accoridng to buster olney

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Finally this faggot had something done to him. Locked like a bitch

i want to see this article

sum insider

Prince Fielder remains unsigned, and if he landed with the Washington Nationals or Texas Rangers, there would immediately be a shift in the baseball landscape. Ryan Madson would boost any team that lands him. The Detroit Tigers, among other teams, are having talks about Matt Garza.

So there are still big moves to come before the start of spring training.

But we start off the new year with our Top 10 Power Rankings, based on what we know today:

(Editor's note: Buster Olney also ranked the best rotations, bullpens, infields, outfields and lineups in MLB.)



1. Tampa Bay Rays
There's a lot that the Rays don't know about their 2012 lineup -- the identity of the first baseman, for example, or the designated hitter. They could use another catcher. But here's what the Rays do know: Barring injury, they will throw out a starting pitcher capable of dominance on most days. Dominance.


This is not a rotation of 4 2/3 innings and four-run performances; this is a rotation that led the AL in starters' ERA last year despite inhabiting the same division as three of the nine highest-scoring lineups in the majors. Tampa Bay's starters led the American League in strikeouts, innings and WHIP, and held opponents to a .235 batting average. This is a rotation that has James Shields, David Price and AL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson.

And into this mix the Rays will now add Matt Moore, who has the numbers and the ability of Stephen Strasburg but hasn't had the advance hype. It's worth reviewing all the numbers he put up in 2011, in the minors (155 innings) and majors (19.1, regular season and playoffs) combined:

Innings: 174.1
Hits: 113
Walks: 52
Strikeouts: 233
ERA: 1.91

The Rays won't have a dynamic offense, but they will (as usual) have one of the best defenses, and they should benefit from having Evan Longoria healthy in the first half of the year -- he was greatly hampered last season -- as well as a full season of Desmond Jennings, who had an OPS-plus of 128 in 63 games last summer.

Look, the limitations for the Rays are inherent within the confines of their relatively miniscule payroll. A major injury to one of their core position players -- Longoria or Ben Zobrist -- would be crushing. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will probably add more before the trade deadline than the Rays, as they usually do. But the Rays' starting pitching makes them extremely dangerous, and as we sit here on New Year's Day 2012, they are the best team in the majors.

The coming weeks will get interesting for the Rays, writes Marc Topkin.



2. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies won't have Ryan Howard until sometime in midseason, and given the streaky nature of his production, they really don't know how much they'll get out of him after he comes back.

They would love to find an alternative to the oft-injured Placido Polanco.

But as we saw in 2011, great pitching cures a lot of other ills, and the Phillies have the three monsters -- Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels -- and a new and established closer in Jonathan Papelbon.



3. Texas Rangers
The Rangers probably have more depth than any other organization, and they will be needed this year as they sort through new rotation and bullpen alignments.

Yu Darvish is not yet signed, but rival executives don't believe he has much leverage and will eventually work out a deal.



4. New York Yankees
A year ago, the Yankees had major rotation questions, which prompted the rash signing of Rafael Soriano -- and New York went on to win a league-high 97 games. Ivan Nova is now established, and the Yankees feel good about the chances of Phil Hughes rebounding.

The promotion of Jesus Montero into the big leagues should provide a boost for an offense that finished second in run production last year.

And the Yankees continue to hoard the prospects of an improving farm system and wait for a deal for a big-time starting pitcher to develop.



5. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks' signature now is depth -- in its rotation, in its lineup, in its bullpen, in its stash of young pitching prospects.

It's an organization on the rise.



6. Boston Red Sox
For all of its trouble, Boston should continue to be a strong regular-season team because of its extraordinary run production.

How far the Red Sox advance, in the summer and perhaps into October, will depend largely on how Bobby Valentine's pitching staff comes together.

Daniel Bard could be a major addition for the rotation, but an innings-eater for the rotation is needed.



7. St. Louis Cardinals
They won the World Series after running down the Atlanta Braves for the wild card, and as hard as it is to imagine now that Albert Pujols has left, the Cardinals might actually be a better team in 2012.

Adam Wainwright is back, the bullpen is settled, and the emergence of David Freese and the addition of Carlos Beltran should bolster the offense.



8. Detroit Tigers
They are built around two superstars, Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera, who have a solid supporting cast -- catcher Alex Avila, closer Jose Valverde, designated hitter Victor Martinez and Brennan Boesch.

It doesn't hurt, either, that the Tigers play in one of the weakest divisions in baseball.



9. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels' rotation is spectacular, with Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson and Ervin Santana.

But there are questions at the back end of the bullpen, and some scouts wonder if the right-handedness of the everyday lineup will eventually become a serious problem.

Kendrys Morales could help balance the lineup, but it's unknown when or if he'll be back in the lineup.



10. San Francisco Giants
The Giants continue to have an excellent rotation and bullpen, and Buster Posey is back at catcher.

Best of the rest: The Nationals, who would jump into the top 10 if they signed Fielder.

Notables
• The San Diego Padres traded for Carlos Quentin. Josh Byrnes wanted another threat for his lineup, writes Dan Hayes.

Some talent evaluators are saying that the Padres gave up almost nothing in the way of prospects with upside for Quentin, so for the Chicago White Sox, the primary benefit of moving Quentin -- whose market value has dropped precipitously in the past three seasons because of the injuries that limited him to just 348 games in the 2009-2011 seasons -- is to shave payroll.

For San Diego, Quentin could be a short-term experiment. It's possible that the Padres could negotiate a very team-friendly two- or three-year deal with the slugger in the next six weeks, as it goes through the arbitration process, but it's hard to imagine San Diego would invest heavily in Quentin until it gauges how long he can stay on the field and how his power translates to Petco Park.

It's now make-or-break time for Chicago's Dayan Viciedo, writes Phil Rogers. Ken Williams envisions both prospects he got pitching in the big leagues this year.

• The Chicago Cubs are talking with a number of teams about Garza, but no deal is imminent as of now. The Tigers and Miami Marlins are among those; Detroit has indicated a willingness to trade top prospect Jacob Turner for the right pitcher, and Miami's most marketable player may be Logan Morrison. A lot of scouts are not wild about the quality and depth of the Marlins' farm system, but as always, the only opinion that really matters is that of the seller -- if they see something they like, they can find a match.

• You can understand the frustration of Oakland Athletics fans, who have seen their team's roster turn over time and again, most recently with the trades of Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey. But those who criticize owner Lew Wolff are assuming that he is willfully ignoring an obvious solution in Oakland or maintaining that he should personally absorb the loss of tens of millions of dollars annually on behalf of the franchise.

Question No. 1: What is the great ballpark solution in Oakland, where attendance has been abysmal during the past two decades, even in those years when the team ranked among the best in the majors?

Question No. 2: Other than the Tigers' Mike Ilitch, what owner in professional sports willfully operates his franchise at a loss?

Sports owners are not obligated to be willing to lose money, any more than fans are obligated to attend the games.

Moves, deals and decisions
1. Without Fielder, the Seattle Mariners are really not that interesting, writes Steve Kelley. It may be that Fielder's best financial offer could come from the Mariners, but it's an open question whether Fielder is interested in playing in Seattle; some of his friends in the game say they can't see it.

2. The Toronto Blue Jays added Aaron Laffey.

3. Edwin Jackson would be a really nice fit for the Colorado Rockies as an innings-eater, but as of today, there is no room within the Rockies' budget for him.

4. For the Phillies, talent is more important than age, writes Bob Brookover.

Other stuff
• There is awful news about Kathy Porter, the wife of Atlanta Braves trainer Jeff Porter; she was killed in a tragic accident. The Braves released a statement. Here is more on Jeff.

• The Diamondbacks are poised to win the allegiance of fans in the valley, writes Dan Bickley. Within the column, Kirk Gibson addresses Ryan Braun's positive test, which reportedly took place in the midst of the Arizona-Milwaukee series:

Today, there's renewed controversy surrounding the end of the 2011 season. Brewers star Ryan Braun destroyed the Diamondbacks in Games 1 and 2, during a series where he allegedly tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
That can't sit well with an old-school guy like Gibson.
"It is what it is, OK?" Gibson said about Braun. "We lost. We had our opportunities regardless of all that. I don't make alibis. We had our chances. We just didn't close it out. My job is to be part of the team, help us stay together and try to win the World Series. We did that under the rules."
Can you say the same thing about the Brewers? That's a question and a regret many Diamondbacks fans currently harbor.
"Put it this way: I understand your question," Gibson said.
And that's all he would say, which is part of his charm.
Look, I don't know the specifics of Braun's case, or what his precise defense will be during the appeal process. But generally speaking, it would be enormously difficult for Major League Baseball and the Players Association to allow a player to come in with a doctor's note after a positive test, because of the precedent it would establish.

Players are required under the current testing system to get approval for any substance or medication before taking it. Some players say that when they are given any kind of prescription, internal alarm bells sound.

"My first call is to the union," said one National Leaguer last month. "I'm not putting anything into my body before I call the PA."

If the Players Association and MLB structured a system in which players could get medical waivers after a positive test, they would create the biggest testing loophole in professional sports. Because any millionaire with a Victor Conte and a personal physician willing to act on his behalf could justify any positive test after the fact.

This is why, under current rules, players are essentially regarded as guilty until proven innocent -- not the other way around -- after a positive test.

• Phil Rogers thinks the baseball writers need more guidance from the Hall of Fame regarding the PED candidates.

• Ross Newhan isn't interested in an out-of-town owner for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• The Pittsburgh Pirates' strength is pitching, writes Bob Cohn.

• Bob Elliott picks the most influential Canadians in baseball.

• Vanderbilt couldn't stop the Cincinnati running game on Saturday.

And today will be better than yesterday.

cards #7 and brewers cant crack top 10?

assuming braun isnt suspended they are overall better than more than half those teams

brabes





iso this plz

This post was edited by austinhb on Jan 1 2012 12:13pm

10 Best Starting Rotations:

1. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies lived up to the hype in 2011, leading the majors in starters' ERA by a little less than half a run. Roy Halladay is going to the Hall of Fame regardless of whether he throws another pitch, Cliff Lee was intermittently the most dominant pitcher in the majors during parts of the 2011 season, and Cole Hamels is exceptional and will be on a mission next season, as he prepares for free agency. When Roy Oswalt had back trouble, Vance Worley stepped in and held opponents to a .666 OPS (as a starting pitcher).



2. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays could have traded James Shields -- and it's still possible that they will -- but he is such a hugely important part of the staff's emotional core that Tampa Bay clung to him, knowing what this group could accomplish together. The Rays ranked first in the AL in rotation ERA in 2011, which is pretty incredible given the relative strength of the AL East's offenses. (Three AL East teams ranked in MLB's top six in runs scored.) Shields had a tremendous bounce-back season, finishing third in the AL in ERA. David Price is among the most dominant lefties in the majors -- CC Sabathia was the only southpaw with more strikeouts -- and Jeremy Hellickson was merely the AL Rookie of the Year. Now Matt Moore slides into this group, after frightening AL hitters in '11; it's a small sample, but Moore whiffed 15 in 9.1 innings with his easy power stuff.

The Rays are expected to trade either Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann sometime before the start of the 2012 season, but no matter who stays or who goes, it figures that Tampa Bay will have one of the most durable rotations in the AL next season. One hundred forty-eight of Tampa Bay's 162 starts in 2011 were made by the five guys projected to be in their rotation at the start of the season, a performance which is in keeping with the Rays' recent history. Whether it's because of age or the Rays' maintenance program or their scouting, Tampa Bay's starters take the ball.



3. Los Angeles Angels
There were times in 2011 when C.J. Wilson hoisted the Rangers' staff onto his back, especially during the blistering days of August and early September, but he will not have to do that with the Angels, who have extraordinary depth and experience. Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana will probably slot in around Wilson at Nos. 1, 2 and 4 -- three starters who are capable of dominance on a given day. Santana seemed to grow as a pitcher in the second half of the season, as he refined the use of his breaking ball, and his 2.78 ERA after the All-Star break ranked fifth in the AL. It'll be interesting to see how No. 5 Jerome Williams fares after his nice showing late in the 2011 season; he's just 30 years old.



4. San Francisco Giants
The Giants finished second to the Phillies in rotation ERA, with Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain and All-Star Ryan Vogelsong leading the way; Madison Bumgarner appears ready to climb into the next level of starters, based on his month-by-month ERA:

April: 6.17
May: 2.21
June: 4.28
July: 3.69
August: 2.30
September: 2.01

With Jonathan Sanchez gone, Eric Surkamp figures to battle Barry Zito for the No. 5 spot in the rotation; Zito is down to the final two years of his seven-year, $126 million contract.



5. Arizona Diamondbacks
It's a deep group that thrived in 2011 despite working in a park generally viewed as a hitters' haven. Ian Kennedy finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting this year, as he learned to use his fastball. And Daniel Hudson demonstrated great command, walking only 50 in 222 innings -- and now the Diamondbacks have added ground-ball machine Trevor Cahill in a trade with the Oakland Athletics. Scouts say that Cahill seemed to lose some sink on his fastball in 2011, along with his mechanical consistency, and there is optimism in the Arizona organization that Cahill will work well with pitching coach Charles Nagy. Josh Collmenter is lined up as Arizona's No. 4, with the No. 5 starter still to be determined, but part of what should make this rotation great is the strength around it -- the Diamondbacks have an excellent pipeline of talent on the way, and a deep bullpen, as well.



6. Texas Rangers
C.J. Wilson's contributions to the Texas rotation were very underrated, but so too are the pitchers who will now make the starts. Derek Holland, long seen as a talented and erratic lefty, appeared to grow before our eyes in October, his confidence exploding as he threw well against the Cardinals. Colby Lewis is the plow horse of the group, slow and steady, while Neftali Feliz faces an adjustment period as he goes back to starting and again utilizes all of his pitches. Matt Harrison had a 3.39 ERA and made 30 starts, and Alexi Ogando had dominant stuff. To this mix, the Rangers are adding Yu Darvish, who is projected to be anywhere from a No. 2 starter to, at worst, a No. 4 type of innings eater, because of the natural sink on his fastball. By the way: It's not a done deal that the Rangers will trade one of their six starters, because they know as well as anyone that teams almost never get through a season with just five guys.


7. Detroit Tigers
Justin Verlander is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner and Most Valuable Player, yet he didn't even post the best ERA on his own team in the second half of the season. That belonged to Doug Fister, who thrived with Detroit after a midseason trade from Seattle; he had a 2.47 ERA after the All-Star break. Max Scherzer was better than his ERA indicated -- his bad starts were awful, and he had a lot of great starts -- and like Derek Holland, Rick Porcello appeared to learn some stuff about himself in the postseason; remember, Porcello doesn't turn 23 until Tuesday.



8. Washington Nationals
In Jordan Zimmermann's first full season after Tommy John surgery, he threw 161.1 innings, and that's the kind of workload the Nationals envision for Stephen Strasburg in 2012, as Strasburg continues to progress from his elbow reconstruction. Given that dynamic, you aren't going to see a bunch of eight-inning outings from Zimmermann and Strasburg -- but they figure to be overpowering whenever they pitch. Zimmermann allowed just 31 walks, for a 4.00 K/BB ratio, and in Strasburg's 92 innings in the majors, he has 116 strikeouts and 19 walks, for a 6.11 K/BB ratio. And now the Nationals have Gio Gonzalez, who has emerged as one of the best young lefties in the game. It's possible that a year from now, we will view the front three of the Washington rotation as the best in the majors.



9. Seattle Mariners
Scouts thought Felix Hernandez was a little bored in 2011, as if the frustration he managed to fend off during his Cy Young season of 2010 finally got to him in the Mariners' run-less 2011 season. For example, the opposing stolen bases against him doubled in '11, after Hernandez had worked to cut down on those numbers in the past. But King Felix is still regarded as one of the best in the game, at age 25, and he leads a rotation that has Michael Pineda.



10a. Atlanta Braves
There are a whole lot of questions about the Atlanta rotation, and those start with Tommy Hanson, who was hampered by shoulder problems down the stretch. Were those just minor problems that will disappear or, as rival scouts fear, the first manifestation of Hanson's unusual delivery? Second question: What is Jair Jurrjens? Is he a solid front-of-the-rotation starter, or is he destined to battle injury problems -- and if he is really good, rival executives ask, why are the Braves willing to move him, in the same winter they've already unloaded Derek Lowe? But no matter how their rotation shakes out, they should be good, with Tim Hudson at the front and Brandon Beachy in the middle and a whole lot of talent ascending from the minors.



10b. Los Angeles Dodgers
Oh, sure, some of it's the park, and some of it's the division, and a whole lot of it is Clayton Kershaw, but the Dodgers ranked third in the majors in rotation ERA in 2011. Kershaw is probably the most coveted pitcher in the majors right now, given that he doesn't turn 24 until March and he already has had a season in which he posted baseball's lowest ERA. In the second half of the season, he went 12-1 with a 1.31 ERA, and that's a pretty good guy to have as an anchor to a rotation. Chad Billingsley and Ted Lilly are the No. 2 and No. 3 starters for the Dodgers; Hiroki Kuroda will be missed.
The Cardinals could jump into this group, depending on how quickly Adam Wainwright rebounds, and the Brewers -- who had solid work out of their rotation in 2011 -- could, as well, depending on what Zack Greinke gives them.

Top 10 bullpens:


1. Atlanta Braves
At the end of the season, it got very ugly for this bullpen, as all of the young Atlanta relievers appeared to wear down under the strain of a staggering workload. Typically, the bullpens that rack up the most innings are those attached to terrible rotations, but incredibly, Atlanta compiled almost 50 more innings than any team that made the playoffs -- and remember, the Braves nearly won the NL wild card. Jonny Venters, Eric O'Flaherty and Craig Kimbrel all pitched in more games in 2011 than either Mariano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman pitched in any season of their entire careers. That's crazy. Venters threw 88 innings in 85 games, and Kimbrel had 77 innings in 79 games.

But for most of the season, the Atlanta relief was spectacular. The Braves' bullpen was No. 1 in relief ERA in 2011, and there's no reason to think the Braves' pitchers can't repeat that performance. Kimbrel and Venters have ridiculous stuff, and presumably, with the benefit of hindsight, Atlanta's staff will make adjustments on how their three primary relievers are utilized. This year, Kris Medlen -- now fully recovered from elbow surgery -- will join the group. And the Braves also got great work out of two waiver claims, Cristhian Martinez (who had an 0.97 WHIP) and Anthony Varvaro (1.08 WHIP).



2. New York Yankees
There will be a day when Rivera will walk away from baseball, when the greatest closer in history will finally retire; No. 42 just turned 42 years old. But he's got one year left on his contract and there are still no major signs of regression in his performance -- with his fastball in the 89-92 mph range, he held opponents to a .534 OPS last year. David Robertson is to right-handed setup men what Venters is to lefties: arguably the best going. He allowed one homer in 235 at-bats last season, and with the bases loaded, opposing hitters were 1-for-19 with 14 strikeouts. Rafael Soriano is probably overpaid for his position on the team, but he pitched more effectively in the second half of the year, and sometime this season Joba Chamberlain will probably join to split the work in the middle innings. The Yankees don't have a shut-down lefty, as the Braves do, but their right-handers are excellent against lefties.



3. San Francisco Giants
They ranked second in the majors in bullpen ERA, despite the intermittent physical troubles of closer Brian Wilson. Sergio Romo averaged 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings, and right-handers had a .177 on-base percentage against him last season. And the Giants have balance, too, with Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt.



4. Cleveland Indians
Chris Perez was an All-Star closer, racking up 36 saves, and he is surrounded by a dangerous and diverse group -- Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith, Tony Sipp, Rafael Perez and Nick Hagadone.

The Indians' bullpen may well benefit from a solid (if unspectacular) rotation that should consistently take the ball into the sixth and seventh innings.



5. Arizona Diamondbacks
The D-backs have gone from having perhaps the thinnest bullpen to having arguably the deepest. Takashi Saito and Craig Breslow will join a relief corps that already has J.J. Putz, the underrated David Hernandez, Brad Ziegler, Joe Paterson and Bryan Shaw. The health of Putz will be crucial, as it was last year, because his presence as closer creates a structure.



6. Milwaukee Brewers
John Axford is firmly entrenched as an elite closer now, after collecting 46 saves and 86 strikeouts last season, and now Francisco Rodriguez is gritting his teeth and agreeing to come back to be a setup man. K-Rod was something of a distraction when he popped off about his role late in the year, and that overshadowed just how well he pitched for the Brewers. Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin places a lot of emphasis on the bullpen, and so it figures this group will improve as the season progresses.



7. St. Louis Cardinals
At the end of the regular season, the Cardinals ranked 17th in bullpen ERA. But this was a group that evolved during the course of the season, as young relievers settled in, and by the time the Cardinals got to the World Series, it was a very different bullpen than it was in the frustrating days of early September. Jason Motte was never formally named the closer under Tony La Russa; maybe he'll get that title from Mike Matheny. Marc Rzepczynski is viewed as an untapped gem, and maybe with a full season working under pitching coach Dave Duncan, he'll become a dominant setup man.



8. Washington Nationals
The Nationals finished fifth in the majors in bullpen ERA, and a lot of that success was because of the work of Tyler Clippard, who had an 0.84 WHIP and held opponents to a .535 OPS. Clippard had the lowest BABIP among relievers with at least 60 innings last season, at .187, almost 100 points lower than in 2010, a sign that there could be some regression in 2012. But either way, Clippard is an effective setup man for Drew Storen, good anchors for what should be a good bullpen.



9. Miami Marlins
The turnaround for this group last year was remarkable, and now Heath Bell steps in for the closer formerly known as Leo Nunez. He is surrounded by Mike Dunn, Edward Mujica, Ryan Webb and Randy Choate -- and remember, the Marlins' new ballpark is thought to be favorable for pitchers.



10a. Texas Rangers
They've got a lot of great pieces and this could be a special group, depending on how a few things shake out:
A. Can Joe Nathan get back to being a frontline closer, as he takes over for Neftali Feliz?
B. Can Koji Uehara bounce back, after pitching terribly for the Rangers following a midseason trade?
C. Will the Rangers add another bullpen piece -- perhaps Alexi Ogando, if Texas chooses to shift him back to a relief role, or Andrew Bailey, who has been the subject of Rangers-Athletics trade talks?



10b. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies' relievers have an enormous advantage over other bullpens because, generally speaking, their workload is limited by the huge number of innings contributed by the front part of the team's rotation; because of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, no NL bullpen threw fewer innings than Philadelphia's Jonathan Papelbon, who takes over as the Phillies' closer, and while Antonio Bastardo appeared to tire in his first full season as a reliever, he was dominant for most of the summer. Michael Stutes and David Herndon were effective, as well, and it's possible that Brad Lidge will come back in a middle relief role.



10c. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have a lot of weapons, and they've added Sean Marshall, who is one of the best lefty relievers. But with Francisco Cordero still in free agency, the structure of the Cincinnati bullpen is still uncertain. Will Aroldis Chapman be a setup man? Who will be the closer? How will some of the Reds' relievers bounce back after a year of heavy work?

Top 10 infields:


1. Texas Rangers


There were moments during the postseason when it seemed as if nobody could get a ball through the left side of the Texas infield between Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus. There is a perception within the organization that the defensive dominance of the guys on the left side of the infield helped second baseman Ian Kinsler improve as well.

"I think when you play with guys like that, it's going to naturally raise your level of concentration," said one Texas evaluator.

There is no perfect defensive stat, no rock-solid way to evaluate the best and worst infielders. But the Rangers fare well in one advanced measure:

Among second basemen, Kinsler ranked third in UZR 150. Beltre ranked second among third baseman. Elvis Andrus ranks in the Top 10 too.

Beltre and Kinsler are elite offensive players at their respective positions, and Texas hopes that Andrus -- who, at age 23, has already played in two World Series -- will begin to blossom as Jimmy Rollins did.

Mitch Moreland is penciled in as the Texas first baseman for now, but his name has come up in trade talks. Rival executives also wonder if eventually the Rangers will emerge in the Prince Fielder sweepstakes. Without Fielder, Texas has the best infield in the majors. With him, well, the Rangers' infield would be among the best we've seen in decades.

2. Cincinnati Reds


Joey Votto is arguably the best hitter in the National League, and he's a special defensive player as well. Brandon Phillips is the best all-round second baseman, with Gold Glove Awards to show for it.

Third baseman Scott Rolen is a borderline Hall of Fame candidate, and if that sounds crazy, compare his résumé to that of Ron Santo, who will be inducted next summer:

Seasons: Rolen 16, Santo 15
Games: Rolen 1,946, Santo 2,243
Hits: Rolen 2,005, Santo 2,254
Homers: Rolen 308, Santo 342
OPS: Rolen .860, Santo .826
OPS+: Rolen 123, Santo 125
Gold Gloves: Rolen 8, Santo 5

Rolen had shoulder surgery in August to clean out scar tissue, and the word is he is feeling much better and is greatly encouraged by his range of motion.

The significant question about the Reds' infield is at shortstop, where Zack Cozart is expected to take over in 2012 after a brief audition was cut short by injury.

3. New York Yankees


The best days in the careers of Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are behind them, and scouts now view them as well below subpar defensively. But Jeter had a resurgence offensively in the second half of last season, and Rodriguez has his moments. The right side of the Yankees infield is manned by Robinson Cano -- the second baseman everybody would love to have -- and Mark Teixeira, who consistently contributes strong defense and power.

4. Boston Red Sox


There is a lot of uncertainty on the left side of the Boston infield, given the shortstop issues and the fact that Kevin Youkilis has averaged just 120 games a year during the past three seasons; he seems to fuel the chances for injury with his steer-wrestling style of defense. But the right side of the Boston infield is staggeringly good, offensively and defensively, with Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia.

5. Los Angeles Angels


Albert Pujols takes over at first base, and Howie Kendrick will hold down second base; they are the anchors of the Angels' infield. Erick Aybar is a good (but not great) shortstop, and we don't yet know who will play third base for the Angels.

6. St. Louis Cardinals


Lance Berkman takes over at first base, Rafael Furcal returns to shortstop, and the Cardinals are hopeful that Daniel Descalso is ready, at age 25, to be an everyday second baseman. This could be the year that David Freese establishes himself as one of the best third basemen in the sport after his breakout October.

7. Philadelphia Phillies


This group slides down the list because Ryan Howard isn't due back until midseason at the earliest and the Phillies have been quietly looking for a way to dump Placido Polanco.

Chase Utley rebounded from what was feared to be career-threatening injuries and was among the better players at his position, and Jimmy Rollins is still regarded as one of the most consistent defenders in the sport. Ty Wigginton should get a lot of playing time in 2012 in Philadelphia's infield as well.

8. Tampa Bay Rays


Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist are the building blocks for the Rays' infield. But beyond them, Tampa Bay has some questions to answer, as it continues to look for solutions at first base and shortstop.

9. Washington Nationals


It's hard to know what the composition of this infield will be in two or three years, or maybe even next year. Some rival executives strongly believe that Washington will be the eventual landing place for Fielder.

Between Ryan Zimmerman, Danny Espinosa, Mike Morse, Ian Desmond and Anthony Rendon, the Nationals have a lot of options.

10a. Kansas City Royals


Alcides Escobar might be the best defensive shortstop in the majors, and within a few years, Eric Hosmer seems destined to be one of the game's best players, period. Watch him play and he reminds you a lot of Votto in his at-bats and in his athleticism, although he is probably more aggressive than Votto on defense.

The Royals were encouraged by how third baseman Mike Moustakas finished the season, batting .283 in August and .352 in the final month of the season.

Johnny Giavotella hit .247 in his first games in the big leagues last season as the Royals' new second baseman. This group ranks 10th now, but it's rising -- quickly.

10b. Chicago White Sox


The White Sox have problems, but their infield is, generally, among the least of their worries. Alexei Ramirez and Paul Konerko anchor a group that should get better at second base and third base.

This will be an important year for Gordon Beckham, who is 25 years old and has probably used up his mulligans.

10c. Colorado Rockies


You start with Troy Tulowitzki, who is to shortstops what Roy Halladay is to starting pitchers, and the rest is gravy. Todd Helton will share some of the first base at-bats with Michael Cuddyer, and an everyday third baseman must emerge.

Top 10 outfields:

1. Arizona Diamondbacks
Justin Upton hovered on the edges of the National League MVP race last season, eventually finishing fourth in the voting, yet there is a sense among the Arizona talent evaluators that Upton, now 24, has barely scratched the surface of what he could be. And this is a slugger who racked up 75 extra-base hits last season and had an OPS-plus of 141, while playing in 159 games; the D-backs believe that as he reduces the emotional peaks and valleys of his at-bats, as he gains more consistency, he'll win an MVP award.

But Upton is just part of why the Arizona outfield is so good. Chris Young ranked second among center fielders in UZR/150, and had 20 homers and 22 stolen bases. Jason Kubel was signed to play left field and to balance a D-backs' lineup that has generally been right-handed-heavy, and while the addition of Kubel would seem to nudge Gerardo Parra out of a regular spot in left field, where he won a Gold Glove last season, Parra figures to get a lot of playing time as a strong No. 4 outfielder for Arizona. He'll finish some games for Kubel in left and get a decent amount of starts, sometimes filling in for Young against right-handers with good breaking balls. It's a great group, with offensive production, speed, defense, balance and depth.




2. New York Yankees
The Yankees' outfielders scored 322 runs last year, with Curtis Granderson leading the way; he compiled 136 runs, 41 homers, 119 RBI, 25 stolen bases. But the other parts of the Yankees' outfield excelled in other ways, too -- Brett Gardner didn't win the Gold Glove Award for left fielders in the AL, despite having easily the best UZR/150 rating among all position players. Gardner had a crisis of confidence early in the year, but worked through that and wound up swiping 49 bases.

Nick Swisher hit 23 homers, drew 95 walks and ran up pitch counts, skills that prompted the Yankees to bring him back for another year -- although they have quietly checked around on possible alternatives, as they prepare for his possible departure after next season. Swisher has played in 150 or more games in six consecutive seasons.



3. Texas Rangers
Ron Washington has depth and talent to work with, from Josh Hamilton to Nelson Cruz to David Murphy to Leonys Martin. The Rangers do fret over Hamilton's impatience at the plate, his tendency to give away at-bats early in the count, and his nagging injuries -- in spite of his picturesque swing and power, Hamilton finished last season with a .346 on-base percentage.

Cruz's hamstring issues are as inherent on his résumé as his power; he's played a total of 360 games over the last three seasons. Murphy is the tortoise of the group -- over the last four seasons, he's had anywhere from 111 to 122 hits annually. At some point, the Rangers would love for Martin to establish himself in center field, to enable Hamilton to make more starts in left field.



4. Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan Braun may miss the first 50 games of the upcoming season, depending on how he fares in his appeal of a positive drug test. But whenever he becomes part of the Brewers' lineup, the Milwaukee outfield will be the backbone of the team's production. Braun won the NL MVP, posting a league-high OPS of .994 -- although he may have difficulty mustering that kind of production given the likely departure of Prince Fielder, who hit behind Braun in the Brewers' lineup. Corey Hart hit .285 last year, often hitting at the top of the Milwaukee lineup; he's scored 171 runs over the last two seasons. Nyjer Morgan hit .304 last season, with a .357 on-base percentage.



5. Los Angeles Angels
It's like the Angels have two different outfields -- the veterans who are on the downsides of their respective careers, and the young players who are working to establish themselves. Peter Bourjos seemed to take a big step forward last season, showing some pop, with 36 doubles, 11 triples and 12 homers, and increasing his OPS by nearly 150 points in his second season.

Eventually, Mike Trout will become an every-day presence in the Angels' outfield, but for now, they are paying Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells to man the corners. Hunter is entering the final season of his five-year, $90 million deal, had a generally solid season last year, hitting 23 homers; it's possible the responsibility of hitting behind Albert Pujols will be his, and that he will have a whole lot of RBI opportunities. Wells is entering Year 5 of his seven-year, $126 million deal, with $63 million still on the books, and they waited and waited in 2011 for offense that never came from him; Wells finished the year at .218, with 25 homers, 20 walks and 86 strikeouts. It'll be interesting to see how patient the Angels are with him if he doesn't hit well in the first half of 2012 -- especially with Trout poised to jump into the big leagues for good.



6. St. Louis Cardinals
There's no denying the Cardinals have tremendous offensive potential with its outfield in 2012; Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in OPS among all outfielders. But the Cardinals do have injury questions, starting with Allen Craig, who will open the 2012 season after having knee surgery. Beltran played 142 games last year, and Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that despite the concern over Beltran's knees, they were never a problem as Bochy filled out his lineup card in the last two months of the season. Holliday, who turns 32 next month, played in 124 games last season because of a variety of injuries. Jon Jay, the center fielder, hit .297 last year.



7. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers invested a whole lot of money in Matt Kemp, after his MVP-caliber season and after he came to camp devoted to playing hard daily; other players on the team were deeply impressed by how invested Kemp was in the Dodgers' performance last season, despite all of the big-picture troubles the team was having. Right fielder Andre Ethier may or may not be entering his last year with the team -- a pre-deadline trade this summer is possible -- and L.A. has an unsettled situation in left field, although they signed Juan Rivera to a one-year, $4 million deal. At some point, the Dodgers would probably love for 24-year-old Jerry Sands to establish himself.



8. Boston Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury has developed into one of the American League's best players, and it's worth considering one more time all the damage that he did last summer: 83 extra-base hits (among 212 hits), 52 walks, 119 runs and 39 stolen bases, and he led all center fielders in UZR 150.

Carl Crawford can't possibly play as poorly in 2012 as he did in 2011 -- can he? Crawford seemed to suffocate under the enormous pressure he put on himself, and it probably would behoove him to glance again at the back of his baseball card, which has a whole lot of spectacular numbers. The Red Sox haven't yet settled their right field situation; Ryan Kalish will not be part of the solution early in the year, because he's suffered a setback in his injury rehab.



9. Kansas City Royals
Alex Gordon was healthy in 2011 and blossomed, posting a .376 on-base percentage and an .879 OPS and winning a Gold Glove in left field. Jeff Francoeur has been part of the baseball landscape for so long that it's easy to forget he is just 27 years old (he turns 28 in 10 days) and he appears to have settled in -- Francoeur, a strong complementary hitter in the K.C. lineup, racked up 71 extra-base hits and drove in 87 runs, and earned a multi-year deal from the Royals. Melky Cabrera had a good year in 2011 but the Royals moved him, largely to make room in center field for Lorenzo Cain, who has hit .302 in his first 181 plate appearances in the big leagues; he thrived in Triple-A last year, pushing Kansas City to make room for him.



10. Baltimore Orioles
Nick Markakis might be the best player casual baseball fans don't know. But managers and coaches know him, which is why he won a Gold Glove for his play last season, and he has missed only 11 games over the last five seasons. Adam Jones is mercurial in center field, hitting for some power and playing good defense.