Cincinnati Reds are Bolstering their Pitching Staff

The Cincinnati Reds have spent this offseason upgrading their pitching staff. The first big move the Reds made was trading for Mat Latos. Everyone knew that the San Diego Padres were asking for a lot for their ace, but no one was sure who would be willing to pay the asking price. The Reds made it happen by trading pitcher Edinson Volquez and three prospects, first baseman Yonder Alonso, catcher Yasmani Grandal, and pitcher Brad Boxberger. I like the trade for the Padres. Volquez has shown flashes of greatness, but also has struggled. He has a chance to pan out thanks to a change of scenery. Alonso and Grandal are highly regarded prospects who have a chance to be studs for a Padres team in desperate need of some. I also like the trade for the Reds. They got the best player in a top-quality young pitcher, which was a need the team had. Latos is still young and did well in San Diego, but was always hurt by the Padres anemic offense. He won't have that problem in Cincinnati.

Then, Cincinnati acquired lefty reliever Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs. The Reds seemed to give up a lot (pitcher Travis Wood and two prospects), but this is an immediate upgrade for a bullpen that needed help. The Reds need to have a good season to convince Marshall to sign after the season. Marshall is a free agent after this season, and the Reds gave up too much for a one-year rental.

The Reds weren't done upgrading their bullpen. Today, they found their closer when they signed Ryan Madson to one year deal worth $8.5 million. Madson went 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 32 saves (in 34 chances) in 2011 after becoming the Philadelphia Phillies closer. This is a great sign for the Reds. Madson is a Scott Boras client and was looking for a bigger, long-term deal, but there wasn't any out there because of the deep closer free agent pool this offseason. This way the Reds can evaluate how he does and consider an extension during the season. Madson is known by his changeup, which he controls very well and freezes hitters with. ESPN's Mark Simon illustrated this well in the image below. It is obvious that Madson's change is one of the reasons he has had success as a closer.

Left: Where Ryan Madson threw his changeup (2011)
Right: Where average RHP throws his changeup (2011)

NHL Teams Rising and Falling as They Start 2012

We are ten days into 2012, and the NHL standings show teams on the rise and teams on the fall. I will take look at three of each.

Teams on the Rise

1. New York Rangers - The New York Rangers got the come-from-behind win in the Winter Classic and haven't looked back. They are winners of five straight and nine of their last ten. The win streak also gives them the most points of any team in the NHL. Things are going well to say the least for John Tortorella's club right now.

2. San Jose Sharks - The San Jose Sharks have a nice win streak going as well. They've won four in a row and are 8-1-1 in their last ten. The offense is starting to come together for the Sharks, who now lead the Pacific Division. If they can maintain their success, they will be eyeing the best record in the Western Conference.

3. Ottawa Senators - The Ottawa Senators may be overachieving right now, but one can't deny how well the team is playing. They are an impressive 9-2-2 in their last thirteen games. With this streak of great play, the Senators have even pulled themselves into the thick of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

Teams on the Fall

1. Chicago Blackhawks - It is a surprise to see the Chicago Blackhawks on this list, but the team has lost four games in a row. During the losing streak, they have given up sixteen goals. The Blackhawks need to pull it together on defense and in the net. The team has already fallen to third in the Central Division standings.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins - Life simply isn't treating the Pittsburgh Penguins very well right now. It appears that Jordan Staal and James Neal will be joining Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang in rehab with substantial injuries. The team has lost four in a row and scored only five goals in those games. The question becomes whether or not this team will be able to pull it together and make the playoffs.

3. Minnesota Wild - The Minnesota Wild continue to fall farther and farther as their team's offense continues in its continual drought. The Wild have only won one game in their last twelve. During that stretch, their offense has only managed to score seventeen goals. If this team doesn't find some offense soon, they are going to keep on plummeting.

SEC Rivals Rematch in BCS National Championship

The LSU Tigers dominated every team they played this season, except the Alabama Crimson Tide. LSU outscored the rest of their opponents 491-131. The game earlier this season against Alabama ended in a LSU 9-6 win, even though the Crimson Tide had opportunities to win. The loss seemed to knock Alabama out of the national title picture, but they won the remainder of their games and got some help from other teams. This meant that the Crimson Tide earned a rematch against LSU to determine who would win the BCS National Championship.

As I already mentioned, LSU has dominated opponents so far in their undefeated season. After coming off a suspension, quarterback Jordan Jefferson took over the reigns of the offense from Jarrett Lee. Jefferson is a dual threat and ran for 248 yards. He was one of five Tigers to run for at least that many yards in what is a balanced and deep running attack to say the least. Then, there is the highly-acclaimed LSU defense. They are led in the secondary by two All-American cornerbacks (the first time one team has ever had both), Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne. Mathieu turned in a season so impressive that he was a Heisman finalist and widely considered to be one of the most dynamic all-around players in the country. Honey Badger, which he likes to be referred to as, had two interceptions, six forced fumbles, and is a prolific punt returner, averaging 16.2 yards per return. The secondary definitely benefits from the great pass rush generated by the Tigers that led to 37 sacks. Defensive ends Sam Montgomery (9.0 sacks) and Barkevious Mingo (8.0 sacks) were responsible for much of the pressure.

The Alabama offense clearly relies on their top running back, Heisman finalist Trent Richardson. Richardson ran for 1583 yards and 20 touchdowns, but was held to 89 rushing yards in the first game against LSU. The Crimson Tide will also need quarterback A.J. McCarron to step up his game. McCarron has to be careful with the ball and make good decisions for his team. Alabama's defense has had just as dominant a defense this year as LSU. They are led by two All-American linebackers Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower. Upshaw had 8 1/2 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss during the season, while Hightower added a team-leading 81 tackles, 9 1/2 of those for a loss, and 3 sacks.

One of the keys for LSU is the play of quarterback Jordan Jefferson. Jefferson has been inconsistent at times this season and still shows some rust from missing the first four games of the season because of suspension. One of the keys for Alabama is finishing off drives. We know field goal kicking helped cost them the win in the last matchup, but the offense needs to do better. The Crimson Tide need to try and find the endzone, or at least set up shorter field goal attempts for their kickers.

While anything is possible, I expect another game dominated by these outstanding defenses. This is a difficult game to pick. Both teams matchup very well, and I expect it to be another close game. While it is difficult to beat a great team twice, I think that LSU gets it done. The Tigers have the difference makers and depth to get the job done. Prediction: LSU 20 Alabama 13