Season Preview: Comeback Player of the Year

Health and productivity continue to be the keys to success in a grueling 162 game regular season. Many found themselves battling both a year ago, but will look to bounce back in 2012 and return to form.

American League Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Rodriguez, NYY

The New York Yankee third baseman was plagued by injuries much of 2011, playing in a career-low 99 games since becoming a full-time starter. After dealing with a major hip procedure prior to the start of the 2009 season, Rodriguez underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this past July, causing him to miss 38 straight games.

Rodriguez hopes to reclaim the
magic of 2009.

Upon his return on Aug. 21, Rodriguez suffered a sprained left thumb fielding a ground ball off the bat of Minnesota's Joe Mauer. The injury effected the way he swung the bat the rest of the season, batting .191 with just three home runs and ten runs batted in.

Not to mention his forgettable American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers.

Rodriguez hit .111 in the series, recording two hits in his 18 at-bats. He struck out six times, including ending the Yankees postseason for the second straight year with a punch-out.

The now 36-year-old slugger batted .276 last season, driving 16 out of the ballpark and 62 runs overall, ending Major League record of 13 consecutive seasons with 30 HRs and 100 RBIs. His 172 total bases, .461 slugging percentage and .823 on-base plus slugging were all career-lows with a minimum of 150 plate appearances.

After famously opting out during Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, Rodriguez re-signed with the Yankees not long after, signing the a record 10-year $275 million contract.

Since that time, Rodriguez's numbers doesn't warrant him as the highest paid player in the game. He has averaged 124 games, 27 HRs and 97 RBIs a season. And while those are may be career-years for many other players throughout Major League Baseball, they are far removed from Rodriguez's '07 and third AL Most Valuable Player Award campaign.

That year Rodriguez led the majors with a record 54 HRs for a Yankee right-handed hitter, 156 RBIs and 143 runs scored.

All signs point to an aging and declining third baseman, but don't write Rodriguez off yet.

He took Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant's advice in the offseason, seeking knee treatment in Germany. Bryant has found his second wind in his unbelievable 16-year career, leading the NBA in scoring.

Expect the same on the diamond from Rodriguez.

Notable Considerations: Carl Crawford, BOS & Kendrys Morales, LAA
In his first year as a member of the Boston Red Sox, Crawford was one of the team's biggest disappointments. Fresh off his 2010 season, that saw him win his first career Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, the former Tampa Bay Ray left fielder signed a seven-year $142 million contract in the offseason.

Crawford struggled to get a acclimated to his new surroundings, batting just .155 in the season's first month. He missed some time with a left hamstring injury, but finished the year with a .255 batting average and just 18 stolen bases.

It should be noted Crawford averaged 45 stolen bases during his nine years with Tampa Bay, leading the AL four different times.

However, despite Crawford undergoing offseason wrist surgery and expected to miss Opening Day after a recent setback, the 30-year-old's second year in Boston should be much better.

As for Morales, he hasn't seen big league action in nearly two years after breaking his leg in a celebration at home plate following his walk-off grand slam against the Seattle Mariners on May 29, 2010. Unlike Crawford, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are aiming towards Morales' return on Opening Day.

The Cuban defector will take most of his swings as the team's designated hitter with the signing of Albert Pujols and emergence of Mark Trumbo. If healthy those two players hold the key to Morales' future success, adding protection for the switch-hitter.

Others: Adam Dunn, CHW

National League Comeback Player of the Year: Jason Heyward, ATL
Heyward opened his career with a bang, homering in his first career at-bat on Opening Day 2010. He finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting after batting .277 with 18 HRs and 72 RBIs and was drawing comparisons as the left-handed version of Hank Aaron.

The 22-year-old become only the second player in Major League to homer in his first career at-bat on Opening Day and then follow it up with a home run in his first at-bat the next Opening Day, joining former New York Mets infielder Kazuo Matsui.

Heyward looks to continue his
promising career in 2012.

Matsui also homered in his first at-bat on two straight Opening Days from 2004-05.

However, Heyward couldn't avoid the dreaded sophomore slump and with that came a nagging injury.

Heyward played in only 128 games last year, batting a dismal .227 with 14 HRs and just 42 RBIs. His on-base percentage dropped from .393 in his rookie season to .319.

And while a shoulder injury hampered him most of the year, Heyward's step backwards could been attributed to a lack of confidence. The smooth swinging right fielder struggled in Atlanta's '10 division series matchup with the San Francisco Giants.

He batted just .125, and those struggles could have carried over into his second year in the majors.

Sandwiched in between Dan Uggla and '11 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up, Freddie Freeman, Heyward has the protection he needs to succeed. Who knows, maybe we'll see a third straight Opening Day home run.

Notable Considerations: Buster Posey, SF & Jayson Werth, WAS
Posey was the one that came in a stole Heyward's '10 NL Rookie of the Year Award after batting .305, commanding an electric pitching staff and leading the Giants to an improbable NL West Division title. The San Francisco backstop would eventually help the Giants win their first World Series title since moving west.

Posey's sophomore season was cut short after a home plate collision that torn ligaments in his ankle and caused him to miss the team's final 117 games.

Prior to the injury, Posey was hitting .284 with four HRs and 21 RBIs.

And while his presence in the lineup was missed, the pitching staff missed him dearly. With his ankle processing nicely and on track to start the season with the club, Posey will return as the game's best young catcher.

In the nation's capital, Werth is coming off his first season with a new club. He shocked everyone when he signed a mega seven-year $126 million contract with the Nationals last offseason, but quickly learned what he left behind was pretty special.

Werth batted .232 for Washington, adding 20 HRs and 58 RBIs - numbers that didn't follow the ones he put up in bandbox in Philadelphia.

An All-Star and World Series champion with the Phillies, Werth played four years under Charlie Manuel, averaging 23 HRs and 75 RBIs per year. He hit .282 as a Phillie, now raising the question, was he a product of a great lineup and hitter friendly ballpark?

I don't think so.

Werth showed he can still run, stealing 19 bases after swiping just 13 the year before. He stole a career-high 20 bases in back-to-backs seasons (2008, '09) for the Phillies.

Washington continues to be one of the more spacious fields in the majors, but with the injection of youth and optimism heading into the season, Werth could actually prove his worth.

Others: Johan Santana, NYM & Adam Wainwright, STL

Reagins Resigns

Reagins experienced his ups and downs
while in the Angels' front office.

After a month of consideration Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim general manager Tony Reagins has decided to resign from his current position with the organization. The decision comes just a week after the Angels were eliminated from postseason contention, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Although team president John Carpino has said Reagins, who has two-years left on his contract, will stay with the club as and serve as a special assistant to Chairman Dennis Kuhl.

Reagins, 44, was hired by the Angels on Oct. 16, 2007, succeeding long-time GM Bill Stoneman after he decided to step down. His first order was business was stealing Torii Hunter away from the Minnesota Twins in November of '07 and rapidly become the face of the franchise.

Although, he made many controversial moves during his tenure in Anaheim and it started in the winter of 2008. Reagins let closer Francisco Rodriguez sign a three-year $37 million deal with the New York Mets that offseason after a record-breaking, 62-save regular season. He replaced Rodriguez with left-handed soft tosser Brian Fuentes, who despite leading the league with 48 saves in 2009, quickly became unpopular by the city of Anaheim for his inability to close games out cleanly.

At the 2008 July 31st trading deadline, Reagins made a deal with the Atlanta Braves to bring switch-hitting slugger Mark Teixeira to the Big A, sending fan favorite first baseman Casey Kotchman to the National League.

The move indicated the Angels were all in that season, vying for their second World Series title of the decade. They finished the regular season with the first 100 win season in franchise history and the best record in the majors at 100-62. The script wasn't written the way they had planned as they were swept by the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS.

They would eventually lose Texeira to free agency, leaving a gapping hole at first base.

In August of 2009, Reagins acquired the talented left-hander Scott Kazmir from the Tampa Bay Rays, absorbing the final two-years and $22.5 million left on his contract.

During his time in Anaheim, Kazmir was far from his '07 form, when he led the American League in strikeouts with 239. He was 11-17 in his regular season career with the Angels, posting a 5.31 ERA in 188 innings. The lefty maybe be most remembered for his time in Anaheim by making huge throwing error in the Game 6 of the '09 ALCS.

After only brief stint with the club this year, he was released.

Despite all those questionable moves, Reagins might be remembered most for this past offseason. The one time Angels intern traded catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for All-Star Vernon Wells, agreeing to inherit the final four-years and $81 million left on his deal, much like he did with Kazmir.

Toronto would turn around and trade Napoli to the Angels division rival Texas Rangers.

Wells had a dismal year for the Angels batting .218 and having the worst on-base percentage in the league at .248. While Rivera struggled adapting to a new environment across the boarder, he would be enjoy a trade back to the National League and hit .274 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, driving in 46 runs over 62 games.

Texas, who was not involved in the initial trade, made out with the biggest steal. Napoli batted a career-high .320 with a .414 on-base percentage and added 30 home runs and 75 RBIs to an already potent Rangers' offense. His .631 slugging percentage ranked highest in the majors.

The Angels also found themselves in the discussion for free agents Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre, after ownership promised a big offseason. Instead Crawford signed with their arch postseason nemesis in Boston and Beltre, who would have been the most dangerous third baseman they had since Troy Glaus, landed in their division with defending American League champion Rangers. Even though Crawford underachieved his first year in Boston, he is still the prototypical Mike Scioscia player.

There was a lot of heading hanging when
Kazmir was on the bump in Anaheim.

His ability to bunt, run, go first to third and play stellar defense would have fit in perfectly with his small ball mentality.

Reagins' biggest moves last offseason came when he signed left-handers Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi.

It was not all bad for the former GM in his time at the helm. He won two AL Western Division titles with a 363-285 record during his tenure. He traded for ace right-hander Dan Haren last season, giving the Halos arguably the best one-two punch atop their rotation.

His final move as GM was no question his best. Before the season's final month he signed ace Jered Weaver to a five-year $85 million extension, keeping him off the open market and away from the vultures in the AL East.

Whether the decision for Reagins to step down was or wasn't a mutual one, its looks to be the right one and MLB is set for a shuffling of the deck this offseason.

Reyes On The First Subway Out Of Queens?

Reyes' speed adds a different dynamic to his
game.

New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is one of baseball's most exciting and dynamic infielders, and could be well on the verge of becoming one of the wealthiest.

Reyes is set to become a free agent at seasons end and will be one of the hottest commodities this winter.

Despite already having eight major league seasons under his belt, Reyes is still only twenty-eight and enjoying a career year. The Mets shortstop is currently leading the National League with .341 batting average and a share of the lead in runs scored with 54. He only trails Boston's Adrian Gonzalez for the major league lead in hits with 103 compared to the first basemen's 104.

However, Reyes is known for his speed and athleticism with the 2011 season being showcase for that thus far. He is leads the majors in the most exciting play in baseball with 12 triples and is second only to Houston's Michael Bourn with 26 stolen bases.

It looks to be paid day for Reyes, but are the Mets willing to pay him the money he is looking for?

It has been reported that Reyes is seeking a contract similar to that of Carl Crawford, who signed a seven-year $142 million deal this past offseason to man left field in Fenway Park for the Red Sox. That is an average of $20 million per season compared to the $11 million Reyes is making this season.

Crawford's '11 salary is approximately $14.8 million, but increases greatly throughout the contract. He is set make $19.5 million next season with the final five years of the contract paying the speedy outfielder $20 million or more per year.

Longtime Mets owner and investor Fred Wilpon doesn't see Reyes receiving that type of contract from him or anybody else for that matter, especially with his injury history. "He's a racehorse. He thinks he's going to get Carl Crawford money. He's had everything wrong with him. He won't get it," Wilpon stated.

Reyes' injury history is the only reason that statement could hold true. Now in his ninth season, the three-time All-Star has only played in 150 games four times in his career, averaging 115 games per season. He missed 29 games last season after starting the year on the disabled list with a thyroid problem.

With similar career numbers, Reyes will
be seeking Carl Crawford type money
this offseason.

If Reyes can stay healthy there is no question he is one of the best shortstops and players in the game today.

He is currently the fifth highest paid player on New York with left-handed ace Johan Santana, who is out until mid-season recovering from surgery, is the highest at $22.5 million. He and Florida Marlins' shortstop Hanley Ramirez are tied for the third highest paid at their position, trailing only the Dodgers' Rafael Furcal ($13 million) and the Yankees' Derek Jeter ($14 million) for the top spot.

The Mets have the seventh largest payroll in baseball this season at $118.8 million, but might not have the money to resign Reyes at that price given the current financial situation of the organization and commitment that have made to other players.

New York in recent years have overpaid for players like Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran, and Francisco Rodriguez with the type of production they have received from each during their time with the club. This has handcuffed ownership and the organization putting them on the verge of bankruptcy.

It was reported in Febraury that Wilpon and the Mets were loaned $25 million from Major League Baseball last November to cover the day-to-day expenses of the team after facing a liquidity crisis.

The Mets would become the second team in last year to declare bankruptcy if they choose that route. The Texas Rangers were delcared bankrupt last May with the Los Angeles Dodgers and embattled owner Frank McCourt on the verge of following suit.

All that being said, Reyes, when healthy, is the most important piece to this franchise moving forward and need to find a way to keep him in Queens for the long haul.  With New York having other major contracts expiring at seasons end, this leaves the possibility they could do just that.

Beltran's seven-year $119 million contract he signed prior to the 2005 season expires at the close of '11. Rodriguez also finds himself in the final-year of the three-year $37 million deal he signed in December of 2008, giving the Mets some financial flexibility this offseason

All-Star third basemen David Wright is not a free agent until after next season, but his future with the team could directly linked to Reyes.

The Mets could lose Wright, left and Reyes,
right in consecutive years if they are not
careful.

Along with Reyes, Wright has been the face of the franchise since 2004. While together they have yet to appear in a World Series, they have drawn comparions to another great left side of the infield just a subway ride away. Reyes and Wright have been said to be the younger verision of Yankees' third basemen Alex Rodriguez and Jeter, who have also played along side one another since '04.

That is high praise for two players that have had their share of health issues.

However, like Reyes, Wright is only twenty-eight and if the Mets can find someway to keep these two together and healthy those comparions could be validated soon.

A lot depends on the way this team plays the rest of the season. The Mets, who are currently 35-38 and in fourth place in the NL East, could be prone to trade Reyes at the July 31st trading deadline if that doesn't improve. Cinninatti and San Franciso are looking too upgrade at shortstop and increase their chances of getting back to the postseason with Reyes looking to be the logical fit for both.

Whatever the future holds for Reyes, it's sure to be a bright one with the sun right above the horizon.

The Legend of Sam Fuld

Fuld's unbelievable diving play on April
9th in Chicago.

When All-Star left fielder Carl Crawford signed a seven-year $142 million contract with the Boston Red Sox in the offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays knew they needed to find a replacement.

They signed veteran Johnny Damon to fill that void, but since has become the team's full-time designated hitter with the sudden retirement of Manny Ramirez. This opened the door for longtime journeyman Sam Fuld.

Fuld was acquired in the offseason from the Chicago Cubs in an eight-player deal centered around Rays' right-hander Matt Garza.

Surprisley, Fuld made the Rays' 2011 Opening Day roster out of spring training after batting .277 in Port Charlotte.

Major League Baseball got there first taste of Fuld on April 9 in a game against the Chicago White Sox. With the bases loaded, White Sox leadoff hitter Juan Pierre hit a ball down the right field line, Fuld sprinted from right-center all the way to the line to make a diving Superman, citrus catch and rob Pierre of an extra-base hit.

The legend of Sam Fuld was born.

Just two days later, Fuld would play his first career game at Fenway Park and it would be a memorable one.

With both teams off to slow starts the Rays pounded out 19 hits in a 16-5 victory against the rival Red Sox.

Lead by Fuld's four hits and first home run of the season, he came a single away from the cycle. In one of his final at-bats of the game, Fuld hit a ball towards the Green Monster and chose to cruise into second with his second double of the night rather than stopping at first to complete the cycle. Not to mention the two terrific plays Fuld made out in left field to rob multiple Red Sox of base hits.

Fuld's spectacular defensive plays have been a recurring theme on ESPN's Baseball Tonight Web Gems and Sportscenter's Top 10 Plays, with him becoming the recent human highlight reel. Rays' manger Joe Maddon has called Fuld's play in the outfield "fearless" while other suggest it as daredevil like play.

With a 4-1 victory over the White Sox Wednesday, the Rays run their record to 9-9, reaching the 500 mark for the first time after a 1-8 start. The Rays currently sit in second-place in the American League East, behind the 10-6 New York Yankees.

Despite Fuld being hitless in his last eight at-bats, he is still batting .344 on the young season with five runs batted in. That is more than we can say about the guy he placed at Tropicana Field as Crawford is batting only .149 in Boston's first 17 games.

It has been a struggle for Fuld to get here, but it looks as if he may have found himself a home.

After attending Philips Exeter Academy, Fuld decided to play college baseball at Stanford University. There he would break the College World Series record for hits with 24, a record set by Keith Moreland in 1975-76 with 23 hits on his own. Fuld was then drafted by the Cubs in the 24th round of 2003 amateur player draft, but chose not to sign.

A year later, Fuld was drafted yet again by Chicago, this time in the 10th round, and signed in July of 2004.

Fuld would make his Major League debut as a September call-up in 2007, but was never given the opportunity to be any everyday player in the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. The 5-foot-10 outfielder is still only 29 and might have just caught a break while entering the prime of his career after a long and hard earned journey through the Minor Leagues.

The Rays will need the spark of a legend to continue if they want to repeat as AL East champions for the first time in franchise history.