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twins2994 · 6 years ago

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2019 American League Central Preview

Chicago White Sox (62-100) in 2018.

Additions: Ivan Nova RHP, Manny Banuelos LHP, Kelvin Herrera RHP, Alex Colome RHP, James McCann C, Yonder Alonso 1B, Jon Jay OF, Ervin Santana RHP.

Subtractions: Omar Narvaez C (SEA), Kevan Smith C (LAA), Matt Davidson 1B/3B (TEX), Avisail Garcia OF (TB), Ryan LaMarre OF (ATL), Miguel Gonzalez RHP (FA), James Shields RHP (FA), and Danny Farquhar (NYY)

The Chicago White Sox keep rebuilding, but they are going to be somewhat improved this year. The White Sox lineup should be a good one with some well-known names like Jose Abreu, Yonder Alonso, and Tim Anderson. The Sox are waiting for Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez to emerge on the scene. Daniel Palka had a great 2018 and the Sox are hoping for it to continue. He has always had power and it shows up big time in that ballpark. Chicago has a young rotation with Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito, and Carlos Rodon. Ivan Nova is a nice addition to provide a veteran presence. Michael Kopech is out for the season with Tommy John Surgery, which hurts the team moving forward. The bullpen is much improved with Alex Colome, Kelvin Herrera, Nate Jones, and Jace Fry, If they can stay healthy then the Sox should be a decent team all year.

Cleveland Indians (91-71) in 2018.

Additions: Jon Edwards RHP, Kevin Plawecki C, Brad Miller IF, Carlos Santana 1B/DH, Jake Bauers 1B/OF, Jordan Luplow OF, Chih-Wei Hu RHP,

Subtractions: Michael Brantley OF (HOU), Erik Gonzalez IF (PIT), Cody Allen RHP (LAA), Andrew Miller LHP (STL), Rajai Davis OF (FA), Melky Cabrera OF (PIT), Edwin Encarnacion 1B/DH (SEA), Yan Gomes C (WSH).

The Cleveland Indians lost some talent from their three-time defending American League teams. They lost some big names like Michael Brantley, Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Edwin Encarnacion, and Yan Gomes. The Tribe didn’t do much to replace those guys. They added Carlos Santana to replace Edwin Encarnacion. The bullpen didn’t get much for reinforcements. Tyler Olsen, Dan Otero, Adam Cimber, and Neil Ramirez will all have more high leverage roles to set-up Brad Hand. I think the bullpen will be the key to the Indians season. Cleveland also has injuries to Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, and possibly Jose Ramirez to start the year. They need a decent start to stave off the Twins in the division.

Detroit Tigers (64-98) in 2018.

Additions: Matt Moore LHP, Tyson Ross RHP, Josh Harrison 2B, Gordon Beckham IF, Jordy Mercer SS, Dustin Peterson OF.

Subtractions: Jim Aducci 1B/OF (CHC), Jose Iglesias SS (CIN), Victor Martinez DH (Retired), Alex Wilson RHP (MIL), Francisco Liriano LHP (PIT).

Ron Gardenhire got the Tigers off to a decent start last year before injuries and sub-par play plagued the rest of the season. The Tigers lost 98 games and are still rebuilding in 2018. Detroit made some changes this offseason. They non-tendered Jose Iglesias and signed Jordy Mercer to replace him. Josh Harrison will take over second base for the Tigers as well. Victor Martinez retired after a great career, so the team still doesn’t have a normal designated hitter. Niko Goodrum emerged as a star player for the Tigers. He hit 16 homers last year and will play around the whole field this year again. Michael Fulmer appears to be out for the year with Tommy John surgery. Mathew Boyd will need to fill his shoes. Tyson Ross and Matt Moore were added as reclamation projects. The Tigers should win a few more games, but that’s because Ron Gardenhire knows how to motivate his young players. It’ll be another long summer in Detroit.

Kansas City Royals (58-104) in 2018.

Additions: Martin Maldonado C, Lucas Duda 1B, Chris Owings IF, Billy Hamilton OF, Jake Diekman LHP, Brad Boxberger RHP,

Subtractions: Alcides Escobar SS (CWS), Paulo Orlando OF (LAD), Rosell Herrera OF (MIA), Blaine Boyer RHP (FA), Brandon Maurer RHP (PIT)

The Kansas City Royals are in the middle of a massive rebuild after two World Series runs this decade. Alcides Escobar is gone and only a few players remain from those great Royals team. Salvador Perez needed Tommy John surgery and is out for the entire season. That made the Royals sign Martin Maldonado to replace him. Lucas Duda was signed after the Twins released him in spring training to provide some pop in this lineup. Alex Gordon is still on the team and Billy Hamilton is an interesting addition. You think of all the old speedsters for the Royals in the 80′s and now they have Billy Hamilton. Vince Coleman, Willie Wilson, and Lonnie Smith. Billy Hamilton should provide some entertainment for Royals fans. Kansas City doesn’t have much pitching this year. Scott Barlow is a solid emerging pitcher to go along with Danny Duffy, Brad Keller, and Jake Junis in the starting rotation. Brad Boxberger and Jake Diekman help solidify a bullpen with Wily Peralta and Kevin McCarthy. The Royals are in for another tough year in Kansas City.

Minnesota Twins (78-84) in 2018.

Additions: Blake Parker RHP, Martin Perez LHP, Ryne Harper RHP, CJ Cron 1B, Marwin Gonzalez IF, Nelson Cruz DH, Ronald Torreyes IF,

Subtractions: Joe Mauer 1B (Retired), Chris Gimenez (Retired), Logan Forsythe 2B (TEX), Logan Morrison 1B (FA), Johnny Field OF (CHC), Matt Belisle RHP (FA), Alan Busenitz RHP (Japan), Oliver Drake RHP (TB), Ervin Santana RHP (CWS), Gregorio Petit IF (FA).

The Minnesota Twins are poised again to make a run at the Cleveland Indians in a putrid American League Central in 2019. They added big names like Nelson Cruz, CJ Cron, and Marwin Gonzalez to bolster their offense, who lost Joe Mauer and a few others in trade deadline deals in 2018. The offense should have no problem as Byron Buxton looks to get to superstar form after a terrible 2018 season. The lineup is not the question mark, but the pitching staff has some uncertainty heading into 2019. Can Jose Berrios continue to grow as the Twins ace? Can Kyle Gibson bounce back from an E-Coli illness this offseason? Michael Pineda and Martin Perez both looked sharp this spring and might be great additions to the rotation. The bullpen has a ton of good arms, but nothing too great. Blake Parker, Taylor Rogers, Trevor Hildenberger, Trevor May, and Addison Reed should form a well-rounded bullpen. Ryne Harper looked great as a potential long man. If the Twins contend then pitching will be better than we think.

-Chris Kreibich-

#MLB

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virgogear0-blog · 6 years ago

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The Bear’s Den, January 14, 2019

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS

DeYoung: Why the Bears made the right hire in Chuck Pagano - The Loop Sports - The Bears’ defensive coordinator spot was the most highly coveted coordinator position in the NFL. Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy had plenty of options, and none

Eurich: Adrian Amos fined for hit on Zach Ertz in playoffs - 247Sports - .Amos was fined $26,739 for a hit he placed on Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz in the Wild Card round.

Chasanov: Is Leonard Floyd worthy of his fifth-year option? - 247Sports - It was an up-and-down junior campaign for outside linebacker Leonard Floyd. Should the Bears exercise his fifth-year option or ask for more out of him in 2019?

Chicago Bears Hire Chuck Pagano as New Defensive Coordinator - The Chicago Audible Podcast - The Chicago Bears have officially hired Chuck Pagano to take over the defense in place of Vic Fangio.

Campbell: Chuck Pagano's path to the Bears took him up the NFL mountain - and back down - Chicago Tribune - New Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano is known for his charisma and connections with players. But his Colts defenses suffered from a variety of shortcomings.

Jordan Matthews totally trolled Bears mascot in divisional game, didn't he? - NBC Sports Chicago - Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews totally trolled Bears mascot Staley after scoring the opening touchdown in the NFL Divisional Game against the Saints on Sunday.

Medina: Shakeup in the Defensive Staff Could Result in Rob Ryan Coaching Bears OLBs - Bleacher Nation - One of Buddy Ryan's sons could be a candidate to replace outgoing Bears OLBs Coach Brandon Staley.

Medina: Ed Donatell to Choose Between Staying With Bears or Following Vic Fangio to Denver - Bleacher Nation - Ed Donatell has a difficult decision to make.

The 'Cody Parkey challenge' doesn't go well for Bears fans - ESPN Video - Fans in Chicago attempt the same field goal Cody Parkey missed last Sunday and the results didn't end well, including one person slipping as he kicked the ball.

Fans attempt to make Cody Parkey's missed 43-yard field goal - NFL Videos - Watch fans attempt to make a 43-yard field goal that was missed by Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey for a contest.

Potash: Parkey status, Fangio exit cloud otherwise rosy future for Bears, GM Ryan Pace - Sun Times - If the Bears had beaten the Eagles, they would have met their seed and arguably had a free roll the rest of the playoffs.

Morrissey: Chicago should have been watching the Bears play the Rams on Saturday - Sun Times - The Bears should have been playing the Rams on Saturday. They should have been playing a second-round game against a team they had beaten earlier.

Smith: What was it like trying to kick Cody Parkey's 43-yard field goal? Amateur hour - Sun Times - A hundred fans who thought they could do the maligned kicker's job tried and failed on Saturday.

Sneed: Blow up the Cody Parkey ball — says the man who blew up the Steve Bartman ball - Sun Times - A sports memorabilia expert said the infamous ball could fetch more than $100,000 at an auction.

Biggs: With Chuck Pagano in charge of the defense, Bears let OLB coach Brandon Staley go amid coaching staff changes - Chicago Tribune - After hiring Chuck Pagano as defensive coordinator Friday night, the Bears have gone to work remaking the coaching staff on that side of the ball. A league source says outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley has been let go.

4 changes to expect for Chicago Bears defense under Chuck Pagano - Bears Wire - Chuck Pagano takes over the Chicago Bears defense from Vic Fangio, and it might look and operate a little differently under new leadership.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Larry Fitzgerald “going to take a little time until everything slows down a bit” – ProFootballTalk - The Cardinals hired a new head coach this week and Kliff Kingsbury was asked about the prospect of coaching wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald during the 2019 season.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) reacts after an interception by the New Orleans Saints caused by the self-proclaimed “best hands” player in the league butter handedly lost the his NFC Divisional playoff football game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Jeffery’s “double-hand doink” gave the game to New Orleans.

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

How much would you pay for a Detroit Lions conference championship ticket? - Pride Of Detroit - If the Lions were to ever host the NFC Championship, how much would you pay to see it?

Vikings - Raiders Mega Deal ? - Daily Norseman - The Oakland Raiders ended the season with the worst defense in the NFL in terms of points allowed, and near the bottom in yards allowed. Their offense wasn’t much better, finishing 28th in points...

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Brandon Staley out as outside linebackers coach for Chicago - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears are making some changes to their defensive coaching staff with Brandon Staley out as OLB coach, with the rumored coach to be added having ties to the 1985 Bears.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter:

WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/1/14/18181385/chicago-bears-den-offseason-links-news-information-pace-nagy-defensive-coaches-donatell-ryan-hicks

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junker-town · 6 years ago

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Leipold’s Buffalo should have a reset 2019 amid the breakthrough

Buffalo will be led by high-upside sophomores in 2019. That probably says great things about 2020.

By the end of 2018, Leipold had done most of what he had set out to do when he left comfortable surroundings for an unfamiliar venture.

At the age of 50, having just won his sixth Division III title in eight years at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Leipold had jumped to the MAC. He had spent two seasons stripping the Bulls down to the studs, but late in a rickety third season — lose two in a row, win three in a row, lose four in a row — things clicked. And it very much continued in year four.

After winning the last three games of 2017, Buffalo went 10-2 in the 2018 regular season, winning the MAC East and surging to a 29-10 lead over NIU in the conference title game. The Bulls had a sound defense — it peaked at 61st in Def. S&P+ — and an offense loaded with star power in the form of quarterback Tyree Jackson, receivers Anthony Johnson and K.J. Osborn, and All-MAC center James O’Hagan. All the foundation work, culture building, and talent identification was paying off.

After starting 10-23 in Buffalo, Leipold had won 13 of 15 and was on the doorstep of a conference title.

Now he has to realize the vision all over again. And for about 16 minutes longer.

The Bulls went into cruise control offensively after going up 19 points in the MAC Championship, and they couldn’t shift out of it. The Huskies scored the final 20 and won, 30-29. UB lost a fun Dollar General Bowl to Troy — no shame there — and then lost Johnson and O’Hagan to graduation, Jackson to early NFL draft declaration, and Osborn to grad transfer. (He’s a Miami Hurricane now.)

The defense, which had slipped to 83rd in Def. S&P+, retains some star power, but its two-deep got Thanos’d: three of the top five defensive linemen, two of three linebackers, and three of five defensive backs are all gone.

Leipold and Buffalo aren’t completely starting over. The culture is roughly in place. He’s still got a sturdy offensive line and exciting sophomores — running backs Jaret Patterson and Kevin Marks, receiver Charlie Jones, linebacker James Patterson, cornerback Aapri Washington, etc.

But with the way 2018 ended, UB fans are probably clamoring for an immediate do-over and another MAC run, and it might take a season of repair work before that happens.

Offense

Life with Tyree Jackson was a roller coaster. His footwork betrayed him at times. His arm angle would slouch, and despite his 6’7 stature, he’d throw like he was about 6’2. He’d willingly scramble out of the pocket on a play-making quest.

Jackson would sometimes slip into a rut — he went a combined 19-for-45 for 268 yards, one touchdown, and two picks in blowout losses to Army and Ohio, and his completion rate was 51 percent or lower in six of 14 games.

Those quests would frequently pay off, though. Buffalo did rank 10th in Passing S&P+, after all. Jackson was behind center for UB’s first 10-win season, and his success will be a recruiting tool.

But you have to think coordinator Andy Kotelnicki isn’t absolutely dreading life without him, you know? Jackson’s replacement will almost certainly have lower upside, but if that’s offset by better stability, maybe that’s a trade Leipold and Kotelnicki are willing to make. That’s the positive spin, anyway.

Barring a grad transfer, UB will be choosing from among a foursome of big (but not 6’7) replacements:

Junior Kyle Vantrease (6’3, 230, former three-star recruit), who saw a few snaps in reserve time last year but attempted only nine passes. In his only sustained action — filling in for an injured Jackson for two games in 2017 — he was no more consistent, going 25-for-57 against NIU and Miami (Ohio).

Junior Dominic Johnson (6’5, 220, unrated recruit), an Ontario product who also saw a handful of snaps and threw two passes — one to his team and one to the opponent.

Redshirt freshman Matt Myers (6’4, 220, two-star recruit), a state champ from nearby West Seneca who showed well in fall camp.

Incoming freshman Trevor Bycznski (6’5, 230, three-star recruit), who threw for 3,500 yards at Berea-Midpark High outside of Cleveland.

Kotelnicki will have to choose between two juniors with knowledge of the system and two youngsters with big arms and upside. They tasked Jackson with starting as a redshirt freshman back in 2016, so it wouldn’t be unheard of if they went young.

Whoever they choose will have a sturdy run game to lean on.

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Jarret Patterson

After a slow start to Jarret Patterson’s freshman season (19 carries for 71 yards in his first three games) the former gray shirt (he committed in the 2017 class but didn’t enroll until January 2018), erupted for 104 yards and two scores against Rutgers and barely looked back. The 5’9, 195-pounder was nearly as important to UB’s division title run as Jackson — in the Bulls’ last seven wins of the year, he averaged 6.4 yards per carry and 111 yards per game and scored 11 touchdowns.

In their four losses: 3.8 yards per carry, 41 yards per game, two touchdowns.

Patterson split time with Kevin Marks, another true freshman who played the role of short-yardage back. Though neither was incredibly explosive, they combined for a 46 percent success rate.

The line loses O’Hagan but is scheduled to return five players a combined 87 career starts, including a pair of potentially dynamite tackles in Evin Ksiezarczyk and Kayode Awosika. This isn’t a huge line, but to my eye, the Bulls’ run game was built primarily around zone blocking (which requires less size) and one-cut-and-go running. It worked pretty well.

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Charlie Jones

UB was a pretty run-heavy team in 2018 despite the star power in the passing game. The Bulls rushed 60 percent of the time on standard downs (right at the national average) and 42 percent on passing downs (well above). That was a stylistic choice, but it might be a necessity this time. In Johnson, Osborn, and George Rushing, they must replace a combined 132 receptions, 2,090 yards, and 22 touchdowns.

There are at least a couple of exciting options in the receiving corps. Tight end Tyler Mabry (27 catches, two touchdowns) was the most efficient target, and in Charlie Jones, UB might have another star. His route tree was similar to Johnson’s, and his per-target production was even better. He averaged 21.9 yards per catch over 18 receptions and played an explosive role in big games — he had three catches for 63 yards against Temple, one for 53 against Rutgers, two for 53 against Army, and two for 57 against Toledo.

Jones’ success might be tied to whether other receiving options emerge. There are plenty of candidates. Junior Antonio Nunn saw plenty of action, sophomore Rodney Scott III and incoming freshman Trevor Solomon-Wilson are former star recruits, and Leipold brought in two JUCOs in Daniel Lee and Larry Rembert Jr. If the run game is steady, and opponents have more than one WR to fear, Jones could have a huge year.

Defense

The Pattersons might become program-defining signees for UB. And they were grayshirts! While Jarret was helping to establish the Buffalo run game, his stockier brother James was leading the Bulls’ defense with nine tackles for loss and four forced fumbles from the linebacker position. His presence, alongside junior ends Taylor Riggins and Malcolm Koonce (combined: 10.5 TFLs, eight sacks), means the defense could still have a proven attacking presence.

Depth was a key for coordinator Brian Borland’s front seven last year, and there’s less of it this time. Linebacker Khalil Hodge is gone, as are pass-rush specialist Chuck Harris and leading interior lineman Justin Brandon. But Patterson, Riggins, Koonce, and other younger players like sophomore linebacker Tim Terry Jr., sophomore tackle Eddie Wilson, and junior linebacker Kadofi Wright are exciting.

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrone Hill

Buffalo’s pass defense was aggressive and effective. The Bulls were fourth in passing marginal efficiency, 15th in completion rate allowed, and 25th in sack rate. The pass rush should still be strong, but losing corners Tatum Slack and Cameron Lewis (combined: five INTs, 10 breakups) hurts. Safeties Tyrone Hill and Joey Banks are still patrolling, and corner Aapri Washington looks like the real deal, but he’ll need a new dance partner.

The Bulls could stand to shore things up in run defense, too. Even with a ridiculously good run pursuer in Hodge, UB still ranked only 84th in rushing marginal efficiency. Guys like Patterson, Wright, and Wilson have loads of potential, but it might be difficult to improve without Hodge — the goal might be to just maintain last year’s numbers. If the pass defense slips, then, so will the overall numbers.

Special Teams

Buffalo posted both its best Off. S&P+ and Def. S&P+ ratings under Leipold in 2018. He has yet to figure out special teams. While up-and-down swings are semi-common, UB has established the wrong kind of consistency: 121st in Special Teams S&P+ in 2015, 121st in 2016, 123rd in 2017, 126th in 2018.

Charlie Jones provided some pop in the return game, but the legs were a problem. Buffalo ranked 122nd in punt efficiency, 107th in FG efficiency, and 101st in kickoff efficiency. The Bulls are in the market for a new place-kicker, and punter Evan Finegan was a freshman, so maybe there’s room for growth.

2019 outlook

2019 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 31-Aug Robert Morris NR 38.8 99% 7-Sep at Penn State 14 -27.9 5% 14-Sep at Liberty 112 4.3 60% 21-Sep Temple 66 -6.7 35% TBD Bowling Green 123 14.9 81% TBD Central Michigan 122 14.0 79% TBD Ohio 82 -2.6 44% TBD Toledo 78 -3.2 43% TBD at Akron 124 10.4 73% TBD at Eastern Michigan 96 -3.1 43% TBD at Kent State 111 4.2 60% TBD at Miami (Ohio) 93 -4.6 40%

Projected S&P+ Rk 97 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 88 / 99 Projected wins 6.6 Five-Year S&P+ Rk -9.8 (102) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 112 2018 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* 4 / -0.8 2018 TO Luck/Game +1.7 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 43% (40%, 46%) 2018 Second-order wins (difference) 9.5 (0.5)

Just as any season with a new QB becomes a tossup, S&P+ sees all sorts of tossups on Buffalo’s schedule. Projected 97th overall, the Bulls are looking at four likely wins, one likely loss, and seven games projected within a touchdown.

So yeah, a favorable QB situation could flip a lot of games.

Whether Buffalo figures out its signal-caller right away or not, the Bulls are not starting from scratch. The floor was 2-10 when Jackson took over, and I don’t think it’s anywhere near that now. There’s just too much young talent, and it’s spread over just about every unit, from running back to receiver to the trenches to linebacker to the secondary.

Whether this is a “just eke out bowl eligibility” year or something more, we’ll probably know by the time conference play begins. The non-conference slate is a perfect set of tests: a nearly sure win against Robert Morris, a nearly sure loss against Penn State, and two relative tossups — a trip to Liberty and a visit from Temple. If the Bulls are 1-3, then 6-6 is the only goal. If they’re 3-1, they’re a MAC contender.

In 2020, they’ll probably be a MAC contender no matter what.

Team preview stats

All 2019 preview data to date.

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yahoo-roto-arcade-blog · 7 years ago

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Middle infield rankings: Swinging away with Elvis Andrus in latest Shuffle Up

Elvis Andrus is having a season to shout about (AP)

Here are your middle-infield prices. We’re taking our best swing at 5×5 value from this point forward. No debating the hurt.

Players at the same price are considered even.

[Fantasy Football is open! Sign up now]

Any time you’re ready, Machado.

Remember the golden rule, no one loses or gains fantasy value just because they’re on your roster. And if you’re going to disagree, have a reason. This game is about disagreement to begin with, the difference of opinion.

Want to spike me at second base? Catch me on Twitter.

$33 Jose Altuve $30 Carlos Correa $25 Daniel Murphy $24 Robinson Cano $22 Corey Seager $22 Xander Bogaerts $22 Elvis Andrus $22 Trea Turner $22 Manny Machado

Plate discipline is nice, but it’s not everything. Andrus’s career years has come despite the lowest walk rate and the worst strikeout rate of his career. But he’s on pace for .292-95-17-87-37, and this is someone who’s never hit double-digit home runs before. Sometimes being aggressive is actually the right answer . . . It’s a shame Bogaerts plays in Fenway Park, where stolen bases don’t have a tremendous value, because he could steal a lot more often if he wanted to. He’s actually the highest-rated base runner in the American League, per fWAR.

$21 Eduardo Nunez $21 Dee Gordon $19 Brian Dozier $19 Matt Carpenter $19 Francisco Lindor $17 Jedd Gyorko $17 Zack Cozart $17 Starlin Castro $15 Rougned Odor $15 Jonathan Schoop

Castro came up at such a young age, it’s easy to forget he’s still just 27. Here’s a case of a breakout being more standard — Castro has upped his walks, trimmed his strikeouts, improved his hard-hit rate. And being in the loaded, deep Yankees lineup is a boost as well . . . I have to give Odor a little more time to break out of this; at least he has four homers this month . . . While I feel justified moving Lindor down this list, he could be a good buy-low, too. His BABIP sits at .259 despite an increase in hard-hit rate. Those two directions don’t make sense.

$14 Marwin Gonzalez $14 *Jean Segura $14 Ian Kinsler $14 DJ LeMahieu $14 Jose Ramirez $14 Jose Peraza $13 Hernan Perez $13 Didi Gregorius $13 Whit Merrifield $12 Chris Taylor $12 Josh Harrison $12 Javier Baez $12 Jason Kipnis $12 Dustin Pedroia

It might be the empty-average stage of Pedroia’s career; given his body attrition, it doesn’t make sense for him to run any more, and he’s lost a major share of his power, too. Being in the Boston lineup has value, of course, and Pedroia will still give you a reasonable average. But if you have designs on winning, he better be your middle infielder, not your primary 2B . . . Merrifield finally got his just promotion to the leadoff spot, and while the Royals offense will never be great, it’s at least been league average in June. If it doesn’t work out for Merrifield, he can always go back to Duke and play point guard.

$11 Tim Beckham $11 Jed Lowrie $11 Chris Owings $11 Andrelton Simmons $11 Trevor Story $11 Ben Zobrist $10 Brandon Phillips $10 *Jonathan Villar $9 Howie Kendrick $9 Dansby Swanson $9 Aledmys Diaz

Story looks like a guy who’s lost his feel for the zone and his confidence, too. His line-drive clip has plummeted, and he’s making less contact. Any spot in the Colorado lineup is a favorable thing, but he’s probably going to slot seventh for most of the year.

$7 Jose Pirela $7 Brandon Drury $7 Yangervis Solarte $6 Wilmer Flores $6 Eric Sogard $6 Brandon Crawford $6 Adam Frazier $5 Tim Anderson $5 Kolten Wong $5 Addison Russell $4 Troy Tulowitzki $4 Logan Forsythe $4 *Neil Walker

Last year Tulowitzki turned into a guess hitter. This year, he’s making better contact but the power is completely gone. You have my permission to move on, if it makes sense to you . . . If Wong’s on a different team next year, make sure he’s on your sleeper list. They’ve messed his head up in St. Louis.

$3 Yolmer Sanchez $3 T.J. Rivera $3 Jordy Mercer $3 Eduardo Escobar $2 Scooter Gennett $3 Derek Dietrich $2 Chase Utley $2 Chad Pinder $2 Orlando Arcia $2 Nick Ahmed $2 Jorge Polanco $2 Joe Panik $2 J.T. Riddle $2 Ian Happ $2 Enrique Hernandez $2 Cory Spangenberg $2 *Devon Travis $2 *Cesar Hernandez $2 *Asdrubal Cabrera $1 Taylor Motter $1 Steve Pearce $1 Jurickson Profar $1 Josh Rutledge $1 Jose Iglesias $1 J.J. Hardy $1 Daniel Descalso $1 Alexi Amarista $1 Alcides Escobar $1 *Brad Miller $0 Jose Reyes $0 Freddy Galvis $0 Danny Espinosa

More from Yahoo Sports:

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#_uuid:05fe088d-adb4-3f0e-82e4-aad08c734544 #_author:Scott Pianowski #_category:yct:001000854 #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #_revsp:54edcaf7-cdbb-43d7-a41b-bffdcc37fb56

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winterolympicssports2018-blog · 7 years ago

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National League Central – Wes The Sports Guy

Click here for More Olympics Updates https://www.winterolympian.com/national-league-central-wes-the-sports-guy/

National League Central – Wes The Sports Guy

* – indicates new to team

+ – indicates injury

1. Chicago Cubs

A few tweaks to the pitching staff has the ‘lovable losers’ looking to get back to the Fall Classic.

2. St. Louis Cardinals

A busy offseason for the Redbirds with a lot of expectations to get back to playing in October.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

They were the surprise in the Central last year, but they won’t be able to sneak up on anyone this year.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates

The face of the franchise was traded. Now they need to enact their plan to remain competitive for the next crop.

5. Cincinnati Reds

Their pitching staff is still a work in progress, but the future is looking a lot better.

Player to Watch: C Willson Contreras Chicago Cubs

Best Acquisition: OF Marcell Ozuna St. Louis Cardinals

New Kid on the Block: 3B Nick Senzel Cincinnati Reds

Cubs Lineup

1. CF Ian Happ

2. 3B Kris Bryant

3. 1B Anthony Rizzo

4. C Willson Contreras

5. LF Kyle Schwarber

6. SS Addison Russell

7. RF Jason Heyward

8. 2B Javier Baez

Bench

INF/OF Ben Zobrist

OF Albert Almora Jr.

INF Tommy La Stella

Rotation

1. Jon Lester

2. Kyle Hendricks

3. Yu Darvish*

4. Jose Quintana

5. Tyler Chatwood*

Setup

Pedro Strop

Closer

Brandon Morrow*

Manager

Joe Maddon

Cardinals Lineup

1. RF Dexter Fowler

2. CF Tommy Pham

3. 1B Matt Carpenter

4. LF Marcell Ozuna*

5. C Yadier Molina

6. 3B Jedd Gyorko

7. SS Paul DeJong

8. 2B Kolten Wong

Bench

OF/1B Jose Martinez

INF Greg Garcia

INF/OF Yairo Munoz*

Rotation

1. Carlos Martinez

2. Michael Wacha

3. Adam Wainwright

4. Miles Mikolas*

5. Luke Weaver

Setup

Tyler Lyons

Closer

Greg Holland*

Manager

Mike Matheny

Brewers Lineup

1. LF Christian Yelich*

2. CF Lorenzo Cain*

3. 3B Travis Shaw

4. 1B Eric Thames

5. RF Domingo Santana

6. C Manny Pina

7. SS Orlando Arcia

8. 2B Jonathan Villar

Bench

OF/1B Ryan Braun

INF/OF Hernan Perez

C Stephen Vogt

Rotation

1. Jimmy Nelson+

2. Chase Anderson

3. Zach Davies

4. Jhoulys Chacin*

5. Brent Suter

Setup

Josh Hader

Closer

Corey Knebel

Manager

Craig Counsell

Pirates Lineup

1. CF Starling Marte

2. 2B Josh Harrison

3. RF Gregory Polanco

4. 1B Josh Bell

5. LF Corey Dickerson*

6. C Francisco Cervelli

7. 3B Colin Moran*

8. SS Jody Mercer

Bench

INF/OF Adam Frazier

3B/1B David Freese

INF/OF Sean Rodriguez

Rotation

1. Ivan Nova

2. Jameson Taillon

3. Chad Kuhl

4. Trevor Williams

5. Joe Musgrove*

Setup

George Kontos

Closer

Felipe Rivero

Manager

Clint Hurdle

Reds Lineup

1. CF Billy Hamilton

2. 3B Eugenio Suarez

3. 1B Joey Votto

4. 2B Scooter Gennett

5. LF Adam Duvall

6. RF Scott Schebler

7. SS Jose Peraza

8. Tucker Barnhart

Bench

OF Jesse Winker

INF Cliff Pennington*

C Devin Mesoraco

Rotation

1. Homer Bailey

2. Luis Castillo

3. Sal Romano

4. Tyler Mahle

5. Brandon Finnegan

Setup

Wandy Peralta

Closer

Raisel Iglesias

Manager

Bryan Price

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#winter Olympics Updates

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allineednow · 7 years ago

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<p>Sermon on the Mat: Survival!</p>

Welcome back to the Sermon on the Mat, your weekly one-stop store for news from the wider world of wrestling beyond the big cable TV monoliths that get all of the coverage.

Coming soon...

AIW The Wet Bandits (December 15, 8PM Eastern)

Big Moe vs. "Large" Twan Tucker

Brian Carson vs. Eddy Only

Jock Samson vs. Joshua Singh vs. Kurt Hurtz vs. the Duke

Malcolm Monroe III vs. Tre Lamar

Colin Delaney vs. Parker Pierce

AJ Gray vs. Dr. Daniel C. Rockingham

Curt Stallion vs. Joshua Bishop

Philly-Marino Expertise (Marino Tenaglia & Philly Collins) & Weird World (Alex "Worldwide" Kellar & "Unusual Body" Evan Adams") vs. the Production (Colby Redd, Derek Director, Frankie Flynn, & Magnum CK)

Dominic Garrini vs. Mance Warner

Kikutaro vs. Tracy Smothers

AIW are back in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio and as always these shows are student-heavy and full of trademark AIW experimentation. Where else might you see Kikutaro wrestle Tracy Smothers, I ask?! Curt Stallion makes his introduction, SmackDown superstar (he totally counts now) Colin Delaney is in action, there's a lot going on here, folks.

Get your tickets here or check it out when it hits Smart Mark Video.

CMLL Super Viernes (December 15, 9:30PM)

Hijo del Signo & Templario vs. Star, Jr. & Starman

Mercurio vs. Shockercito (c) (CMLL World Minis Championship)

Amapola, Dalys, & Reyna Isis vs. Lady Maravilla, Marcela, & Princesa Sugehit

Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja, & Rey Cometa vs. Cuatrero, Forastero, & Sanson

La Peste Negra (Barbaro Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, & Negro Casas) vs. Los Hijos del Infierno (Ephesto & Mephisto) & Sam Adonis

Caristico, Soberano, Jr., & Ultimo Guerrero vs. El Terrible, Mistico, & Volador, Jr..

CMLL are back along with your normal weekly Friday night dose of lucha libre action from Arena Mexico and by god we have a minis championship match! Outside of that it's a solid looking show with all the trios matches looking like they could range from solid to great depending on how the night goes. Not a bad Friday night!

Check it out, as always, free for nothin' on ClaroSports or CMLL's Facebook page, folks.

GCW Ready to Die (December 16, 7:15PM Eastern)

Alex Colon vs. G-Raver

Eric Ryan vs. Markus Crane

B-Boy vs. KTB

Homicide vs. Matt Riddle

Rejects (John Wayne Murdoch & Reed "By God" Bentley) (c) vs. Viking War Party (Alexander Rudolph & Jake Parnell) (GCW Tag Team Championship)

Eli Everfly vs. Tony Deppen (c) (GCW Extreme Championship)

Jimmy Lloyd vs. SHLAK (c) (DTU World Ultraviolent Championship)

Matt Tremont (c) vs. Nick Gage (GCW Championship)

This is it. GCW yields to Howell, New Jersey for their next anniversary show, and Nick Gage and Matt Tremont will do battle for the third and last time. Their last match saw the ring wrapped in concrete as they put their bodies on the line in unprecedented fashion, and with two deathmatch legends of their stature I'm sure they've wonders undreamed of in mind for us.

Get your tickets here or check it out when it hits Smart Mark Video, folks.

PCW UK PowerBombShells / Festive Fury (December 16)

--PowerBombShells (9AM Eastern / 2PM GMT)--

Martina vs. Nadia Saphire

Rhio vs. Sierra Loxton

Nightshade vs. Viper

--Festive Fury (1PM Eastern / 6PM GMT)--

Ricky Knight, Jr. vs. Sheik El Sham

Arcadian vs. Big T Justice vs. Dave Birch vs. Joe Coffey vs. Martin Kirby vs. Philip Michael

Ashton Smith vs. BT Gunn

Lucy Cole (c) vs. Rhio (PCW Women's Championship)

Chris Ridgeway vs. Dean Allmark (c) (PCW Cruiserweight Championship No Rope Breaks Submission Match)

Bubblegum vs. T-Bone (c) (PCW Heavyweight Championship)

PCW UK are back in Preston, England using a double dose of action and only speaking for myself I'm really stoked to see that Ridgeway/Allmark submission match. Should be real high caliber stuff!

Get your tickets here or test 'em out live on Powerbomb.tv, folks.

Shine 47: Survival (December 16, 6PM Eastern)

ACR vs. Priscilla Kelly (c) (Shine Nova Championship)

Aerial Monroe vs. Aja Perera vs. Aria Blake vs. Brandi Lauren vs. Candy Cartwright vs. Dementia D'Rose vs. Dynamite DiDi vs. Ivelisse vs. Kamilla Kaine vs. Kiera Hogan vs. Mercedes Martinez vs. Natalia Markova vs. Rain vs. Robyn Reid vs. Shotzi Blackheart vs. Stormie Lee vs. ??? vs. ??? vs. ??? vs. ??? (Shine Championship #1 Contender's Survival Rumble)

Shine are back in Ybor City, Florida and... is that the whole card? Nope! The deal here is the winner of this Survival Rumble will go on to wrestle Shine Champion LuFisto at Shine 48 and matches will be made based on eliminations in the Rumble to fill out the remainder of this show. It's innovative, if nothing else, I suppose. Along with the first Shine Champion, Rain, is back out of retirement, which is great news! (Do note that the number of ??? Entrants I've added there is arbitrary; WWN have said more will be added, not that it will always be a 20-woman Rumble.)

Get your tickets here or check it out on iPPV at .

Free matches!

Candice LeRae vs. Kimber Lee

From the fine folks over at Women's Wrestling Revolution Pro, we have action with shades of the Mae Young Classic! Abbey Laith takes on Candice Wrestling in a past life, check it out!

Darby Allin vs. Josh Briggs

From the good people over at Limitless Wrestling we have a clash of up-and-comers. Darby Allin burst onto the scene from out of nowhere in Evolve over a year ago as a daredevil who has not yet fulfilled the thing he is not willing to jump off of and Briggs has just erupted onto my radar as a hugely athletic big man so hey, check it out and get yourself a new favorite, right?

CWF Mid-Atlantic Worldwide Ep. #135

I reckon it's time we checked in on our pals over at CWF again because they have a doozy of a hoot lined up for us tonight as national treasure White Mike takes on CWF Heavyweight Champion Trevor Lee in a non-title match! When you haven't seen Mike in action, you are in for a treat, folks.

Results

MLW Never Say Never (December 7)

"Whoa hey, Rev, what's this? No results again? What are you tryin' to pull here?!"

Well, I'm trying to pull the same thing that I did the last time I did so, which is to say that MLW have published this whole show free for nothin' on YouTube! Don't let me spoil you, check it out here--

RPW Uprising 2018 (December 8)

Kurtis Chapman over David Starr, El Phantasmo, "Flash" Morgan Webster (c), and Ryan Smile to acquire the RPW British Cruiserweight Championship

Jinny over Martina

Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) (c) over Josh Bodom & Zack Gibson to keep the RPW British Tag Team Championship

Cody Rhodes (c) over Jay Lethal to retain the ROH World Championship

Pete Dunne over Eddie Dennis

Martin Stone over Dave Mastiff

Zack Sabre, Jr. (c) over Matt Riddle to keep the RPW British Heavyweight Championship

Bullet Club (Marty Scurll, Matt Jackson, & Nick Jackson) over #CCK (Chris Brookes & Travis Banks) & Flip Gordon

RevPro closed out their year with a bang as up-and-comer Chapman rose above the fray to become Cruiserweight Champion. Plus Cody retained the ROH title and left programs for Final Battle intact thanks to (or perhaps despite) some interference from Scurll, and while Eddie Dennis' losing streak continues he may not be carried out in RevPro just yet, as Rob Lias attacked him after his match.

Plus, we've already got a big match made for High Stakes next year, as Zack Sabre, Jr. cut a promo after his match saying he's defended against everyone and wants to challenge, together with Minoru Suzuki, for the tag names.

Check it out on RPW On Demand, folks.

CZW Cage of Death 19 (December 9)

Storm of Entrails (Dan O'Hare & SHLAK) over Blackwater, G-Raver, John Silver, Kody Rice, & Shane Sabre to win the Ultimate Opportunity Coin

Matt Tremont over Jimmy Lloyd (Thumbtack Massacre Deathmatch)

Mr. Claxton over Alex Colon

David Starr over "All Ego" Ethan Page

The REP (Dave McCall & Nate Carter) over Alex Reynolds & Dan Barry, OI4K (Dave & Jake Crist), and Scarlet and Graves (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) (c) to win the CZW World Tag Team Championship

Nick "Magnus" Aldis over Tim Storm (c) to win the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship

Jimmy Jacobs over Jimmy Havoc

Chrissy Rivera & Greg Excellent over Ace Romero

Maxwell Jacob Friedman over Joey Janela (c) to win the CZW Wired Championship

Rickey Shane Page (c) over "Chainsaw" Joe Gacy and Shane Strickland to retain the CZW World Heavyweight Championship (Cage of Death)

Well, we covered one bit of big news in the show elsewhere on the website, so I will skip over that and break down the rest of what's interesting here. Danny Havoc returned to the Combat Zone to beat on Conor Claxton after his match, DJ Hyde declared Will Ospreay for their WrestleMania weekend show, MJF's victory means that Joey Janela's Wired Championship reign never happened, but he paid dearly for it as Penelope Ford at long last rejoined forces with Joey.

And in the main event, Gacy's followers got involved, leading to a cavalcade of interference from the likes of Kit Osbourne, Dan Barry, and Anthony Gangone! At the same time, after the match, Nick Gage strolled through the crowd and into the cage for a confrontation which CZW do their best to scrub from the net. Work? Shoot? Together with the King, you never know!

Check it out on CZW Studios, folks.

Evolve 96 / 97 (December 9-10)

--Evolve 96 (December 9)--

Dominic Garrini over Joey Lynch

Kyle the Beast & Shane Mercer over Matt Knicks & Stevie Fierce

Jarek 1:20 over Stephen Wolf

Zack Sabre, Jr.. Over DJZ

AR Fox over Jason Kincaid

Darby Allin over Austin Theory

Grab Point (Jaka & "Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams) (c) vs. WorkHorsemen (Anthony Henry & James Drake) goes to a no competition (Evolve Tag Team Championship)

Matt Riddle over Fred Yehi (No Rope Breaks Match)

Keith Lee (c) over WALTER to keep the WWN Championship

--Evolve 97 (December 10)--

Dominic Garrini over Craig Mitchell

Matt Knicks & Stevie Fierce over Brandon Watts & Stephen Wolf

Jarek 1:20 vs. Jason Kincaid goes to a ten-minute time limit draw

WorkHorsemen (Anthony Henry & James Drake) over Kyle the Beast & Shane Mercer

AR Fox over DJZ

Darby Allin over Keith Lee and "Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams, earning the right to any match of his choosing in 2018

Austin Theory over Fred Yehi (c) to win the FIP World Heavyweight Championship

Matt Riddle over WALTER (No Rope Breaks Match)

Zack Sabre, Jr. (c) over Jaka to keep the Evolve World Championship

As always when I can point you to my recaps (Evolve 96, 97), I will do so and keep it short and sweet here, but suffice it to say, I believe the new format is a success. I could do without intermissions, but the preliminary matches are a cool way get some new talent in. In addition to the push for no rope rests is pretty sweet and is leading to some innovative stuff.

Check 'em out on , folks.

Beyond Cold Brew (December 10)

WALTER over David Starr

Brian Milonas & Cam Zagami over Anthony Greene & Brick Mastone by disqualification

Wheeler YUTA over Mike Verna (Tournament For Tomorrow 2017 Semifinal Match)

Amityville Project (Rex Lawless & Ryan Galeone) over American Gaijin (Jay Freddie & Rory Gulak)

AR Fox & Austin Theory over Brandon Watts & Zenshi

Ace Romero over Josh Briggs (Tournament For Tomorrow 2017 Semifinal Match)

Matt Riddle over Martin Stone

Darby Allin over John Silver

Keith Lee over Joey Janela

A couple injuries shuffled the card, but the show must go on and the Tournament For Tomorrow Finals are set with Ace Romero and Wheeler YUTA prepared to go head to head! And, as it turns out, Evolve is not the only place AR Fox has a posse, because the Watts/Zenshi team is finally done to get good, with Brandon turning on the erstwhile Shynron to hook up with Fox and Theory.

Check it out on Powerbomb.tv, folks.

Progress Chapter 59: Whatever People Say We Are, That's What We're Not (December 10)

Rampage Brown over Doug Williams

Chris Ridgeway over Adam Chase

Jack Sexsmith over Amir Jordan, Chief Deputy Dunne, Gabriel Kidd, Pastor William Eaver, Primate, Saxon Huxley, and Spike Trivet

Joseph Conners over Chuck Mambo

Chris Brookes over Matt Cross

Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) (c) over Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) to keep the Progress Tag Team Championship

Travis Banks (c) over Eddie Dennis to keep the Progress Championship

As always when I recap a show I will keep it short and sweet here in Sermon and mother of god, traveling issues from the weather really did a number on this one, didn't they? The show must go on, obviously, and while the lack of British Strong Mode, "Flash" Morgan Webster, and Mark Andrews is keenly felt a whole lot of new faces made to show their stuff and former champion Rampage Brown made his return!

Check it out when it hits Demand Progress, folks.

As always...

Remember folks, no matter which sort of wrestling you like, no matter how down you feel about the state of WWE, Impact, ROH, or any other "big-time" pro wrestling, there's something out there for you. There's a pro wrestling product that can hit you in the ideal spot and make you love wrestling as you thought you'd never have the ability to love it again. It's there, I promise. You just gotta reach out and find it, and that, my friends, is what the Sermon on the Mat is all about.

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creamronald71-blog · 5 years ago

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Each team's lineup if season started today

We're less than a month away from Spring Training, so it's a good time to project what each club's Opening Day lineup will look like, or at least what it would look like if the season started today. With the help of all 30 MLB.com beat writers, here's a roundup of how they might shake out.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays Initially, the Jays will be looking for a healthy, bounce-back year from second baseman Devon Travis and continued growth from shortstop Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and left fielder Teoscar Hernandez to support a lineup anchored by first baseman Justin Smoak, right fielder Randal Grichuk and designated hitter Kendrys Morales. But at some point soon, the real fun begins when the next wave of Jays stars reach Toronto -- outfielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr., infielder Bo Bichette and catcher Danny Jansen are all expected to arrive in 2019. Jansen likely will start the season with the Jays, and the other two won't be far behind. -- Gregor Chisholm