Rich Harden and the Oakland A's look like strong contenders this year. (Source: AP)

Swelled Head: Unfortunately the Bonds headlines don’t appear to be leaving us anytime soon. A book documenting Bonds’ prolific use of steroids has been released and in response Commissioner Bud Selig has called for a through investigation to be led by a former senate majority leader into the matter. Then there’s the little issue of Bonds pursuing one of sports most cherished records. Entering the year Bonds is only 6 home runs shy of passing the iconic Babe Ruth for second on the all-time list and only 48 home runs away from passing Hank Aaron’s 755 clip.

As much as I’m not a Barry Bonds fan I don’t see anything that he did wrong. He worked within the rule structure that MLB set, however poor of a rule structure it may have been. I just think that too many people are putting blame on Bonds rather than taking issue with MLB’s weak performance enhancement policy pre-2003. Bonds allegedly used steroids from 1998-2002 – a period during which his head grew 14 hat sizes and MLB wasn’t testing for steroids. So is he really guilty of breaking rules that weren’t even in place? MLB knows it screwed up when they idly sat by and watched player after player knock the cover off the ball at an unprecedented pace when it was painfully apparent that players were juicing.

National Debate: Easily my favourite subplot of spring training was the Alfonso Soriano fiasco. Traded from the Texas Rangers to the Washington Nationals during the off-season, Soriano a 2B by nature balked at the Nationals attempt to place him in left field (the Nationals already have all-star Jose Vidro at 2B). Soriano went as far as refusing to take the field during a spring training game after manager Frank Robinson penciled him in as the left fielding leadoff hitter. Soriano eventually gave in after the Nats threatened to suspend him without pay for the entire season. Soriano will try LF for now but has made it clear to everyone that he doesn’t feel comfortable and is convinced the move and defensive lapses he’ll incur will negatively impact his impending free agency status. Just for the record, Soriano holds the worst career fielding percentage for a second baseman in the last 50 years of baseball.

Return of the King: Last year we all had an abbreviated chance to witness the potential and skills of baseball’s greatest pitching prospect to come along in 20 years. Now we can look forward to a full season of watching 20-year old Seattle Mariners prodigy Felix Hernandez pitch every 5 days. The Mariners will no doubt continue to be cautious with King Felix’s development, innings and pitch counts. Heck, he’s still not allowed to use his slider (arguably his greatest pitch) because of the extra wear and tear the pitch can put on his arm. If Crosby and Ovechkin are hockey’s must see players then King Felix is baseball’s equivalent. Just watch one if his starts and I guarantee you’ll come away with a new found appreciation for how good he really is. 

The Streak: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins will be front and centre for the first month of the season if he resumes his torrid hitting pace from last season. Rollins enters the 2006 campaign with a 36-game hitting streak, the 9^th longest in history and the 4^th longest since Joe DiMaggio set the record at 56 games. If Rollins breaks the record, look for it to happen somewhere near the tail end of April.

Johnny B. Badd: Out of all the places for former Boston Red Sox OF Johnny Damon to sign he had to choose the Evil Empire and sign with the New York Yankees. To comply with club policy Damon had to drop his signature beard and long hair that became synonymous with his time in Boston. So basically Damon went from being an idiot to a corporate moron this off season. Top of Form

Breakthrough team: Toronto Blue Jays

This may seem like an obvious choice but up until a week ago I wasn’t sold on the Blue Jays’ chances for this year. I was actually convinced that with the Jays’ acquisitions of Glaus, Burnett, Ryan, Molina and Overbay they would experience a New York Rangers type freefall associated with bringing in too many high-priced free agents. That all changed when I heard about the epic prank that star pitchers Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett pulled on SS Russ Adams and 2B Aaron Hill.

Citing revenge for the “Brokeback Mound” t-shirts Adams and Hill printed up, Halladay and Burnett decided to officially recognize Adams and Hill’s friendship.

The commissioned a plane to fly over during a training session with a banner that read: "Aaron, will you marry me? I love you. Russ."

In the clubhouse Halladay and Burnett set up a full wedding ceremony for the Jays’ infield tandem which included a DJ, gifts, food and matching tuxedo tops with the infielders’ numbers and names on the back. They also decorated Hill’s SUV with ballons and messages, one of them read: "Watch us turn two later tonight."

Finally Halladay and Burnett commissioned another plane to fly over during a spring training game with a banner that read: "Congratulations, Aaron and Russ."

How can you cheer against a team like that?

World Series: Oakland A’s over St. Louis Cardinals

Pitching is perennially a difference maker in the playoffs; that’s why it’s so hard for me to ignore the Oakland A’s as serious contenders this year. In my opinion they have the best starting rotation in the league (Zito, Harden, Haren, Blanton, Loaiza) and they have a bonafide closer now in last year’s Rookie of the Year, Huston Street. In order to succeed the A’s will need to make life easier on themselves by getting off to a quick start instead of just relying on a torrid second half. As long as their key players stay healthy and they acquire another big bat at the deadline they should be an elite club this year.

As for the NL opponent, the Cardinals are simply a contender by process of elimination.

People who are still shocked by the Braves’ annual trend of a great regular season followed by disastrous a post-season are probably the same people who await the elevator by standing right at the door when it opens up – like it’s somehow illogical for someone to be getting off, especially if it’s the lobby floor.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have retooled and look like a strong bet to win the NL West crown but before you bet on them in a meaningful game just remember that Grady Little is their manager. Yes, the very same manger who didn’t remove Pedro Martinez after the 7^th inning in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Yankees even though he was more finished than a steak around Jerome Bettis.

Therefore we’re left with the Cardinals who are led by the reigning Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter and Albert Pujols – baseball’s best hitter. 

AL Cy Young: Johan Santana
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
AL MVP: A-Rod (Note: I’d like to pick David Ortiz here but after the voters slighted him last year in favour of Pay-Rod I’m convinced that helping your team win games in clutch situations has no bearing on the MVP trophy).