a deal for him to return to Baltimore.

2013 Prediction: 89-73 (3rd in AL East)
The Orioles will be a "threat" in 2013 but not to the extent they were in 2012. Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Boston have all improved in the AL East. The Orioles have not done any moves this offseason to combat what the other AL East teams have done. I think Baltimore will be a good team in 2013 but they are not going to repeat 2012. Unless they make a splash before the season starts, expect Baltimore to battle it out between 3rd and 4th place in the division. It's not because the Orioles aren't good but simply because the rest of the AL East teams have improved greatly.

The Orioles have alot of positive things happening on the team. They have good, young players on the roster that will help the team win games. Until the Orioles improve the starting rotation, they are going to find it difficult to compete against the remaining AL East teams. It's truly hard to tell though. No one thought the Orioles would be even a .500 team entering 2012 and they surprised everyone. The Orioles might be able to pull it off again but I wouldn't count on it

Atlanta Braves- 2013 Preview

2012 Results: 94-68 (2nd in NL East, Lost in Wild Card Game)

If anyone thought that the Braves would have a problem coming back from the epic 2011 collapse, the Braves proved otherwise. The Braves fell short of the NL East title, losing to the Nationals. In Chipper Jones last year, the Braves managed to make it to the playoffs as a Wild Card team. However the wild card had changed in 2012, meaning the Braves had to play in the Wild Card Game in order to advance to the NLDS. They lost to the Cardinals in the Wild Card Game and thus was the end of the Chipper Jones era. The Braves ranked 21st in batting average (.247), 5th in ERA (3.42) and 4th in Fielding percentage (.986).

The Braves managed to score 700 runs and only allow 600 runs in 2012. The Braves were a very good team but sadly the Nationals were a better team in the division. The 94 wins were an improvement over the 89 wins in 2011. The Braves had alot of positive things in 2012 that can carry over in 2013. Jason Heyward returned back to numbers more like his rookie campaign, Kris Medlen was amazing in the starting rotation, and Craig Kimbrel moved on from September 2011 troubles.

How does 2013 look?

Offseason Moves: ARRIVALS
C Gerald Laird - Free Agent (DET)
IF Ramiro Peña - Free Agent (NYY)
OF Jordan Schafer - Waivers (HOU)
OF B.J. Upton - Free Agent (TB)
RHP David Carpenter - Waivers (BOS)
RHP Jordan Walden - Trade (LAA)

DEPARTURES

C David Ross - Free Agent (BOS)
1B/OF Eric Hinske - Free Agent (ARI)
RHP Tommy Hanson - Trade (LAA)
OF Michael Bourn- Free Agent

So far, the Braves have not improved or gotten worse. The offseason moves so far have equaled each other out. Losing Michael Bourn takes away a good lead off hitter and a good center fielder and replaces him with B.J. Upton. Upton is a good replacement for Bourn, he brings power, speed and a good defender in center field. How will he do in outdoor Atlanta instead of indoor Tropicana Field? We will soon find out. It's hard to look at the Braves and see an improvement BUT most of the Braves are returning in 2013.

2013 Predictions: 93-69 (2nd in NL East)
The Braves are going to continue to be a threat in the NL East. 2012 showed a very strong Braves lineup, not to mention good pitching. I think the Braves will compete with the Nationals for the division title but I think the Nationals pitching rotation will pull them ahead for NL East title. Considering the Braves offseason moves, I expect them to be in the same position as they were in 2012. The Braves will play in the Wild Card Game. Don't think that the Braves won't win NL East, it's very possible they will battle it out for NL East title until the last day of the season.

I don't think there are many moves left for the Braves to do to complete their roster. Maybe going after another starting pitcher could help complete a solid rotation but it's not totally needed. If B.J. Upton can put up similar numbers as he did with Tampa Bay, Kris Medlen continue his pitching dominance, and Jason Heyward put up similar numbers, expect the Braves to be a force in the National League.

Arizona Diamondbacks- 2013 Preview

2012 Results: 81-81 (3rd in NL West)

To be totally honest, 2012 was VERY disappointing for Arizona fans. After a very successful 2011 season, 2012 was meant to be the continuation. Instead the D'backs fell to a .500 record and were completely irreverent from postseason talk. Where was the problem? The D'backs were 13th in baseball in batting average (.259), 15th in ERA (3.93), and 6th in Fielding percentage (.985). So does this explain the poor performance of the team during the year? A little bit.

I looked more into the stats and found that Arizona wasn't a bad team from a stats point of view. The team gave up a total of 688 runs and managed to score 734, a run differential of +46. The fault mainly lies within the pitching staff. In 2011 Arizona's staff had a 3.80 ERA and managed only to give up a total of 662 run while scoring 731, a run differential of +69. The fact that Arizona gave up more runs in 2012 while scoring the same amount shows why they performed the way they did. The offense just wasn't there and the pitching staff didn't do as well.

How does 2013 look?

Offseason Moves:  ARRIVALS

1B/OF Lars Anderson - Trade (CLE)
1B/OF Eric Hinske - Free Agent (ATL)
3B/1B Eric Chavez (NYY)
SS Didi Gregorius - Trade (CLE)
IF Gustavo Nuñez - Waivers (PIT)
IF Cliff Pennington - Trade (OAK)
OF Cody Ross - Free Agent (BOS)
RHP Heath Bell - Trade (MIA)
RHP Brandon McCarthy - Free Agent (OAK)
RHP Starling Peralta - Rule 5 (CHC)
LHP Matt Reynolds - Trade (COL)
LHP Tony Sipp - Trade (CLE)

DEPARTURES

C Konrad Schmidt - Waivers (TEX)
1B/3B Ryan Wheeler - Trade (COL)
IF Yordy Cabrera - Trade (MIA)
IF Jake Elmore - Waivers (HOU)
IF Gustavo Nuñez - Rule 5 return (DET)
OF Ender Inciarte - Rule 5 (PHI)
OF Chris Young - Trade (OAK)
RHP Matt Albers - Trade (CLE)
RHP Trevor Bauer - Trade (CLE)
RHP Brad Bergesen - Free Agent (Japan)
RHP Sam Demel - Waivers (HOU)
RHP Takashi Saito - Free Agent (Japan)
RHP Bryan Shaw - Trade (CLE)

Overall the Diamondbacks have IMPROVED this offseason, however it may depend on the Justin Upton situation. If rumors are to be believed then he will be traded before the season starts. However it seems hard to believe that Arizona would trade him considering his upside unless they were to get a great package in return.

2013 Prediction: 88-74 (3rd in NL West)
While I think the D'backs will be improved in 2013, it's hard to think the moves they've made so far will be enough to compete with the Dodgers or Giants. The second wild card will be a focus on the D'backs but it's hard to say they will be able to get it. Arizona still needs some pitching help and until they get that, 88 wins seems like a safe guess for them. While the offense has been improved, the D'backs need to find a good starter still. Shawn Marcum, Joe Saunders, and Kyle Loshe are all still available and should be a reasonably cheap option for any team, Arizona included, to sign.

Arizona has proved one thing before, never underestimate them. In 2011, no one thought Arizona would be a player for the NL West or any playoff spot.They manged to get 94 wins and the NL West crown, so it's possible for Arizona to do that again.

Our Offseason Plans

The new year is upon us and we are only (roughly) 45 days away from the reporting date of pitchers and catchers to Spring Training. So what does that mean between now and then?

We have you covered.

Over the next 30 days we will be covering ALL 30 MLB teams and digging through all the stats of the 2012 season. We will tell you  the off season moves they've made so far and tell you our preidctions on the 2013 season based off that. Each day we will do a different team until all 30 are covered, then we will give you our postseason picks. Don't think that just because we're a Nationals Baseball blog that we are automatically going to put them as the best of the best. Our plans are very simple, we will do a complete in depth look into each team and give an honest view of them.

It's going to be a fun off season. We are getting closer and closer to the start of baseball and what better way to do this than to look at all the teams. Thanks for viewing us last year and we hope for a much more complete coverage of the 2013 season!