Here are 5 things I’m looking forward to this season

1.       The Yankees big three.  Will Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy make Brian Cashman look like a genius for holding onto them?  Or will they perform as most rookie pitchers do? Prediction: It will be a roller coaster year for these three pitchers which will translate to a roller coaster year for the Yankees who will miss the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.  But, in 2009 and beyond, at least two of these players will be the core of a very strong, very young and very inexpensive rotation.

2.       2.  Will the Red Sox continue to be the team to beat?  Can their rotation perform at peak level and give the team what it had in 2007?  Can the bullpen maintain its consistency?  Prediction: Schilling won’t be the only injury/disappointment from the Boston pitching staff.  Daisuke Matsuzaka will improve his peripherals over his rookie year numbers.  Manny Ramirez will have a bounce back season (it’s a contract year after all) and perform at the All Star level we’ve seen for the past decade.  With all of this, they will win the AL East and contend for another title because the farm system is so deep.

3.       3.  Will Johan Santana live up to the hype and bring the Mets a title?  Omar Minaya pinned his job and the 2008 season on the lefthander and it remains to be seen if it will pay off.  Prediction: Santana will dominate in the National League with 18-22 wins, an ERA below 3 and over 225 strikeouts.  Add this to the potent lineup that they have assembled and the Mets will win the NL East and make their first World Series appearance since 2000. I think they can overcome the early injuries and still win the division.  It’s all about peaking at the right time and September is that time.

4.       4.  After their spending sprees (in money and prospects) will the Mariners and Reds have enough to compete for playoff spots? It will be interesting to see if Erik Bedard, Carlos Silva and/or Francisco Cordero will be major difference-makers for their new teams.  Prediction: I think both Bedard and Cordero have strong seasons but their new teams are just a tick below the true contenders in their divisions.

5.       5.  If they get off to a slow start will the Twins throw in the towel and go into full-on rebuilding mode? They’ve already lost Torii Hunter to free agency and Johan Santana in the blockbuster trade to the Mets.  Will Bill Smith go all Billy Beane on us if the Twins are out of it in late June?  Prediction: I expect that the Twins will be an also-ran in the extremely tough AL Central and when the trade deadline chatter heats up, he’ll have one of the hottest commodities available in Joe Nathan.  In the offseason, he may have been able to get one top flight prospect and one or two lesser talents.  In the heat of a pennant race he might be able to hold some contending team over a barrel and get a couple of stud prospects and then some to add to the Twins future.  How could he say no to this when the chances of re-signing Nathan are slim and none?

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.  I’m anticipating an exciting season and lots of other things have jumped to mind.  For now, these are my 5 most intriguing areas but that could change really quickly.  I hope some people will post their thoughts on these topics and share their ideas on what is sticking out to them at this point.