NHL Playoffs: Stanley Cup Final Predictions

We’ve finally made it! June has officially arrived, Winnipeg has an NHL team again, and finally we have the Stanley Cup Finals. It’s getting a lot easier to keep track of, but how about my last round’s predictions.

1. [Bruins in 7]. What a series that was. Completely made my expectations, though if Boston wants to drink from the cup, they’ll have to play even better than they did. And just in case it was at all lost on anyone, my prediction was bang on.

2. [Sharks in 6]. Okay, so this one wasn’t all that bang on after all. Going along with my previous prediction, I said that the winner of Detroit/San Jose would win the cup, and I really thought the Sharks had a legitimate shot, especially with the way they were coming up when it mattered. But in the end, the banged up Sharks (Joe Thornton? Separated shoulder? Seriously?) were just too worn out after tackling the Red Wings, and the Canucks needed only 5 games to seal it.

Stanley Cup Final

Vancouver (1) vs. Boston (3)

You might not remember, but in my last series of predictions, I wrote that I had carried for most if not all of the playoffs. They were:

1. The champion would come from the west

2. The winner of Detroit/San Jose would win the cup

3. If Detroit won game 6, they would take game 7.

So, I was wrong about that third one. And hey, I was wrong about the second one. Some might argue that I should quit while I’m ahead, but that first and foremost prediction is the one I’ve believed the longest, and I’m sticking to it. Vancouver has not only stuck around in these playoffs, they’ve really gotten better each round they’ve played. Throughout the entire third round, I found I wasn’t questioning Roberto Luongo for about the first playoff series he’s been a part of. Though Tim Thomas is as worthy an opponent as there could be on the other side, you have to give Roberto credit. On paper, Vancouver really has superior depth at every position to the Bruins, and it’s almost their series to win. For the Bruins to be successful, they’re going to need to keep getting big performances from their big performers. They’ll need David Krejci, Nathan Horton, and especially the physical, hard forechecking abilities of Milan Lucic, and any big offensive contribution from him will be a bonus if he uses his size well. The Achilles heel of the Bruins so far has been giving up an early lead, especially in that last Tampa Bay series. They just can’t afford. The other thing the Bruins can do well is to shut a team down to the point of frustration, and if there’s one thing that unwinds the Canucks, it’s losing focus and composure while another team gets in their face. It might be wishful thinking, but I’d like this series to go the distance.

The Pick: Canucks in 7

NHL Playoffs: Third Round Predictions

Hello again! Well, there’s no denying it, that second round was pretty rough. With that said, I’m not proud of my 1-3 record, so I feel the need to explain some of the lessons that I’ve learned in my review of last round’s predictions. Like before, last round’s predictions in the [].

1. [Capitals in 7]. This is one where I definitely learned a lesson about not going with my gut. Though the Caps looked a lot better on paper, and had beaten a much weaker Rangers team fairly easily, Tampa beat a much better team, had momentum coming in, and had a much better goalie between the pipes. With that being said, I don’t see how anyone could have predicted the sweep.
2.  [Bruins in 6].  Well, I’m glad I properly predicted Philadelphia’s demise. But I’ll say it again, who was predicting the sweep there?
3. [Predators in 7]. Okay, this was a pretty dumb pick, and I kind of knew it at the time, but the thought of being one of the only ones to take Nashville after a potential Canucks collapse was just too tempting. And though it wasn’t always pretty, the Canucks depth was just too much for the Predators to handle. Great series though.
4. [Detroit in 6]. Well the first three games of that series kind of ruined that prediction. But the comeback was highly impressive, and after taking game 6 I really thought the Wings were gonna stomp into San Jose and grab game 7. But the Sharks woke up just in time, and they took it…whatcha gonna do?

And now, round 3. Onwards!

Eastern Conference

Boston (3) vs. Tampa Bay (5)

You’d think after picking against them twice, I would have learned my lesson in not going with Tampa Bay. But call me crazy, I’m about to make it three rounds in a row. Taking previous lessons learned into account, Boston is just the better team. Tim Thomas outshines Dwayne Roloson, David Krejci outshines Sean Bergenheim, and Zdeno Chara outshines Eric Brewer.  And after faltering against Montreal, Boston really seemed to find their physical play against Philly, and that’s a way that if played well, can grind the Bolts down to dust. And while both defence corps will hold very strong against two teams with good offence, the depth of the Bruins just speaks volumes. Oh, and the most important part? My gut, which I didn’t follow nearly well enough last round, says that Boston will take this one. But hey, it’s really anyone’s series, and Tampa just might well be that team that refuses to lose this year.

The Pick: Bruins in 7

Western Conference

Vancouver (1) vs. San Jose (2)

I don’t think anyone could have asked for a better Conference finals. The other night, right before San Jose’s game 7, I posted a couple blanket predictions I’ve made all playoffs/second round long on twitter (@cookes_corner). I said that:

1. The champion would come from the west
2. The winner of Detroit/San Jose would win the cup
3. If Detroit won game 6, they would take game 7.

Well, obviously I was wrong on the third one, but I’m still going to stand by the first two for as long as I can. Both these teams are very similar – they have great depth, and high profile forwards that have both shown up and been completely off the radar in a variety of games during the playoff run. They have a good defence, with both vets and young guys, that isn’t going to score a lot, but (for the most part), won’t give up a lot of goals. The biggest difference between these teams is in arguably the most important position – in net. Do you take a Stanley Cup winner or an Olympic gold medal winner? Based on the first two rounds, I think it’s pretty obvious. Though he has great regular seasons, Roberto Luongo just gets shaky in the playoffs. Yes he wins games, makes big saves and all that jazz, but the confidence just never seems to be quite there. And he’s not the pillar of confidence that a lot of teams count on in the playoffs. Antti Niemi, who had a good but not great regular season, has been on fire in the playoffs, and completely shut the door on the Red Wings last series. Whatever happens, this series will come down to goaltending.

The Pick: Sharks in 6.

NHL Playoffs: Second Round Predictions

Hello again. First, let me start off by saying that I’m very happy with the NHL’s scheduling decision to start the second round just one night after the end of the first round. Even though it means I need to be quite quick on these predictions, (about a half hour until game one) its nice not to have a week to overthink things. Now, before I begin round two, a quick recap of my 5-3 round one picks. I’ve also listed my first round picks in the [] bracket things.

1. [Caps in 5] Caps in 5? Hey, you heard it here first.
2. [Buffalo in 7] Well in my defense, Buffalo did make it to the seventh game. But by that point, Philly had just worked them until they had nothing left in the tank. Right number of games, wrong team.
3. [Bruins in 6] Well, I had known it was going to be close, but not that close! The Habs played their butts off, Carey Price was outstanding, and Montreal almost upset the big B’s.
4. [Pens in 6] Wow, did I underestimate the Lightning. The Penguins, who even found themselves up 3-1 and had a chance of fulfilling my prophecy, laid down and let the Lightning steamroll them in game 5, easily win in game 6, and beat them in a game 7 squeaker. Bye bye Crosby, bye bye Malkin, bye bye Penguins.
5. [Canucks in 5] I thought I had this one in the bag. Especially after the game 4 meltdown, I thought the Canucks would come back on home ice and bring it home in 5. Oops.
6. [Sharks in 6] I don’t mean to gloat, but please refer to point number one.
7. [Red Wings in 6] Well, one first round sweep later, I wasn’t looking so good. But before round one you would have been hard pressed to find anyone who would have thought Phoenix would be as bad as they were, so there.
8. [Ducks in 7] Arguably my biggest gaffe. Way underestimated goaltending, defence, and even some spot offence from Jordin Tootoo! However, definitely sad to see a 50 goal scorer not go further.

And now, without further ado, round two!

Eastern Conference

Washington (1) vs. Tampa Bay (5)

In the first round, Tampa Bay showed what they can do when it comes to depth, and a 40+ year old Dwayne Roloson who looks close to as good as he did leading the Edmonton Oilers to a Stanley Cup final. While their big stars are shining, members of their supporting cast (outlined in my round predictions) are still stepping up. For the Caps, it’s going to be about how big their stars can be. While they got good goaltending in round one, they’re going to need great goaltending in round two. Alex Semin is going to have to continue to produce, Ovechkin and Backstrom need to be better, and the rest of the Capitals really have nowhere to hide. With all that being said, I think Washington can take this. A good offence can be built on a solid defence that is capable of shutting down Tampa’s weapons. It’s a gamble pick, but even with the questions in net, Washington can survive another series.

The Pick: Capitals in 7

Philadelphia (2) vs. Boston (3)

What a doozie! A repeat of last year’s semi final, where Boston taught us that even a 3-0 series lead isn’t safe against these Flyers. Both teams are coming off grueling seven game series’, and both with a lot to prove. Like Montreal, Boston is facing a team who outskills them, but this time, that team is almost as big as they are too. The kicker in this series is the goaltending – Boston has a Vezina candidate, Philadelphia has three inconsistent backup caliber guys. If Boston does nothing but fire blanks, they and their goalie can be beaten. But  I think Boston can put some pucks in the net, and I’m taking the upset.

The Pick: Bruins in 6

Western Conference

Vancouver (1) vs. Nashville (5)

Don’t. Underestimate. Nashville. Okay, it’s definitely a lesson I’ve learned, and one I’ll carry into this series. Though it wasn’t all pretty, Nashville competed very well with the Ducks, a team fairly similar to Vancouver. Though their lack of elite players showed, especially when they took a lot of penalties, Nashville has a definite chance. And if they can frustrate Vancouver right off the hop, the Canucks might not be able to figure out yet another comeback. And then there’s Luongo, who everyone is just looking for a little bit of consistency from. I might be over compensating here, but I’ll take another upset.

The Pick: Predators in 7

San Jose (2) vs. Detroit (3)

Hey – it’s weird that the 1,2,3 and 5 seeds from both conferences were the ones that advanced. San Jose was once again the pillar of sketchy playoff performing they usually were. This time, Detroit will be a big shock and a big difference from the inexperienced LA Kings they faced in the first round. Detroit will probably be rusty at first, with over a week off between games, but they just looked so good against Phoenix that it’s tough to imagine them losing this one as well. San Jose is good – just too many questions, plus Anti Niemi would have to stand on his head – which is possible, but highly unlikely.

The Pick: Detroit in 6

NHL Playoffs: First Round Predictions

It’s that wonderful time of the year again – the NHL playoffs. And the playoffs wouldn’t be the playoffs without an attempt to predict what’s about to take place in the first round. I know I’m a little late posting this, I haven’t had time to think about a hockey blog with all the end-of year school work that’s hit, but the picks were made before last night, I promise. So without further ado…

Eastern Conference

Washington (1) vs. New York Rangers (8)

It’s been an up and down year for the Capitals. Along with their number one seed, they had a 10 game losing streak played out over an HBO special, and have learned how to deal with decreased production from their big three of Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin. The Rangers have again somewhat coasted in the post-season. Starting with King Henrik in net, they have a pretty young team, especially on defence. When Marian Gaborik has been on, he’s been very good, and when he’s been off, he’s been pretty bad. Vinny Prospal had a great second half to the year, and they’ve also had career years from some young guns, including Derek Stepan, and Ryan Callahan.

But where the Caps have the advantage in this series is the total revamp of their system. After being a hockey team that was full of flashy offence and 5-4 wins, Bruce Boudreau has preached defence first all year, and his team has responded. Unlike last year at this time, the Caps are okay losing games 2-1 and 3-2, and they don’t panic when the puck isn’t going in. Facing one of the league’s best tenders in Lundqvist in round one will test their patience and their defence. Of course, if the two teams had each other’s goalies this one wouldn’t even be close, but a lot would have to go wrong for the Caps to have this series come down to their lack of an all star goalie.

The Pick: Capitals in 5

Philadelphia (2) vs. Buffalo (7)

This is going to be a very interesting series. The Flyers have been a top team all year, have huge depth up front, and a solid defence corps, especially when Chris Pronger is healthy, though how much he’ll play is yet to be seen. Unfortunately they’ve had a pretty rough March and April, and aren’t exactly coming into this series on a big high. On the other hand, the Sabres  are coming in confident. With no Derek Roy for most of the year, the team has been in the hands of depth guys like Vanek, Pominville, and Stafford, and the contributions from Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis haven’t gone unnoticed. Whether Ryan Miller is 100% healthy is unknown, and on paper, a banged-up Miller is still better than a Bobrovsky/Boucher tandem, but after Boucher helped take this team to the Finals last year, that might not necessarily be the case. It’s a series that’s impossible to predict,  and the Flyers should win this, but if there’s going to be an Eastern upset, this one has lots of potential.

The Pick: Sabres in 7

Boston (3) vs. Montreal (6)

This is the instant rivalry that everyone was hoping for. The past aside, these two teams have played some high scoring, rock ‘em sock ‘em type games full of intensity this year, and that was even before last month’s Max Pacioretty/Zdeno Chara incident. Of the six games against each other over the year, Montreal was able to win four of them. Carey Price has silenced some critics with his goaltending, and isn’t getting booed at home any more. Oft-injured all star Andrei Markov couldn’t stay healthy again this year, which stretched the Habs’ blue line pretty thin, and was a blow that the ever exciting P.K. Subban was able to help soften. Up front, they’re full of every team’s favourite – depth guys. Mathieu Darche, David Desharnais, have put in a solid year for the red and blue, and rookie Lars Eller has also impressed, especially with the lack of output from Scott Gomez. But the big, bad Bruins are exactly that, skilled and tough. They’ve stepped up their game in the second half and can compete with the Habs’ skill. And with a Vezina winner between the pipes, they shouldn’t be beaten there.

The Pick: Bruins in 6

Pittsburgh (4) vs. Tampa Bay (5)

This series matches the Buffalo/Philly matchup in toughness to predict. As everyone knows, Malkin is out for the season and Crosby is still MIA after a January concussion, but the Penguins have surprised everyone with their ability to put together a good enough record sans superstars to finish in fourth. They’ve had core guys like Chris Kunitz step up, and recently acquired James Neal should make an impact in the playoffs as well. The Lightning have aligned themselves behind playoff veteran Dwayne Roloson, and even though Steven Stamkos couldn’t keep up with the pace he set at the beginning of the year, they still have weapons in St. Louis, a rejuvenated Lecavalier, and young guys like Nate Thompson and Teddy Purcell. This series is going to come down to the defence, which side can shut down the opposition snipers, and which goalie can stand on their head. Pittsburgh has been an annual contender for about the last five, and they have the edge in big-game experience.

The Pick: Penguins in 6

Western Conference

Vancouver (1) vs. Chicago (8)

Just like the Boston/Montreal series, this one is another big rivalry. The Hawks, who squeaked into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season, lost a lot of their depth in the off-season, and though they aren’t the same team that won the cup last year, they have many similar parts, including their big three of Toews, Kane, and Sharp. The Canucks are going into the playoffs as good as they’ve ever been, with the Sedin twins leading the charge. Aside from their struggles on the blue line, the Canucks boast one of the deepest teams in the league right now. Though Chicago has names like Keith and Seabrook on defence, the full corps haven’t played well enough. The last two years these teams have played, Vancouver has won the first game and then gone on to lose the series. Even though Chicago struggled this year and wound up in eighth, they’re hoping that they can psych out the Canucks enough to steal a huge series.

The Pick: Canucks in 5

San Jose (2) vs. Los Angeles (7)

This series is going to be a battle of two inconsistent teams looking to string together some big wins. The Sharks, who have a potential Calder trophy candidate in Logan Couture, quietly soared into the second spot in the west. While they’ve often had no trouble getting into a good spot, playoff inexperience has plagued this franchise for years, and a first round upset would be a disaster. For the Kings, they’ve been hot and cold, and will start the playoffs without their two top scorers in Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. An advantage the Kings have is in net, where Quick and Bernier can, for the most part, be counted on when the other falters. Another X factor is top prospect Brayden Schenn, whose junior team, the Saskatoon Blades, were eliminated from the WHL playoffs But for the Kings to upset in this series, they’ll need catch this Sharks team by surprise, and ride some hot goaltending into the semis.

The Pick: Sharks in 6

Detroit (3) vs. Phoenix (6)

While this hasn’t really achieved rivalry status, these two teams always seem to cross paths in the playoffs. This year, Detroit is coming in as their usual annual favourited self’s. Though Henrik Zetterberg will miss chunks of this series with injury, they’ve got the blue line anchored by Lidstrom, veterans like Datsyuk, Franzen, and Holmstrom up front, and a goalie who’s been here before in Jimmy Howard. Like the Penguins, this team’s experience in long playoff runs is key, as is coach Mike Babcock, who knows how to get the best out of his team. For the Coyotes, it’s merely a shame they got the Wings in the first round. Amid relocation rumours all season, they’ve put together a good run, with vets Shane Doan and Ray Whitney leading a group of young forwards, and Keith Yandle anchoring the blue line as one of the best offensive defenceman in the game. And in net, Ilya Bryzgalov has also quietly put together a consistent year. Though the Wings team they’re facing may not be as good as some of the past ones, it’s pretty close. To win this one, Phoenix would need get timely scoring, convert on close to all their chances, and absolutely snuff out the Wings’ snipers, something they’ve never been able to accomplish.

The Pick: Red Wings in 6

Anaheim (4) vs. Nashville (5)

Talk about two teams who finished well above where experts had projected them to. The Anaheim Ducks weren’t even thinking playoffs when they got off to a bad start back in October. But after good goaltending from Hiller, inspired play from vets like Koivu and Selanne, and an MVP- caliber season from Corey Perry, the Ducks roared back to snag the fourth place spot. Down in Nashville, the franchise’s first and only head coach Barry Trotz has a team that believes. Though they don’t blow you away on paper, Pekka Rinne getting hot at the right time might be a Jaroslav Halak repeat in this year’s playoffs. Shea Weber and Ryan Suter anchor an underrated defence corps that has shut out many teams all season. And players like Sergei Kostitsyn, Martin Erat, and Patric Hornqvist have all stepped up their games to huge levels. While many people tend to count out the Predators because they’re the Predators, time will tell if their defence can do enough to stop the Perry/Getzlaf/Ryan combination.

The Pick: Ducks in 7

Did I miss anything? Am I way off the mark? Comment at me, chirp me, let me hear from you. And come back in a couple weeks for my second round predictions.

All Star Bust

There have been times in my life I’ve been called pessimistic, cynical, and have been compared to a grumpy old man.
And though some of those times I deserved some of those names, I don’t care what anyone thinks when I say that the NHL all star game reached whole new levels of ridiculous this past weekend in Carolina.

Now, the All Star captains picking their own teams was actually a somewhat interesting idea, kind of like a good song that you hear on the radio for the first time. But just like the radio that overplays the crap out of that song you used to like, hockey analysts took this to a whole new level. Up until last weekend, I thought that the six-hour Superbowl pre-game show was the biggest overkill in pro sports coverage. But after all the mock drafts, player analysis, and unreal scrutiny, I almost began to reconsider.
When it comes to sports journalists and their love of mock drafts and fantasy leagues, it’s a love I understand, and actively participate in. But as  much as I considered perhaps doing a mock draft of my own, I realized why this one just stunk.
I’m not sure how any of those two team captains could possibly have screwed that up. In a game that lacks about 60% of the speed and 90% of the intensity of any other game, the end result of the game would be pretty similar no matter how the other top 40 players were split up.
But the game of hockey isn’t made for a super intense, highly competitive all-star game. It’s badass – a game that is thrilling partly because of the potential danger factor. So when you gather a tight knit group of superstars right about to gear up for the playoff push, no one is playing too hard, or to outwork their opponents, especially when there’s nothing on the line. Without any of that, it makes for a dull game, and a fairly boring draft, especially when there are post-pick interviews after almost every selection.

So, because it wouldn’t be right to rip on the process without offering a solution, here goes. Keep the draft, and the captains, but change up the style of picking. Once each captain makes the first selection, the player that they picked will make the next pick for that team, and so on and so forth, until everyone is picked (yes, there will be a last player picked, and no, they shouldn’t win a car for being partially embarrassed for two minutes while they think about how much money they make, and how they’re still one of the top 50 hockey players in the WORLD, but I’m getting off topic). That way, the picks are even more random than they are now, and there won’t be any crazy picking trends to overanalyze each captain with.

Because I don’t want to beat a dead horse, I’ll limit my skills competition analysis to my three least favourite things.
1. The breakaway challenge. The shootout at the end was pretty fun, what with players actually trying to score and goalies actually trying to save it. That Alex Ovechkin goal was almost pretty cool, until you realized that Marc-Andre Fleury had just laid out in a sprawl in the crease. This challenge was so bad that if the MLB announced players would run the bases while balancing a ball on a bat during the home run derby, they would be equally pointless.
2. That relay challenge. It was kind of like watching a band that’s really bad live. It seemed exciting on paper, but it ended up being pretty gimmicky, and lacked any real entertainment.
3. Almost every camera angle. I love CBC, and their near-flawless hockey coverage, but every on ice camera seemed to cut off something from view. However, this also helped me realize that not being able to see it was a lot worse than actually watching it. How’s that for some positive perspective!

And the game itself? It was exactly as I expected it. A great experience for the fans, a laid-back kind of fun for the players, and for hardcore hockey fans, a pretty boring game meant to be taken with a grain of salt. As I said, hockey isn’t a game that meshes well with the idea of an all star game that actually means something. And may the NHL continue to try different and equally crazy gimmicks for years to come. When and if they find something that works, I’ll be the first one to admit it.

Bolstering the Bullpen

Over the course of writing this week, I figured that I should address the updates that happened regarding my last post.
Mere days after acquiring Mike Napoli, the Jays addressed their glaring bullpen needs by trading him to the AL champion Texas Rangers for reliever Frank Francisco, who they’ve now successfully signed after arbitration to a 1 year deal worth $4 mil.

Along with making any keeners who custom ordered their Blue Jays’ Napoli jersey (and there HAS to be someone) look foolish, they improved the weakest facet of their 2011 team, their bullpen (though the pitching situation as a whole takes a close second).
In case you missed it, the Jays lost a big chunk of their pen in the offseason, with Kevin Gregg, Brian Tallet, and Scott Downs among the group to leave. With Francisco in town, the closer’s job is almost his to lose, with FA signings Jon Rauch and Octavio Dotel his main competition.

But the scariest part of the Jays’ pen this year is all the question marks in it, for example…

Can Jesse Litsch be a return from injury to be effective? He should end up competing for the fifth starter’s job, but if he doesn’t make it there, he’ll probably be seeing time in the bullpen. The Jays have seen good things in the past, but whether or not he can stay healthy is yet to be seen.

And speaking of injured, it would be nice to get the Casey Janssen of a few years ago back as well.

David Purcey had some solid appearances last year after being taken out of the starting rotation. The Jays’ new development strategy for him seems to be working, hopefully he can become a solid lefty out of the pen.

Carlos Villanueva, acquired in their wheeling and dealing with the Milwaukee Brewers, has been an inconsistent arm with potential the past few years in Wisconsin. He’s like the 2011 Jays’ version of a Brandon League (without that lightning arm), and joins a team that pitches to the toughest division in baseball, so what kind of guy the Jays get will remain to be seen.

A fairly busy offseason is looking to lead up to an interesting 2011. And with spring training now mere weeks away, these questions will not go unanswered for long.

Bye Bye Vernon, Hello Big Bucks

Wow.

That seems to be a word that baseball fans, well, mostly Toronto Blue Jays and LA Angels followers, have been saying this week after the Jays unloaded their face of the franchise – and I’m pretty sure he’s the face on the Blue Jays’ dollar bills – centre (that’s center out in California) fielder Vernon Wells to the Angels for C/1B/DH/Infield enthusiast Mike Napoli and veteran outfielder Juan Rivera. A trade that would have made shock waves no matter what, the fact that no one saw it coming made it that much juicier.

After taking a couple of days to let it sink in, both fan bases seem to be pretty divided on the issue. For Angels fans, it is a gold gloving all star they’re getting for their outfield, regardless of his $86 mil/4 years price tag. On the other side of the equation, they’re losing a guy in Napoli that many fans think manager Mike Scioscia didn’t give a fair shot behind the plate, and who has a bit of pop too. The one player they shouldn’t be too worried about losing is Juan Rivera, who, coincidentally, is the one player Jays fans shouldn’t be too excited about getting. Nothing against Juan, but more on him in a minute.

For Jays fans, they’re losing a superstar who has spent nine full seasons, and parts of another three on the team. And in the opinion of many, it’s hard to see how this trade makes this team better, now. On the other hand, unloading a contract as monster as Wells’ was is a giant accomplishment, and I’m sure if it was up to some Jays’ fans, GM Alex Anthopolous would get a spot on the Level of Excellence just for that.

Of course time will tell who wins this trade, and fans have the right to carry a strong opinion on either side of the issue, but it’s best to understand WHY both GMs made this deal.

The Angels are a team that needs to make a push. Playing in the four team AL West, they have a 25% chance of grabbing a playoff spot every year. WIth the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s not in that picture just yet, it’s a really a race between them and the Texas Rangers. While we all know how that ended last year, it’s a race the Angels are used to winning. Missing out on big name free agents like Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre also left a bitter taste in their mouth (though let’s get serious, it’s hard for any team not called Yankees, Red Sox or Phillies to have a bitter taste in their mouth during the offseason signings), and they were looking for a big boost. While Vernon’s contract was huge, that’s almost becoming the norm for baseball stars lately, and GM Tony Reagins knew an upgrade would be costly.  Another perk is that Wells has always crushed the ball out of the Ballpark in Arlington, and he’ll see a lot more of his hometown team playing on the west coast. The Angels in the outfield this season will most likely have young gun Peter Bourjos in centre, between a couple of ex-Gold Glove centerfielders in Wells and Torii Hunter. If Wells returns to form, it could be a great season in LA. But if he tanks, things could get rough.

The Blue Jays are a team in the toughest division in baseball, who have really been trying to rebuild in some way or another for close to 10 years. And though many Rogers customers have had cell phone bills that could fund the left side of the infield, money doesn’t grow on trees like it does for their toughest competition. With that being said, the colossal unloading of cash in this deal is just insane. With Wells set to earn 23 mil on the season, and Napoli and Rivera combined coming in at close to 11 mil, it’s a financial freedom the Jays have been longing for since pretty much the day the deal was signed. Though he’s no gold glover, Napoli gives the Jays some versatility, along with a little bit of pop. The starting catcher’s job appears to be J.P. Arencibia’s to lose, but Napoli can make some spot starts behind the plate, play at first vs. LHP, or DH. For Rivera, he’s a veteran who will grab a spot in right field, and he has half decent pop. However, he was only in this deal because the Angels wanted to trade him, and he helped offset the Wells contract. Anything extra from him would really be a bonus for the Jays. In the end, it’s a trade that the Jays would make one hundred times over, and if nothing else, gives this team a lot more options than they’ve had in a while.