AL West Sleepers

Buried in the West are many talented breakout candidates. Some of the more interesting in the league, many have been relegated to former prospect status, while others are just building a name for themselves.

Anaheim Angels of California

This team is a bit difficult to pinpoint as most of the players are already somewhat established. Though Joel Pineiro could fit in simply because he is, potentially, a one-year wonder, he’s still enough of a credible asset to disqualify himself as a sleeper. There are a couple, however, that deserve some serious notice.

3B Brandon Wood: Wood is probably best known for the annual merry-go-round he and the Angels play on – sending the prospect up, down, and around through the organization – never letting him stay in one place. Though he’s done precious little at the major league level to warrant a 25-man roster spot – or starting gig, no less – he’s been so good in the upper minors for so long that at some point you just have to let the guy get his hacks in…

Evan Brunell’s 2010 MLB Predictions: Does Boston win it?

As the advent of spring training games are upon us, I thought I’d kick off everyone’s favorite little exercise by providing my own personal predictions as to how I think the season will shake out. Now, before I do so, a word of caution: predictions can change daily based on events. Heck, my predictions change multiple times a week. But I’ve gotta make predictions at some point, right? Point being, I might disagree with my own predictions a week from now. Most of the time, these kind of predictions are an exercise in fallacy, but it’s not going to stop me from trying.

I don’t know why I made things harder on myself, but I set out to present an exact record. This means I had to go into a spreadsheet and make sure all the wins and losses totaled the correct amount of games while also balancing out to a .500 record. Took me a while, but dadgum it, I did it. One thing I did not control for was the unbalanced schedule (in a total record sense), but I already strained my tenuous math skills, so I wasn’t about to complicate it further.

Click “read more” or the headline to find my predictions.

New Poll Question: Which reclamation project is the best investment for the Sox this offseason?

It’s a gamble, but which reclamation project is the best investment for the Sox this offseason?

* Justin Duchscherer
* Kelvim Escobar
* Ben Sheets

The Sox Try to ReHash ‘09, Tug Hulett Who?

ReHashing 2009 with Kelvim Escobar and Justin Duchscherer

In an attempt to rehash the 2009 off-season, the Sox have expressed interest in the dual cautionary tales, Justin Duchscherer and Kelvim Escobar.

But the potential moves themselves are somewhat interesting in their projected roles with the team. As both would be expected to start, they would take the spot as the fifth starter much in the mold that John Smoltz and Brad Penny took on last year…

Red Sox Offseason BluePrint v.3 : Gonzalez, Holliday, Harden, Sheets

With respect to both Evan and Mike’s blueprints and analysis preceding me, I chose to take a slightly different direction with the 2010 Red Sox.

I think Theo Epstein and company will be aggressive this off season. No matter what you heard at the end of the season in the “season wrap” press conference from Epstein, I think he’s learned from his mistake last hot stove in letting Mark Teixeira slip through their fingertips.

While I believe that Theo would rather spend his chips and time trying to pry a young, talented and under team control starter to slot in at the top of the rotation with Lester and Beckett (i.e. Felix Hernandez), I don’t believe that will be the route that the Red Sox take given the prohibitive ask that it would take to swing that deal.

Trade Clay Buchholz, Lars Anderson, Manny Delcarmen, and Michael Bowden to San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez

Instead, despite reports that the San Diego Padres aren’t looking to shop their star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez this off season, I think that is exactly where Theo and team will level their gaze, rebuilding their team around a player with nearly all the strengths that they missed out on with Mark Teixeira at a fraction the cost.

KC 12, BOS 9: Wakefield Gets Waterlogged

With a host of question marks looming over Tim Wakefield’s much-anticipated return to the mound, it was the Red Sox bullpen that would leave everyone perplexed, as the Boston Red Sox drop the first game of a four game series to the Kansas City Royals, 12-9, in a come-from-behind win for KC.

At two different points in the game, the Red Sox led by six runs, on the heels of another Jason Bay home run (36 on the year) and a two-run RBI from Jacoby Ellsbury, who has been on fire as of late. Dustin Pedroia added an RBI of his own, before an untimely implosion of the bullpen, in a rain soaked game at Kaufman Stadium.

9/21: Timmeh returns

GAME NOTES: Tim Wakefield returns after having to skip a start due to his constant back pain. He will start only once every 10 days from hereon out. Mike Silver wondered earlier today if this is Wake’s final season. Opposing Wake is Lenny DiNardo, a former Red Sox lefty.

OAK 9, BOS 8: A’s rally versus Sox

Jonathan Papelbon has not been a sure thing for the Boston Red Sox this season.

7/27: Here’s to you Jim!

Let’s hang Rice’s #14 with a W! Congratulations to Jim Rice on a career worthy of this honor!

7/26: Every Beckett start feels like a must win

With Beckett pitching as well as he has been, the Red Sox have to come out of his outings with a W.