Ahead of the game

Deuces Wild

By: Harold McIlvain II

Posted: 1/30/08

Now that the fall semester has started, and unfortunately the habit of doing school work has reestablished itself as first tests approach, spring season baseball will be upon us before we know it. But let's be good students by getting a head start on the major trades and free-agent signings that have happened in the MLB off season.

There was one block buster trade that you surely heard about. It was the trade that sent Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers, which could be a trade that puts the Tigers over the top in the American League. One could argue now that the Yankees are only second fiddle when it comes to the most explosive line-up from top to bottom.

The trade inserts Cabrera into an already beastly line-up that includs Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield and Carlos Guillen. Also adding to the line-up will be free agent pick up Edgar Renteria, who will be a nice complement to the power bats.

All the offense is nice, but what made the trade a greater value for the Tigers was the addition of a young arm in Willis. He doesn't have to be 'the man' anymore in a rotation that will be led by Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman. It will be interesting to see how this powerful team does as spring training leads into the new season.

Andruw Jones will be finding a new home in L.A. after spending 12 seasons in Atlanta. Jones had his worst year during a contract year, which hurt his value as he only received at two-year deal from the Dodgers. New Manager Joe Torre will want more out of Jones than his 2007 numbers, a .222 average with just 26 homers.

Torii Hunter, a Pine Bluff native, not unlike Jones, will call L.A. home after 11 seasons with the Twins. The Angles hope Hunter will be a key piece to make their line-up more dynamic alongside Vladimir Guerrero.

The Japanese market opened itself up again this year with the big signing of Kosuke Fukudome for the Cubs. The four-year, $48 million outfielder has five-tool type of ability that is being compared to Ichiro. It will be interesting to see if the 30-year-old lefty will be able to put up comparable numbers in the MLB while coming off a right elbow injury that cut his 2007 short.

The second big-time signing from the Japanese market this year was Hiroki Kuroda for the L.A. Dodgers. Kuroda is known for being a control type pitcher and experts have him slotted at a double-digit win total with an ERA in the high threes. He was able to display pin-point accuracy in Japan, so it will be interesting to see how he does in the pitcher friendly National League.

Astro fans have to be excited to hear the news of the addition of Miguel Tejada to the team. However, Astro fans can't be too excited about the FBI investigating Tejada for lying when he told federal authorities he never took steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.

Tejada should be a good fit in Houston as long as he stays out of trouble. He is an iron man who has played six seasons in a row. That has to count for something, along with his career .287 average, but his power numbers seem to be on the decline. He will be a nice fit in the line-up along side Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence.

Houston also nabbed closer Jose Valverde who will be a great addition to a team that had problems last year closing out games.

Additional players finding new homes include: Dan Haren being traded to the Diamondbacks, Nick Swisher being traded to the White Sox and Tom Glavine reuniting with Atlanta.

Harold McIlvain II is a senior staff writer for The Arkansas Traveler.