Randomnosity

Some random notes:

Normally over the past few weeks, I’ve been writing for Bleacher Report, then posting here. Yesterday, I decided to take what I wrote here about Albert Pujols’ top 5 MVP finishes and turn it into a column for B/R. Here’s the link if you’re interested.

Now that I’ve finally finished my NFL free-agency review, I can start getting into fantasy baseball prep. One thing I’ve learned so far: Once again, there’s no reason to look at Texas Rangers pitching. Their top two starters will be Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla. Enough said.

I am intrigued by Andruw Jones in Texas, though. If he’s ever going to remove his head from his ass and get in shape, last year had to be the wake up call to get it done. We’ll see this spring if he has anything left.

Adam Kennedy has landed on his feet with the defending AL Champ Tampa Bay Rays. He has a history with Rays manager Joe Maddon from when both were in Anaheim. At best, it looks like Kennedy will be a reserve infielder, backing up incumbent second baseman Akinori Iwamura.

Not that I’d shy away from him on draft day, but I’d be a tad concerned with Hanley Ramirez adding 25 pounds of muscle this offseason. That’s a lot of extra weight, even if it is healthy muscle weight. You never know what that could do to his swing, especially if he starts trying to use that extra muscle to produce more home runs.

Chris Carpenter threw what appeared to be a very successful bullpen session on Tuesday, and so begins a long Spring of waiting and hoping nothing happens to the 2005 Cy Young Award winner.

(I literally put my head in my hands and sighed with worry immediately after writing the previous paragraph.)

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The Cincinnati Bengals decided to franchise kicker Shayne Graham instead of TJ Houshmandzadeh.

(Shaking head)

I’m putting even odds that TJ ends up in Philly. They went hard after Moss last offseason and badly need a true #1 receiver. You get TJ on one side, Kevin Curtis on the other and Jason Avant working the middle, and you have yourself a very decent pass offense.

And meanwhile Carson Palmer comes back with a shitty offensive line, a broken-down Chad Johnson and Mr. Rapsheet, Chris Henry.

Some guys get all the luck.

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Illinois: Where douche bag politicians happen.

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I liked this piece about Mark McGwire’s place in the steroid investigations over the past five years. His basic premise: McGwire may have taken a ton of heat for not wanting to talk about the past, but at least he never lied and kept his dignity.

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If I had to choose between Fred Taylor and Deuce McAllister for the Patriots in 2009, I’d take Taylor. He’d fit in real nice in the December/January cold-weather games.

With that said, I’d probably still take LaMont Jordan over either. I just think he’s got a lot left that he hasn’t had a chance to show.