10. Matt Kemp, Angel Pagan will start the All Star Game with Ryan Braun- Kemp is posed for a monster year in LA. Braun is the usually suspect that makes the team every year, but Pagan is going to be the 3rd outfielder. He starts the year with the Mets CF job locked in place, and is posed for a potential .310, 20 hr year with around 35 sbs. He is going to get off to a monster start, grabbing him the job.
9. Manny hits 35 homers- Manny is going to be rejuvenated in Tampa, with a chance to show his former team the Sox and former rival Yanks why he was so valuable. This is going to be his last gasp at being meaningful.
8. Jason Heyward gets hurt, again- The kid is talented, but I have a feeling that his career is going to be marred by injuries. After another good start, Heyward crashes into a wall, thus breaking some bone and ending his season, just like what happened to a young Griffey (the player he is compared to often).
7. Jake Peavy retires- Peavy already has had some discomfort, so this could be the year he blows out his elbow and calls it quits. He has been snakebitten, and this one is the dagger in his career.
6. Trevor Cahill wins the AL Cy Young- 18-8, 2.97 era last year, Cahill is going to be the driving force of a very good young A’s staff that will be a force in the west. With the majority of the best pitchers in the NL, Cahill will be the class of the AL.
5. Johan Santana gets traded, to the Yanks- The Mets basically have no use for Johan. I love him, but the team needs to rebuild and sell off some parts for younger parts. To compete with the Sox bats, they deal for Johan giving up one of their stud young pitchers and either Nova or Joba.
4. Somebody will hit 60 homers- Home runs have dropped off big time as of late, but this will be the year somebody does it. Pujols in his contract year or Adrian Gonzalez will do it. My best is A-Gon just because he has smoked the ball in PetCo Field, so the Pesky pole will add a bunch more.
3. Twins finally fold- The Twins will have their worst year in a while. Their pitching underwhelms, Morneau is coming off an injury. As a catcher, injuries are always a concern for Mauer. This is the year they struggle to remotely contend in a division they have dominated.
2. Phillies finish 3rd in the NL East- The Braves have a better staff than the Phillies and will add the much needed power in Dan Uggla. But the Mets are under the radar, a lineup of gritty young guys, and have a better pitching staff than most believe. If Chris Young is healthy, he is perfect for Citi Field. The Phillies may not have Chase for most of the year, and there are a ton of miles on Halladay, Oswalt and Lee’s arms.
1. Pujols gets traded amongst the largest bidding war ever- The Cards have little pitching and only two offensive threats. Pujols will get dealt during the most heated, biggest blockbuster ever at the deadline. The darkhorse that could come away with Pujols is the Texas Rangers, who can deal their fantastic farm system and young infielders for Pujols, creating an offensive juggernaut who could tear up Texas.
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