More and more in today’s baseball society, teams are relying on young talent to help them win. That is why there were so many legitimate choices for Rookie of the Year last year. Even the big market, high-spending teams rely on young talent. The Boston Red Sox rely on Jon Lester, Daniel Bard, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, and Jed Lowrie. The NY Yankees relied on Melky Cabrera, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Dave Robertson, and Alfredo Aceves to win the 2009 World Series. In 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays relied on an entire roster of young talent (with ROY Evan Longoria leading the way) to surprise all of baseball and make it to the World Series. So what young players are looking for a breakout year in 2010? What young players need breakout seasons for their team to contend for a playoff spot? In the next few days, I will look at each division and each team to discuss what players to keep an eye on in 2010.

The American League East is always being talked about as the best division in baseball because of the Red Sox and Yankees. Now people include the Rays. The Baltimore Orioles made improvements to their young roster and the Toronto Blue Jays are considering 28 year old Aaron Hill to be a veteran. Let’s take a look at the young players who need to have a breakout season or will have a breakout year in 2010:

Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner, NYY (OF): Gardner was given the starting centerfielder’s job on Opening Day in 2009. However Gardner struggled offensively early on (.214) and an injury (fractured thumb) led to a DL stint with Melky Cabrera taking over for good. He did hit .270 with 26 stolen bases in 2009. The Yankees traded for All-Star centerfielder Curtis Granderson (who may move to left field) but then traded away Cabrera. The starting outfield looks to be Gardner, Granderson, and Nick Swisher in right field. The Yankees did sign veterans Randy Winn and Marcus Thames which will push Gardner in spring training and will be looking to pounce if Gardner struggles. Manager Joe Girardi loves Gardner’s style of play as he is always hustling and rarely has a clean uniform.  During his workouts this winter, the speedy outfielder worked on bunting and has taken fly balls in right field. “…I’ve been bunting a lot, working on that more and trying to bring that back into my game,” Gardner said. “I’ll just go into Spring Training, stay healthy and do the best I can…” Could Gardner be the next Nyjer Morgan? Gardner has more defensive upside, walks more, and makes better contact. Speed is the name of his game and Gardner could wreak havoc for Yankee opponents.

Clay Buchholz

Clay Buchholz, Red Sox (RHP): Buchholz has been an enigma since splashing onto the scene in 2007 with his no-hitter. 2008 was a disaster as he was sent back to the minors (I saw him in Double-A where he pitched great in the playoffs) to try and figure things out. After starting the 2009 season in Triple-A Pawtucket, Buchholz returned to Boston when Tim Wakefield’s back troubles flared up again after the All-Star break. Buchholz went 7-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 16 starts. Down the stretch for the Red Sox, Buchholz pitched the way many expected he would. In September and October, he went 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 6 starts while striking out 26 and walking just 9. He made on start against the LA Angels in the divisional series and gave up just two runs in five innings. Buchholz is expected to be one of the five starters to head up north for Opening Day. With the defense around him more improved, Buchholz’ ground ball rate may be higher. However if he struggles, the Red Sox can always just bring up another young arm (like Michael Bowden or Junichi Tazawa) or trade for someone in July. Buchholz’ star is shining brightly again. It will be up to him to keep it lit.

Daniel Bard

Daniel Bard, Red Sox (RP): Bard received a significant amount of playing time in 2009 and early on manager Terry Francona limited the amount of tight pitching situations he was in. However by the end of the season, he was still lighting up the radar guns, but this time was doing it with the game on the line in the seventh or eighth innings. Bard became the reliable option to set up closer Jonathon Papelbon with speculation that he would at some point take over as closer (a job that he would love to have).  Overall Bard had a 3.65 ERA in 49.1 innings with 63 strikeouts. Coming into the 2010 season, Bard is more comfortable with his team and the situations he will pitch in. “I think you learn about getting thrown into some high-pressure situations and see how you react to them. And you say, “OK, I can do this.” It just gives you that confidence. If you fail, you say, “OK, I’ve done this before. You know what to do the next time this happens,” Bard wrote in a diary entry for ESPNBoston.com. Having confidence and being able to brush off poor performances is a trait that is hard to teach and one that will help him grow as a pitcher. He wrote that the biggest thing he learned in his rookie year was to not pitch up in the zone (especially to the Yankees). This spring training he feels more relaxed and is confident in getting the ball to Papelbon with a lead in 2010.

Tags:

Boston Red Sox, Brett Gardner, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, NY Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays

With the sagging economy and overflow of young talent, many veterans on the free agent market have had a tough time finding jobs. Quite a few have signed minor league contracts with invitations to spring training.

Jim Edmonds with the Cardinals

Outfielder Jim Edmonds, who is considered one of the best defensive centerfielders of his time, did not play in 2009. Many thought he had decided to retire but he made it known this offseason that he wanted to play in 2010. The Milwaukee Brewers took a chance on the 39 year old. “…I’ll get to go in there with a chance to show them I can still play,” said Edmonds. Edmonds should provide veteran leadership to an otherwise young roster. Plus he is a left-handed bat that can add to a right-handed heavy lineup. He may not make the club out of spring training due to not hitting big league pitching for over a year, but he may be brought up from the minors after a little refresher course (if he chooses to take the minor league assignment). Edmonds will reportedly earn an $825,000 base salary if he makes the Brewers’ roster, with an opportunity to earn as much as $2.5 million with incentives. If Edmonds isn’t added to the 40-man roster by March 25 (which is twelve days before the season opener), he can opt for free agency. In 15 Major League seasons, plus a September callup with the Angels in 1993, Edmonds is a .284 hitter with a .377 on-base percentage, 382 home runs and 1,176 RBIs. Edmonds’ best years came while with the Angels and the early years with the St. Louis Cardinals as he helped them make the 2004 World Series.

Marcus Thames with the Tigers

The NY Yankees signed outfielder and DH Marcus Thames, who spent the last six seasons with the Detroit Tigers. Thames is expected to compete for a backup outfield spot but could earn a starting job if one of the corner outfielders struggle. Thames should compete with veteran Randy Winn though Winn can play centerfield. Thames is a career .242 hitter but hits 22 points higher against left-handed pitching. Last season, the 33 year old right-handed hitter hit .252 with 13 homeruns. He has made a name for himself as a low-average, high-power hitter. Going into spring training, the Yankees really only have three outfielders on their roster, so there is plenty of opportunity for Thames to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Veteran Mike Sweeney played last year with the Seattle Mariners and called it the most fun he has had in his career. When healthy, Sweeney will hit, as his career .298 average has shown. Sweeney is also considered one of the best guys in the clubhouse, similar to former first baseman Sean Casey. Sweeney re-signed with the Mariners knowing it will be a long shot to make the team. However he is excited to be a part of the Mariners for at least six weeks and help the likes of Ryan Garko, Casey Kotchman and Milton Bradley. Last year, Sweeney hit .281 with 8 homeruns and 34 RBIs in 74 games. He was a non-roster invitee last season too, but this year with the additions of Garko and Kotchman at first base, Eric Byrnes and Bradley in the outfield, and the re-signing of Ken Griffey Jr as the DH, it will be a lot tougher to make the Opening Day roster.

Tags:

Jim Edmonds, Marcus Thames, Mike Sweeney, Milwaukee Brewers, NY Yankees, Seattle Mariners

There are two innings-eating starters left on the market. Both should find employment in 2010 due to their veteran leadership and ability to go out and take the ball every fifth day. Braden Looper settled back into the starter’s role while with the Milwaukee Brewers after starting and relieving while with the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite a winning record (14-7), 2009 was Looper’s worst year. He posted a 5.22 ERA in 34 starts (194.2 innings) and allowed 39 homeruns. He also walked 64 while striking out 100. Looper could return to the bullpen as a long man or a middle reliever, which should lead to more suitors.

Livan Hernandez with the Nats

Livan Hernandez has been an innings-eater since coming into his own in 1997 as he helped the Florida Marlins win the World Series. For his size, Hernandez is a very good athlete as he routinely takes ground balls in the infield during batting practice. He fields his position well and is a decent hitting pitcher. He is considered to have a rubber arm so he will pitch every fifth day. In 2009, he struggled with both the NY Mets and the Washington Nationals. He combined to go 9-12 with a 5.44 ERA in 31 starts (183.2 innings) with two complete games. He walked 67 while striking out 102 and he gave up more than 200 hits. Hernandez and his agent sent the Nationals a proposal back in December about his desire to return to Washington. He is one player who never wanted to leave the Montreal Expos/Nationals organization. It will be interesting to see if he pigeon-holed himself by stating his desire to play for one team.

Chan Ho Park with the Phillies

Chan Ho Park joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009 with the hopes of being one of their five starting pitchers. He won the job over rookie JA Happ but pitched poorly in seven starts. Park moved into the bullpen (with Happ moving into the rotation) and thrived in a bullpen that struggled through injuries and inconsistencies all season. Though he was bitten by the injury bug, Park made 38 appearances, going 2-2 with a 2.52 ERA. He did not allow a homerun and walked just 16 while striking out 52. He was a major reason why the Phillies advanced to their second straight World Series. Starting has always been his preference but he excelled in the bullpen so the options should be out there. He wanted to return to the Phillies, but GM Ruben Amaro would rather spend the money on new third baseman Placido Polanco, new starter Roy Halladay, and starting pitcher Joe Blanton. Park has been replaced in the pen by Danys Baez (who has not had a good year since 2005 with Tampa Bay).

Chien-Ming Wang won 19 games in both 2006 and 2007 while with the NY Yankees. However the injuries mounted in the last two seasons, resulting in just 27 total appearances (24 starts). He would be a high-risk, high-reward player as in you could offer him a contract with incentives and he could regain his CY Young-caliber form if healthy. So the Nationals listened to new reliever Brian Bruney and signed Wang today with a news conference coming on Friday to disclose the terms and make the official announcement.

Tags:

Braden Looper, Chan Ho Park, Chien-Ming Wang, Livan Hernandez, Milwaukee Brewers, NY Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals

Johnny Damon with the Yankees

Rumors have been swirling about outfielder Johnny Damon’s destination since he became a free agent. Many believed Damon would return to the NY Yankees, especially after being a major reason why they won the World Series in 2009. However, the Yankees are suddenly money-conscious and offered him a two-year $14 million contract compared to what he made last year ($13 million for the whole year). There is just no loyalty anymore in sports from both the players and the owners.

So where will Damon end up? Damon has been just as solid in his four years with the Yankees as he was when he was helping the Boston Red Sox win the 2004 World Series. Damon hit .284 with 24 homeruns and a .365 on-base percentage in 2009. Many criticize Damon’s offense as playing at Yankee Stadium with the short porch in right field. They also criticize his defense and throwing arm, along with his age. Despite everything, Damon still produces as evidenced by his clutch hitting and his stats in the World Series: .364 with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 3 stolen bases. As one of the top free agents going into the offseason (and now the top free agent remaining), many believed he would get another lucrative contract. However now that spring training is just a week away, the amount of suitors has dwindled, as has the money being offered.

One potential suitor is the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have had many positive encounters with Damon’s agent, Scott Boras, and would feel comfortable in working on a deal. Damon would fit perfectly in the second spot in the order now that Placido Polanco is gone. He would also take pressure off of rookies Austin Jackson and Scott Sizemore at the top of the order and take the pressure off RBI man Miguel Cabrera to hit homeruns in every at-bat. The downside would be the money issue. The Tigers have been slashing payroll (trading young stars Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson) so adding an older outfielder after trading a fan favorite (Granderson) for more money may not make sense.

Atlanta may be another home for Damon. The Braves just offered Damon a one-year contract offer for around $4 million. After trading for outfielder Melky Cabrera, the Braves have Cabrera, Nate McLouth, Matt Diaz, and Jordan Schafer (along with top prospect Jason Heyward) in the outfield mix. Adding Damon does not make sense unless they can trade an outfielder (or two) that they have (like maybe Schafer or Cabrera but then it would not make sense to have traded for Cabrera). Damon has spent his entire career in the American League so a change to the National League may not help him. He will not be able to DH anymore and he may not get the playing time he is looking for in Atlanta.

Johnny Damon with the A's

Returning to Oakland may be another option. The A’s have an opening in left field that new prospect Michael Taylor (acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies by way of the Toronto Blue Jays) is hoping to take. Signing Damon would provide a veteran presence in a relatively young lineup that would allow the Tigers to give Taylor a little more seasoning. Then when Taylor is ready, Damon can be traded to a possible contender in July. Would Damon want to return to Oakland? Is Damon willing to enter spring training without a job? He has one week left to make that decision but any team that adds him will be gaining a valuable asset.

Tags:

Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Johnny Damon, NY Yankees, Oakland A's

Javier Vazquez

The NY Yankees were involved in another big trade this offseason as GM Brian Cashman has preferred to trade young talent for a major league piece instead of paying top dollar on the free agent market as he did heading into 2009. Instead of relying on what they have on the roster to fill the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation, Cashman pulled the trigger on a deal with the Atlanta Braves to bring back Javier Vazquez. Vazquez went 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA in 32 starts with the Yankees back in 2004. While with the Braves, he put up CY Young numbers going 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA in 32 starts (219.1 IP) and 3 complete games. Opponents hit just .223 against Vazquez with 44 BB/ 238 Ks. Though his record and homeruns allowed in his career are not spectacular (over 20 homeruns allowed a season), he has proven to be a solid, innings-eating starter. Vazquez adds to a rotation already including CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte, and Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes. On paper, it seems pretty potent going into the 2010 season as the Yankees look to repeat.

The Yankees also received left-handed reliever Boone Logan who struggled in his one season with the Braves, though he was very good against left-handed hitters (10.1 IP with a 1.74 ERA and 7 strikeouts though he did walk 4 batters). Logan went 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA overall in 20 games (17.1 IP) with 9 BB/ 10 Ks and a .292 opponent’s average. Logan’s numbers hardly compare with former lefty specialist Phil Coke, who was traded to Detroit (Coke was a workhorse pitching in 36.1 innings against lefties, giving up 23 hits while striking out 32). Manager Joe Girardi would be wise to not let Logan face a right-handed hitter in 2010.

Melky Cabrera celebrates

The trade for Vazquez saw the Yankees give away three young pieces. First was clutch-hitting outfielder Melky Cabrera. Cabrera collected 8 of his 68 RBIs in the late innings. He hit .274 overall in 154 games with 43 BB/ 59 Ks even though he lost the starting centerfielder’s job in spring training. Giving up Cabrera leaves the Yankees with just three outfielders and a Rule V guy. This move may open the door to re-sign leftfielder Johnny Damon.

The other two guys the Yankees gave up are minor leaguers. However it was expected that left-handed reliever Michael Dunn could make an impact with the 2010 club. Instead he’ll have to do that in the National League with the Braves. Even though he struggled in his first big league callup (0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in just four games with 5 BB/ 5 K and a .200 opponent’s batting average), Dunn had a successful season. Dunn was an Eastern League All-Star with Double-A Trenton and combined with Triple-A Scranton to go 4-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 38 games (73 IP). He also compiled 3 saves and 46 B/ 99 K. He also competed in the Arizona Fall League. Since moving to the bullpen full-time in 2008, Dunn has shown electric stuff, though he has yet to fully control it.

The final piece of the trade was right-handed pitcher Arodys Vizcaino. Vizcaino is further away from helping the Braves as he spent 2009 in short-season Staten Island (the Dominican just signed in 2007). He went 2-4 with a 2.13 ERA in 10 starts (42.1 IP). He struck out 52 and held opponents to a .211 batting average.

So far this offseason, the Yankees have let all of their top level left-handed relievers go (Coke and Dunn in trades and Zach Kroenke in the Rule V draft). Now the Yankees will have to rely on Damaso Marte and Logan to get left-handed hitters out and neither have been consistent with that (though Marte was great in the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies).

This deal could help the Yankees win another World Series but I think it further depleted their minor league system and devoid the team of its homegrown young talent. The money will eventually run out for the Yankees, right?

Tags:

Arodys Vizcaino, Atlanta Braves, Boone Logan, Javier Vazquez, Melky Cabrera, Michael Dunn, NY Yankees, Phil Coke