Offseason Tracker / Inbox (9)

- The Cubs signed Jason Hammel to a one year deal.
-David Ortiz is looking for a One Year Deal with Boston.

       This weeks inbox is #AskBen, #AskBorja or #AskNiko week. Direct your question to one of our Hosts! Use the Hashtag of your choice and your question in the comments section!

        Also, tomorrow we will re-air "Baseball Prime" The show that lists the best players at each position!

As Spring Training Looms.... More FA's sign

More Free Agents are expected to sign today:

- Bruce Chen is close to signing a one year deal with the Royals

- The Royals are in the market for another starter to replace Ervin Santana.

-Stephen Drew is not getting more than a 1 year deal from any team.

Spring Training starts in a week:

- A lot of players have gone to there respective teams camps already. 

- The D-Backs will be the first team to report; on Feb 6 th

Michael Young Retiring

Michael Young, the 7-time all-star third basemen, has decided to retire.Young has been hinting at retirement the entire offseason, so it didn't surprise most. But it still surprised and disapointed me a lot. Young, at 37, is still completly healthy, while Lance Berkman, who retired yesterday also at age 37, has been dealing with bad knee issues. Age 37 is not that old, and Young hasn't shown many signs of decline. He combined to hit .279 for the Phillies and Dodgers in 2013, which is not a typical Michael Young season, but still by most standards is not that bad. Also, the Dodgers have reportedly offered Young a contract to return to LA, and other teams still have interest in Young. But this is mostly a family issue. When Young was talking about the possibility of retiring, he mentioned his desire to have more family time, which is typical for a ballplayer. Still, by choosing to retire, Young may have lost his chance to make the hall-of-fame. He has been in the league since 2000 with Texas, and played their until 2012. After playing with Philadelphia and LA in 2013, Young has spent 14 years in the bigs. Most of the time, 14 years is not long enough to make into the hall-of-fame. He has been one of the most consistent and versatile(has played every infield position) players of his era, and clearly has more left in the tank. To this point, Young has 2,375 hits for a batting average of .300, and has hit 185 home runs. Maybe a couple more solid seasons, and Young could've reached 3,000 hits, and therefore would have easily punched his ticket to Cooperstown.

Pepper Show (S1-E8) Blooper Special!

Enjoy an episode of bad puns, Loud Voices, Mistakes, Laughes , and of course Baseball!

The "Big Puma" Calls it Quits

Lance Berkman, one of the best Houston Astros hitters in franchise history, and one of the finest switch-hitters in baseball history, has announced his retirement. The first baseman just broke the news this afternoon. Berkman has been dealing with knee problems for the past 2 seasons, playing only 73 games in 2013 with Texas and 32 games for St. Louis in 2012. His first season in the bigs was in 1999 with Houston, where he played until 2010 after a mid-season trade to the Yankees. He signed with the Cardinals as a free agent in 2011, and won the only championship of his career that year. That was his last healthy season. Berkman is 37, which is not that old, but the injuries have been too much. In 15 seasons, Berkman has 1, 905 hits for a .293 average, and has 366 home runs. But if you look at some of the other stats that aren't paid attention to as much, you will see his value goes way beyond the power. Berkman has only 1,300 strikeouts his entire career, which is only 99 more than his walk total (1,201). Not many hitters can avoid the K and walk often at the same time, the way Berkman did. Still not quite hall-of-fame numbers, but we won't forget the Big Puma.

Berkman from both sides of the plate:

From a statistical point of view (1)

I am obsessed with stats. Though that sentence is very broad, I am telling the truth. The statistical world mystifies me. I enjoy writing down players stats, and using stats in predictions. During February, I am going to take you on a statistical journey. Today, I am going to look at Clayton Kershaw's stats, and tell you what I observe. Lets look at the stat that stat-haters dread, WAR (Wins Above Replacement). WAR means how many wins the player gave you above the next candidate to get the job. A sister stat to this is WAA (Wins Above Average) which mainly applies to pitchers. Kershaw, over his 6 Year MLB career has a 22.9 WAA. In 2013 alone, he averaged a 6.0 WAA, which is the highest of his career, and might of got him last years Cy Young Award. The other candidates for NL Cy Young were Jose Fernandez and Adam Wainwright. Lets compare there stats. Fernandez, who won NL Rookie of the Year last year, had a 4.9 WAA. While it is less than Kershaw, 4.9 for a rookie is amazing, and with all the other stats out there, you can say Fernandez deserved the Cy Young. Now to Wainwright. In 2012, Wainwright had a -0.2 WAA, and was still considered the ace of the Cardinals. This means that WAA is not the best stat to use, as it can be misleading. However, in 2013, Wainwright got to a 4.2 WAA, which was a huge increase over 2012. So, how do you calculate WAA? Simple you take the percentage of W-L%  then subtract .500 then multiply by the number of games played. Hope you enjoyed this!

MLB Approves new "Protective Cap" for pitchers

The 2013-2014 Offseason has been memorable, with foreign signings, 10 Year contracts, Rule changes (Instant Replay), and lots more. Well, now we can add another event to the offseason, new Protective Caps are now optional for pitchers. They will help stop concussions, and make pitchers more defensive. These new caps are heavier and bulkier, and so far aren't catching the players eyes. Brandon McCarthy, a victim of being "drilled" in the head, will NOT wear the new cap. I expect this to slowly evolve into the game. MLB's hope is that in 2020, at least 66% of pitchers are wearing the cap. The caps will be legal effective this Baseball season.

Here is a video attachment:(Click Here)

Pepper Inbox -8

Post about spring training. What's the best about it? The Pepper Show airs this Thursday at 3PM.

Also, the awnser to te trivia challenge was Larry Walker. Walker won the NL MVP in 1995, which was the Rockies third year as a Baseball Team! Pepper Trivia returns next Monday with an all new question!!

In other news Pepper just hit its 7,000th View. I'm excited to start our 2nd Season in covering MLB News!

MLB Top Prospects

As the 2014 season nears, I'm going to take a look at some of MLB's top prospects that have a chance of making the opening day roster.

Byron Buxton- The Minnesota Twins OF prospect took the minor leagues by storm last year and is MLB.com #1 ranked prospect. I expect him to be in a Twins uniform by opening day.

Oscar Taveras- Many people pick him for NL ROY and he is the St. Louis Cardinals #1 prospect. He is described as a 5 tool player and could be the next Albert Pujols

Xander Bogaerts- This Red Sox prospect is still eligible as a rookie. A kid with world series expierience under his belt. No one knows what to expect from this 3B in a full year.

Taijuan Walker- The best SP prospect is in the Mariners organization. Being compared to Felix Hernandez is alot to live up to, but in what we saw from his stint last year, He will be in Seattle's opening day rotation.

Kris Bryant- The Cubs 3B prospect is very interesting considering he has no pro experience besides the AFL. he is considered one of MLB's best prospects but I think he needs a year in the Minors

Noah Syndergaard- Matt Harvey, Zach Wheeler and now Syndergaard. If this kid can produce in 2014 the Mets will have a nice rotation on their hands.

Jameson Taillon- This Pirates pitcher impressed many scouts by pitching a solid game for team Canada against the US in the 2013 WBC. With Pittsburgh being a playoff team now, and the loss of AJ Burnett, I think it is the perfect time for Taillon to enter the rotation.

Mark Appel- The top pick of last year's draft, Appel still needs some time to develop. Considering the Astro's situation, It wouldn't shock me if he was on the opening day roster.

Dylan Bundy- MLB's next big pitcher was supposed to be called up by mid 2013. Tommy John surgery has halted his progress, but we will see how he comes back.

Where Will the Remaining Free Agents End Up?

Surprisingly, as close as we are to spring training, there still are some key free agents left on the board. Why is this? A lot of the free agents left are not huge difference-makers, but they have high prices and are not willing to settle for less. Also, some free agents left require draft-pick compensation, which is where the team that signs the free agent has to give up one of their early picks in the draft to the free agent's former team. Not many teams are willing to do that for a decent player. Anyway, here are my predictions for the new homes of the remaining key free agents:

Starting Pitcher Bronson Arroyo to the Yankees. New York still has a weakness in the last spot of their rotation, after Tanaka, Nova, Kuroda, and Sabathia. They have not been afraid to spend this offseason, and Arroyo seems like a good fit and is not too expensive. The only problem is that Arroyo will have to cut his awesome long hair for the clean-shaven Yankees. 

Starting Pitcher Ervin Santana to the Orioles. If Baltimore wants to compete, they need to address their awful starting rotation. Their offense is good, so if they can sign Santana and maybe someone else to fix their pitching problems, they can challenge Boston, Tampa, and New York in the east. 

Starting Pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez to the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have made it clear recently that they want to compete, and they have the young talent to do it, but they still need a big free agent starter to help their pitching staff. Jimenez is still young, so he would fit in well with the up-and-coming Cubs. This would help fix the Cubs rotation issues.

Starting pitcher A.J. Burnett to the Mariners. After the signings of sluggers Robinson Cano and Corey Hart, the Mariners have also made it clear that they want to compete. The starting rotation is good, but after Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, there are young guys who have talent, but might not be ready for the rotation. The signing of Burnett would help anchor the back end of Seattle's rotation, and would make them serious contenders in the west.

Outfielder Nelson Cruz to the Royals. Kansas City had their first successful season in a while last season, before falling just short of the playoffs. If they want to stay in contention in the tough AL central, they need to add a big bat, and Nelson Cruz is a great choice. Their pitching is already good, and they already signed outfielder Norichika Aoki. If they can sign Cruz, that would really improve their offense and then they could challenge Cleveland, and maybe even Detroit.

Good closers avaliable include Andrew Bailey, Fernando Rodney, Joel Hanrahan, and Rafael Betancourt. 

Peppers New Theme Song!

Today we will be unavailing our new opening sequence for our show! This awesome new short will be infront of our show starting this February.  However, there is still time to change it, is there anything that could make this better? Comment! Hope you enjoy!

Today we will be starting our trivia challenge, which will be posted every Monday on the first post of the day. and the answer will be posted on Tuesday. Here is the first question!
--- who is the only player to win the NL MVP Award for the Colorado Rockies?

Strasburg Ready, Holland Not

In addition to my last post, here are some more players who's Opening Day status is in question. The Washington Nationals Stephen Strasburg had right elbow surgery to remove bone chips last October, but has fully rehabbed and is ready to go when spring training starts next month. Meanwhile, Derek Holland, one of the Rangers best young pitchers, has no exact return time. He is expected to miss most of the first half of the season. Holland had microfracture surgery in his knee earlier this month after going through a freak injury: tripping over his dog. In other news, Matt Garza's 4 year deal with Milwaukee has become official.

What is the future of Alex Rodriguez?

As we all know, A-Rod was recently suspended 162 Games for his connection to the Biogenesis scandal. Alex argued his suspension, but got only got his suspension reduced from 211 to 162 games. In 2015, when he is eligible for return, he will be 40 years old, and probably incapable of playing Third Base. I expect the Yankees to terminate his contract, making him a 40 year old free agent without a position, and a hip problem. For all we know we may have seen the last of A-Rod in his playing days, but stranger things have happend. I expect this to be the last of the "A-Rod Posts". And honestly, I would be happy if that happened!

Big Stars Might Not Be Ready For Opening Day

With spring training a few weeks away and players starting to get into shape for the 2014 season, there are still a few players who we want to see but might not be ready for the start of the season. Bryce Harper's reckless style of play entertains everyone watching, and baseball needs a player like him who goes all-out, but it has cost him a lot of playing time. In 2013, Harper suffered a knee injury when he ran into the outfield wall against the Dodgers in May, and it limited him to 118 games. After the season ended, he had surgery on the left knee and now, according to mlb.com, Harper is able to run and hit without pain. Despite that, it's still up in the air whether Harper will be ready for Opening Day. Another young star might not be ready on March 31st. Nobody forgot Manny Machado's gruesome injury in September, when he tore a ligament in his left knee. He had surgery in October, and is ahead of schedule with the rehab but just started running recently, so it is unlikely that he will be ready on Opening Day. And then there's Justin Verlander. Verlander is coming off a down season, and just had core muscle surgery earlier this month. He is cleared to throw next week, but is not expected to be ready to be the Tigers Opening Day starter.

Harper and Machado's ugly injuries:

Who's the Face of MLB

Have you seen MLB Network's morning show "Hot Stove" lately? Well if you have, you are probably      
familiar with the "Face of MLB" Challenge. Last month the show named the Face of the 30 MLB teams. Both Joey Votto and David Ortiz got byes because of the fact that Votto won the challenge last year, and Ortiz played on the championship club last year. You can vote for the face via MLB Networks Twitter page!

Hockey coming to a Baseball Stadium near you

Well, if you live near a Major Leauge Baseball Stadium, it might be in use in the next week or so. The NHL (Hockey) is playing a couple of games outside at Baseball Stadiums all around America.

2014 NHL Stadium Series Schedule:

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Location	Watch
Saturday, Jan. 25	9:30 p.m.	Anaheim Ducks vs. Los Angeles Kings	Dodger Stadium	NBC Sports Network
Sunday, Jan. 26	12:30 p.m.	New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils	Yankee Stadium	NBC
Wednesday, Jan. 29	7:30 p.m.	New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders	Yankee Stadium	NBC Sports Network
				NBC

Pepper Archives

Todays Archives is more Modern. We're giving you the 2011 All Star Game. Enjoy!

Notable Pitchers sign

Dice-K signed another minor league deal with the Mets today. Dice-K is a notoriously slow pitcher, who preformed less than desired last year, will probably not make the Mets Rotation out of camp, as Wheeler, Colon, Niese, Gee round out the top 4. And Mejia, Syndergaard, DeGrom or Lannan all have stronger cases for the 5th Starter role.

Also, the Braves signed veteran Freddy Garcia to a minors deal. Garcia has played on virtually every team, putting up below average stats along the way. Garcia, is also looking for a starting role. 

In unrelated news, Robin Ventura has signed an extension with the White Sox. 

In even more far fetched news, metal detectors will be required for all MLB Stadiums effective 2015.

A very cold new Pepper Show

Since we couldn't use our inside studios we were forced outside! So here's you 2 Degrees Pepper Show!

Free Agent Signings 1/23

After the huge signing of Masahiro Tanaka yesterday, there have been many minor moves made today by teams looking to contend in 2014. Here is a recap:

As I reported earlier this week, three time all-star Grady Sizemore has been gaining interest from many teams. The Cincinnati Reds were looking as the front-runners then, but he was signed today by the Red Sox. The deal is for one year and $750,000, but Sizemore can make 6 million with incentives. According to mlb.com, Sizemore has a chance to win the starting job in center field, with Jackie Bradley Jr. being the main competition. The injury-prone Sizemore hasn't played in the big leagues since 2011, but still is only 31 years old.

One of the many big starting pitchers still left on the market, Matt Garza finally found a home with the Milwaukee Brewers. Garza will make 52 million over 4 years, after playing last season with the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. He went 10-6 with a 3.82 ERA in an injury-shortended 2013 and has been on the DL in the past 3 seasons, but has been a strong starter when healthy . The Brewers struggled last season with a 74-88 record, but they played well in the second half of the year, and their pitching staff was stable all year long. The signing of Garza strengthens their pitching staff even more, so look for the Brewers to have a bounce-back season in 2014.

After his 2-year deal with Baltimore fell through due to failing his physical, closer Grant Balfour signed a 2-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. At 12 million, he is making 3 million less than the 15 million he would have made with the original contract with Baltimore. Balfour saved 38 games with a 2.59 ERA in 2013 with Oakland, who he played for since 2011. Before that, he played with Tampa, from 2007 to 2010. He seems to be the closer on the depth chart, but has competition with Heath Bell, who the Rays traded for this offseason.

The Oakland Athletics signed southpaw relief pitcher Eric O'Flaherty to 2 year deal for 7 million. O'Flaherty underwent Tommy John surgery in May, and pitched only 18 innings all year. The surgery will also keep him out until midseason. By then, O'Flaherty could be the closer in Oakland, despite never having experience at that position and there being many candidates for the A's to close, such as Jim Johnson and Luke Gregerson, who the A's have also acquired this offseason. Before his injury-plagued 2013, O'Flaherty was a lights-out relief pitcher for the Braves, setting up for Craig Kimbrel. His best season was in 2011, when he pitched 73.2 innings and had a remarkable 0.98 ERA. He also had a 1.73 ERA in 57.1 innings in 2012.

In some unrelated news, according to outfielder Johnny Gomes, the famous beards of the 2013 world champion Red Sox will be gone by spring training.

Baseball Prime!

Here's an all new show!

Tanaka to the Bronx

As always, the Yankees got the big free agent they wanted, and this time it was Masahiro Tanaka. The deal is for 7 seven years and 155 million(there is an opt-out clause after the 4th year), which is the fifth most expensive deal ever for a pitcher. Only Clayton Kershaw, who signed an extension last week for 215 million, Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez, and C.C. Sabathia have signed bigger contracts. Along with the 155 million to Tanaka, the Yankees have to pay the posting fee(20 million) to Tanaka's former team in Japan, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Even though Tanaka was literally unhittable last season(24-0 record, 1.27 ERA), there is many risks that come along with the giant contract. Tanaka has been a full-time starter in Japan since 2007, when he was only 18 years old. Since then, he has pitched 1,315 innings, which is a huge workload for a guy who's only 25. That was a stat that scared off many teams. But then again, this is the Yankees, who are determined to win now, so that obviously was not a problem for them. This is another big move for the Yankees, who have already given big contracts to Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran. Those contracts, plus Tanaka's, add up to 438 million which brings the Yankees over the 189 million tax threshold. Now the Yankees have to pay a 50% tax rate instead of just 12.5%. This spending is understandable though. The Yankees missed the playoffs in 2013, which was the first time since 2008. That offseason, the Yankees went on a spending spree, signing Sabathia, Mark Teixeira , and A.J. Burnett and went on to win the World Series the next year. This has been a similar spending spree and now the Yankees seem a lock for the postseason, if they can stay healthy.

Masahiro Tanaka signs with Yanks

Japanese star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has signed a 7 Year 155 Million Dollar Deal with the New York Yankees. This is a blockbuster signing. If confirmed it will make Tanaka one of the most rich Baseball Players of all time. This is the 5th Largest Pitching contract in MLB History. Within the contract, there is an opt-out after the 4th Year.

Masahiro Tanaka Thread

(10:25 pm- 1-21-14) 5 Teams remain interested in Tanaka. All offers are on the table. Announcment expected overnight.
(10:29 pm) Here's a link to the latest on Tanaka!

9:04 am - 1-22-14) The DiamondBacks are out, acorrding to Steve Gilbert.

9;56 am Acording to Pepper Insider Borja Rebaza, the Yankees have signed Tanaka

10:02 am Mlb.com confirms rumors that Yanks have agreed. This deal is not confirmed by the Yankees or Tanaka though.

10:57am it's a 7 year 155 million dollar deal

Offseason Tracker

-Lyle Overbay signed a minor leauge deal with the Brewers. The Brewers were originally in the market for Ike Davis, but they weren't willing to give up an arm.
- Bobby Abreau signed a deal with the Phillies. Bobby last played in 2012, and his money value is pending on whether or not he makes the team.
- Masahiro Tanaka will sign no later than Wendsday in Japan. Which is overnight tonight in Japan.
-Pepper Show once Tanaka signs.

Baseball Thoughts

Well I would openly like to apologize to the viewers since we did not have a show this weekend. We will have a show before Wednesday. Though today was a hockey day for me, I did get the chance to tour the Nassau Coliseum and talk Baseball. I asked some Islanders fans about how much they like baseball. Most people say Baseball takes stats to seriously, while some say Baseball is hard to understand. While looking at the Islanders schedule I noticed that every NHL team has a 2 week break during the Winter Olympics. Before Baseball got "kicked off" the Summer Olympics, there was no break for the Games. This meant minor league and Independent league type players were playing. I wonder if they took a break (which would let major league players play) if the rantings would go up. Since I never really watched the 2008 Summer Olympics, I don't know what they were like. I did however watch Baseballs new international competition, The World Baseball Classic. The Classic is held every four years in March. The next WBC will be in 2016-2017. As a side note, happy MLK day!

Tanaka Drama (near conclusion) according to reports

Acording to multiple reports, this month long talk of where Tanaka will land is almost over. Tanaka is expected to announce where he is going in the next 24 to 48 hours. Front runners are the D-Backs, Cubs, Yankees and Dodgers

HE'S BAAACKKKK!

Grady Sizemore. Remember that name? Sizemore was the Cleveland Indians franchise player and one of the best hitters in baseball in the mid to late 2000's. He made it to the all-star game in 2006, 07, and 08, the season where he set career highs with homers(33), rbi's(90), and stolen bases(38). He was arguably the best leadoff hitter in baseball during his prime(which lasted only 4 seasons), showing an amazing mix of speed and power. Unfortunately, 2008 was the last season of his career in which he was not injury-wrecked. The knee problems started in 2009, when he was only 26 years old. He played only 106 games that season, 33 in 2010, and 77 in 2011, the last time he appeared in a major league game. In those seasons he had miserable batting averages of .248, .211, and .224. Those batting averages, and surgeries on both knees, have lead to no teams having interest in the once-superstar player. That is until now. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has reported that the Cincinnati Reds are very serious in signing Sizemore, who need outfield depth as insurance for Billy Hamilton. Even though it seems as if Sizemore has been out of the game forever, keep in mind that he is still only 31 years old. This would be huge for Sizemore to get back into the game, and prove that he can stay healthy and be a productive player.

Spring Training starts February 7th

In 2 and a half weeks, spring training will commence. Though it is just Pitchers and catchers, it is mandatory. The best part about spring training is the competition to make the club. Sure its fun to get a glimpse of young players that are talented, but my favorite part is when there's a battle for the final spot on the MLB club. Games are meaningless in spring training. Teams that have won as little as 5 games in spring training have gone on to the postseason. Going to spring training as a fan is cool, because its the only time in the Baseball year that you get to be that close to the players, and of course the weather! Some people believe spring training is too long, well it isn't. Players play 162 game seasons, and need the workout. Spring training is from February 7th to March 29th.
Get info or buy tickets here:Spring Training 2014

Masahiro Tanaka update 1-19

(6:53) The hype on Tanaka is identical to what it was when Darvish was posted. The 20 Million Dollar posting fee is not make or brake to those interested

(2:52)- Tanaka got 5 formal offers yesterday. The White Sox, Cubs, Yankees, D-Backs and Dodgers have given offers of over 6 Years and $100 Million (MLB.COM)

Offseason Tracker 1-18

-The Mets made moves today by signing Omar Quintanilla and John Lannan. Lannan was the former ace of the Washington Nationals.
-According to the St.Louis Post Dispatch, Chris Carpenter will join the Cardinals in a non-player role.
-The Rangers signed veteran Rafael Perez to a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training. 

A Special #PepperShow on Monday with a special guest!

Odds for 2014

Baseball season is right around the corner, literally we are 3 Weeks away from the beginning of Spring Training. Odds are a part of Baseball, predictions are made by every baseball fan at one point of the offseason. Vegas odds, for betting always gives there predictions on who will win the World Series. The LA Dodgers are currently named favorite at 5/1, but since there are free agents still out there, odds could change at any minute. Here are the current MLB 2014 World Series predictions:

Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1
Detroit Tigers 8-1
Washington Nationals 9-1
St. Louis Cardinals 10-1
Boston Red Sox 12-1
Cincinnati Reds 15-1
Los Angeles Angels 15-1
Oakland Athletics 15-1
New York Yankees 16-1
Texas Rangers 16-1
Atlanta Braves 17-1
San Francisco Giants 22-1
Pittsburgh Pirates 25-1
Baltimore Orioles 28-1
Cleveland Indians 28-1
Tampa Bay Rays 29-1
Kansas City Royals 35-1
Chicago White Sox 40-1
Philadelphia Phillies 40-1
Arizona Diamondbacks 45-1
Toronto Blue Jays 45-1
Chicago Cubs 60-1
Seattle Mariners 65-1
Colorado Rockies 70-1
San Diego Padres 70-1
Milwaukee Brewers 75-1
New York Mets 115-1
Miami Marlins 125-1
Minnesota Twins 125-1
Houston Astros 250-1

Baseball season is right around the corner, literally we are 3 Weeks away from the beginning of Spring Training. Odds are a part of Baseball, predictions are made by every baseball fan at one point of the offseason. Vegas odds, for betting always gives there predictions on who will win the World Series. The LA Dodgers are currently named favorite at 5/1, but since there are free agents still out there, odds could change at any minute. Here are the current MLB 2014 World Series predictions:

Predicted Starting Lineups and Rotations for Yankees and Mets

With spring training activities starting soon, most teams are just a few last minute free agent signings away from being ready for the 2014 season. The Yankees have spent enough money this offseason and should resist the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes, or any other expensive pitcher still avaliable. For the Mets, we all already know that they don't like giving out big contracts anymore, and after giving each Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon decent-sized contracts, the only spending left for them to do is for the bullpen. With that, here are my final 2014 New York Yankees and Mets.

Lineup:
Jacoby Ellsbury* CF
Derek Jeter SS
Carlos Beltran* RF
Brian McCann* C
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alfonso Soriano DH
Kelly Johnson* 3B
Brian Roberts* 2B
Brett Gardner LF
(Brendan Ryan, Ichiro Suzuki, Austin Romine, and Eduardo Nunez are on the bench)

Rotation:
C.C. Sabathia
Hiroki Kuroda
Ivan Nova
Michael Pineda
Adam Warren

For the bullpen, David Robertson is the closer

Lineup:
Curtis Granderson* LF
Daniel Murphy 2B
David Wright 3B
Chris Young* RF
Lucas Duda 1B
Travis d'Arnaud C
Juan Lagares CF
Ruben Tejada SS
Pitcher Spot
(Ike Davis, Eric Young, Anthony Recker, and Josh Satin make up the bench)

Rotation(Unfortunately, no Matt Harvey):
Bartolo Colon*                                        
                                                                                                        Jonathan Niese
                                                                                                        Dillon Gee
                                                                                                        Zack Wheeler
                                                                                                        Jenry Mejia

The Mets shouldn't rely on Bobby Parnell as their closer. Andrew Bailey, who is the cheapest closer still avaliable, would be a good fit as closer for the Mets


*new addition

Deals Galore

Ian Desond and Jordon Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals, both signed 2-Year deals with their respectful club. Also Max Scherzer signed a One Year Deal with the Tigers. Scherzer, last years Cy Young award winner avoided arbitration by making this move.

Who's Bradley Holt?

If your a Mets fan, (like me) you remember when all the buzz was about Brad Holt signing with the Mets in 08. He was doing interviews, and was on consecutive top 100 lists. He had a great fastball at 94 Mph, but coudnt get strikeouts. Fatigue plagued him in 2 of his Minor Leauge seasons. Holt now a free agent, and 27 has a good case for the majors.

Expanded Instant Replay approved

• Here are the Instant Replay rules:
• The following play types will be subject to review:
• Home run
• Ground rule double
• Fan interference
• Stadium boundary calls
• Force play (except the fielder’s touching of second base on a double play)
• Tag plays 
• Fair/foul in outfield only
• Trap play in outfield only
• Batter hit by pitch
• Timing play (whether a runner scores before a third out)
• Touching a base (requires appeal)
• Passing runners
• Obviously, all other plays are off limits. We saw a little bit of this during the Fall Leauge. 

Kershaw signs 7 year extension with LA

Fittingly, Clayton Kershaw, the best pitcher in baseball, has received the richest contract ever given out to a pitcher. The deal is worth 215 million for 7 years, which is nearly 31 million per year. Kershaw, who is just 25 years old, would have become a free agent after the 2015 season. In 2013, Kershaw won the NL Cy Young award for the second time with a 16-9 record, a ridiculous 1.83 ERA, and 232 k's in 236 innings pitched. Just so you know how amazing that ERA is, no pitcher in baseball has ever  recorded an ERA that low since Boston's Pedro Martinez with a 1.74 ERA in 2000. Also the 1.83 ERA is the lowest by an NL southpaw since, who else, the Dodgers Sandy Koufax in 1966 with 1.73. Kershaw and Koufax are now the only two Dodger pitchers ever in their long history to win multiple Cy Young Awards.

Pepper Archives #3

1965 World Series Game 7! Enjoy!

Kershaw Extension+ Pogo PepUpdate

Clayton Kershaw, the NL Cy Young award winner has agreed to a 7 Year $215 Million dollar extension with the LA Dodgers.

Here's a Pogo Events Pepper Update:

Why is Tim Raines not getting the votes?

If it wasn't for Ricky Henderson, the man who stole more bases than anyone else and hit for an average, Tim Raines would have been in the Hall Of Fame. Both speedsters played at the same time, and had mainly the same attributes. Raines had a 290 Batting Average over his career, got over 2,000 hits and stole for more than 800 bases. Raines is 5th All time in Stolen Bases, and every person that has more steals are in the HOF. The main competition is Ricky Henderson, the man who stole over 1400 bases, and was a first ballot HOFer, which is a rare accomplishment.  However, Henderson hit for a lower average and had a much lower WAR (wins above replacement). All in all Raines has a case for the Hall, it's no secret that he has been over shadowed by Henderson, but now that he's been elected, I expect Raines to get more votes.

Offseason Tracker 1-14

-This week, Aubrey Huff and Dallas Braden retired. Recently there have been reports that Michael Young is seriously considering retiring. Other notable players that retired this offseason include Mo Rivera, Andy Pettite and Roy Halladay. 

-Derek Holland's surgery looks bigger than what we originally thought. After surgery, doctors said Holland could miss the whole 2014 season.

- Stephen Drew is getting interest from 5-6 clubs, according to agent Scott Boras

Masahiro Tanka to sign soon

Multiple reports suggest Tanaka will sign with a team this week. His posting time will be up later this month.  Masahiro is clearly going to sign with a big market club, however there is a chance he goes to a small market club like Arizona or Baltimore. The Dodgers are the front-runners due to their relationship with Casey Close, Tanaka's agent. 

Pepper INBOX -7

Talk about the Biogenisis scandal. What's your opinion and why? Get ready for an epic debate on this weekends #PepperShow 

Profile: Bronson Arroyo

Arroyo is one of the few starting pitchers yet to be signed. He has been overshadowed all offseason. Arroyo has been looking to resign with his old team, the Reds, on a 1 to 2 year basis. I expect Arroyo to sign after Tanaka does, as it seems like the whole FA pool is waiting on the Japansese phenom. 

Pepper Show #6 + What's PSOTR?

PSOTR (Pepper Show on the Road) is our Spring Training version of the Pepper Show. Basically our bloggers go down to Florida  . Do a couple shows, interviews and report on Spring training. It will be the first time in our blogs 2 Year Run that we have reported live. The reports will be happening early in Spring Training (The Late Febuary- Early March Time). I can't wait! 

With 4 Weeks left before Spring Training....

In 4 weeks time, we will see Masahiro Tanaka pitching for a new club in spring training. We will also see Stephen Drew, Nelson Cruz and Ubaldo Jimenez signed. Nelson Cruz would be a good fit for a team like Miami or Washington because of the need for homers. Now, yes the Nats are pretty good in their outfield, but they have some pieces left. I expect to see Tanaka signed by the end of this week. I believe Stephen Drew will carry this out the longest, as he is truly only gaining interest from Boston and Queens.

Alex Rodriguez suspended for 2014

The Yankee's Alex Rodriguez will be suspended for the entire 2014 season, and the postseason if New York qualifies. Rodriguez originally received a 211-game suspension back in August, which would have put him out for the rest of 2013 and all of 2014. He appealed the suspension, and ended up playing for the rest of the season, where the Yankees fell short of the playoffs. A-rod, who was due to earn 25 million in 2014(plus bonuses for milestone home runs), will not be payed during the suspension, which opens up a lot of money for the Yankees. Now they can seriously compete for Masahiro Tanaka, or some of the other pitchers left on the market such as Ubaldo Jimenez, Bronson Arroyo, Matt Garza, Ervin Santana, or Johan Santana. They can also get more relief pitching as insurance if David Robertson struggles closing out games. Andrew Bailey, Joel Hanrahan, Fernando Rodney, and Grant Balfour are some notable closers left on the market. But with Rodriguez gone, that weakens an offense even more that has already lost Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson. The market for third basemen isn't that great, with Michael Young being the best free agent left at that position.

A-Rod gets suspended 162 Games

A-Rod had been suspended for the full 2014 season due to the Biogenesis schedule 

No new teams moving to Palm Beach

The Palm Beach city council officially thwarted the idea of building a baseball stadium in West Palm. Both the Astros and Blue Jays were hoping to move their spring clubs to Palm County

Lets go back in time..... Baseball circa 1922

In 1922, Baseball was in its prime. Rogers Hornsby was putting up epic numbers at the time, batting .401 with over 40 homeruns. Very few stadiums still exist today from 1922, but the legend of 1922 still lives on. 1922, like many other years around that decade, was a "Subway Series". The NY Yankees and the NY Giants squared off. Baseball was different in the 20's, from Gloves, Bats and the games rules are all different. The second game of the World Series was the third and final tie in a World Series game.
The NY Giants won the 1922 World Series

Pepper Show #6 Sunday - Recap

Not much has happened besides the Hall of Fame induction this week, however lets recap:
-Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas all got the 75% necessary to be elected. This means that there will be 6 living people inducted this summer.
- Tanaka is in America to talk to up to 10 clubs.
- Justin Verlander will have Core surgery and will be out for up to 6 weeks.
-Derek Holland will be out till midseason due to surgery
-Look for any news on A-Rod regarding his suspension this Weekend
-Dontrelle Willis signed a Minors deal with the Halos

Also, tommorow we will be having a short "Pepper Show", here is our new opening sequence:  

Tanaka in Hollywood, deal imminent

Masahiro Tanaka was posted by the Golden Eagles over Christmas, and it looks like things are heating up. Tanaka's latest move, was selecting Casey Close as his agent. Though Close has connections with the Dodgers, it doesn't mean Tanaka is heading to LA. The White Sox just finished a meeting with Tanaka and teams like the D-Backs, Cubs, LA Angels and NY Yankees are also moving in. I think Arizona is a perfect fit for Tanaka, and Arizona has focused there attention on him a lot recently.
 Here's some good links to articles about Tanaka:

MLB.com (Tanaka)
SI (Tanaka)

Montreal Expos legacy coming back

Besides the Sydney Opening series this March. There will be other Baseball games played out of country (non-Toronto). The Mets and Blue Jays are playing 2 games in Montreal during late March. The Montreal Olympic stadium is where they will be played. For our older viewers, you might remember that the Expos played there home games there until the move to D.C in 2004. These games will be the first Baseball Games in Montreal since 2004.

2014 Hall of Fame results

Each on the ballot for the first time, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas were voted in to the Hall of Fame. Craig Biggio, who was on the ballot for the second time, was just two votes short of being voted in, making it almost certain that he will be voted in next year. Maddux, Glavine, and Thomas will join managers Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, and Tony La Russa, who were voted in by the Veterans Committee in early December. Notables: Jack Morris received 61.5% of votes in his 15th and final year on the ballot, and Mike Piazza received 62.2% in his second year on the ballot. PED users: Roger Clemens-35.4%, Barry Bonds- 34.7%, Mark McGwire- 11%, Sammy Sosa- 7.2%, and Rafael Palmeiro- 4.4%.

Here are more details on the new inductees:
Starting Pitcher Greg Maddux
- received 97.2% of votes
- played from 1986-2008 with Cubs, Braves, Dodgers, and Padres
- 355-227 record, 3.16 ERA, and 3,371 K's in 5008.1 innings  pitched

Starting Pitcher Tom Glavine
- received 91.9% of votes
- played from 1987-2008 with Braves and Mets
- 305-203 record, 3.54 ERA, and 2,607 K's in 4413.1 innings pitched

First Basemen/Designated Hitter Frank Thomas
- received 83.7% of votes
- played from 1990-2008 with White Sox, Athletics, and Blue Jays
- .301 AVG, 521 HR, and 1,704 RBI's

Bobby Abreau attempting comeback?

It's not really a comeback since he never retired, but ageless Bobby Abreau is looking to return to the bigs. Teams that need a DH and a bat, like the Twins and Royals could look to get him. With spring training only ONE month away, expect the Offseason to heat up.

Maddux, Glavine and Thomas elected

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas are the Three players who are in the HOF this year.

Final Hall Of Fame predictions 1-7-14

I recently watched MLB Networks "Hall of Fame Debate". All Winter long I've been thinking about who I would elect, and who I want in the HOF. This is probably the toughest ballot I've ever witnessed, and that's a statement I don't say very often. If I had a HOF Ballot I would vote for 5 players. First off is Greg Maddux, he's a lock in all voters minds. He might be the BEST player from the 90's. 2nd, I go Craig Biggio. The Stros are a team that is currently deprived of talent, but their plast shows a different story, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell(Not on my list) led the Astros to multiple playoff aperences during the early '00s. Biggio put up some of the best numbers in Astros history and should defenently be in the Hall. Third, I go Glavine. Personally, I have a stronge grudge against Tom because of the fact he doomed the Mets in '07. Nevertheless, Glavine deserves his plague, He had control on the mound. He had multiple All-Star years, and is one of the best Braves of all time. Mike Piazza is fourth on my ballot because is the best hitting catcher of all time. His defense wasn't complete, but his bat was legend. The only other Catcher that comes close to Piazza, is Jeff Bagwell, who had a higher OBP. Lastly Frank Thomas makes my ballot. The fact that he had more walks then strikeouts speak volumes to me. I would be shocked not to see him get the 75%. Other memorable players that just missed my ballot are Jack Morris, Jeff Kent and Mike Mussina..... And all the members of the steroid gang (Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, McGuire). I think Jack Morris was great, though I never saw him pitch, I've heard so much about him and his memorable World Series. Jeff Kent will make it one day, I'm sure of it. He is one of the best hitting Second Baseman in Baseball history, but this years competition is to great. Baseball Think Factory has tracked the 30% of the votes released and 4 of my 5 players are currently in. Piazza on has 70% of the votes, and will need 5% more from the other 70% of the voters that haven't released there votes. I fully expect all 5 players to get in tomorrow, however if there's one more player that might squeak in, it's Jeff Bagwell. And if one of my five don't make it in, I'll think its Mike Piazza. There's no doubt Piazza will make it in, but it might take some time. Don't forget to watch the elections at Noon ET on the MLB Network.