Tom Brady Signs a Contract Extension That Will Make Him a Patriots for Life

On Monday Tom Brady signed a contract extension that will make him a Patriot for life. He signed a three-year $27 million contract extension that will make him 40-years-old at the deals end.

The deal creates a serious amount of cap space for the Patriots over the next two seasons. It amounts to about $7 million per season. In an off-season where there are a lot of teams close to the cap, this may be an off-season unprecedented to Patriots fans.

Besides helping the Patriots, the 36-year-old Brady gave himself some security. Before signing the deal, Brady had two years and about $30 million left. Now he has $57 million that's fully guaranteed in case of injury.

Brady's salary got lowered from $9.7 million to $1 million and $2 million in 2013 and 2014 respectively. If Brady is on the roster after the last game of 2014 the money left on the deal is fully guaranteed.

Its a win--win for both sides, the Patriots get the cap space that they wanted, and Brady got some long term security. When you're getting into the latter point in your career, you never know what may happen, even though he is married to the multi millionaire supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

He did give the Patriots a little bit of a discount. As his salary is not even close to other top quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Peyton Manning for example, who all make close to $20 million annually.

Brady realizes his window is closing, so he wants to add to his already illustrious career. Clearing another $7 million in cap lets the patriots add a top tier free agent like Greg Jennings or Dwayne Bowe. Or they could keep their in house talent, which includes Brady's safety blanket, Wes Welker.

He already has enough money than he would ever ask for, so why not try and become the best quarterback to ever step foot on an NFL field?

The Patriots were so close last year to going to their third Super Bowl in six years. Their offense was one of the best in NFL history. I think they need to stay status quo on offense and use that $7 million on defense.

There is a lot of talent on the market this year like cornerback Brent Grimes, and there's not a lot of teams that can pay them big money. You might be able to get two aging, but productive stars at that. Add to this defense; give the already productive-but-young talent some veterans that you can depend on when its third down or in the playoffs.

Enjoy this while you can because you may never see this again: a top two player at his position taking a home town discount. As TB 12 said on his Facebook page yesterday, all that he wants to do is "Just Win."

What do NASCAR and the Boston Bruins Have in Common?

The Bruins are on the road to take on the Florida Panthers today while NASCAR Sprint Cup starts its season with the Daytona 500, but that's not all they have in common. As a sport, both markets have a long history in America. They are sports of grit and mental toughness and both enjoy a large and loyal fan base. So before I anger both hockey and NASCAR fans, I promise I have a point so stay with me.

NASCAR started with a foundation of a poor man's sport. Mechanics and factory workers would save up for weeks to able to afford tickets to their favorite track. Many of the drivers were greece monkeys themselves, working through the week to able to afford tires for the weekend race. Unlike many of the current athletes, fans found drivers they could relate too. The drivers understood what it meant to live pay check to pay check. Today, it is much more of a sophisticated sport. The engineering is better, the cars are faster, and the fan base is wider.

For the Bruins and the rest of the NHL, the history of the sport and team dedication has been passed down through generations. From the original six to the full 30 team league they have today, hockey has never been more popular. Though not America's most popular sport, our nation rallied around our 1980 Olympic team to beat the Soviets and go on to win the Gold Medal. It was a rare moment when sports brought an entire country together; it became something more than a hockey game, it was about beating our Cold War rival.

But what makes each sport special are its fans. Both are unique in their own right. It's not uncommon to have entire rooms in a fan's house dedicated to the team or driver they love. You get that with every sport, sure. But there are some events that show how dedicated these fans are.

In 2002, a 13 year old hockey fan was struck in the head by a hockey puck during a Blue Jackets-Calgary Flames game. She was taken to a nearby hospital where the young girl later died. For the players, league and fans nation wide, it was shocking how susceptible the stands can be.

Just yesterday, at the Nationwide Daytona 250, on the last lap of the race cars piled up racing for the win. As a result Kyle Larson's car ended up in the air and in the fence; his engine and tires landed in the stands. 28 fans were injured, 14 of which had to be taken to the hospital. At this point, it looks like everyone will fortunately survive.

It is remarkable that so much attention has been focused on keeping hockey players safe from concussions and drivers safe in the race car. When athletes get hurt, everyone chalks it up to "that's the risk you take." And that's okay. But when fans get hurt, it strikes everyone differently. After Tony Stewart won yesterday's race he climbed out of the car without any jubilant celebrations in Victory Lane, instead he was worried about the fans.

The amazing sensation about these fans? Even after a young girl dies or car parts fly into the stands, they still come back for more because they love their sport. That's dedication and that's what these two sports have in common. So much of sports today is focused on who has the biggest contract, or who earned the most fantasy points today. The media sometimes forgets about the fans, but without the fans the sports wouldn't exist.

I will be watching the Bruins in action at the BB&T Center today, as I will simulatneously watch the Daytona 500 on the TVs in the Duffy's Sky Box. Just another fan, watching some of his favorite sports.

Celtics Add Jordan Crawford to Thin Backcourt

Thursday the Celtics acquired sharpshooter Jordan Crawford from the Washington Wizards for injured Leandro Barbosa and Jason Collins.

Crawford has never seen a shot he didn't like as he adds an element of scoring that the C's didn't have heading into Thursday. He's an athletic two guard that can slash and shoot from well beyond the three point line. After losing starting point guard Rajon Rondo and Barbosa to injury, the backcourt was quite thin, so adding Crawford is just what the doctor ordered.

Averaging 13.1 points per game he can come off the bench for 26-30 minutes a game, and give the second unit a great one-two punch along with Jason Terry.

Most thought that Kevin Garnett and/or Paul Pierce could get dealt for draft picks or young assets, but general manager Danny Ainge couldn't find a deal he thought was suitable. Plus, Garnett went on the record, saying he would not waive his no-trade clause that was incorporated into a three-year $36 million deal he signed this summer.Which could end up hurting the Celtics in the long run, as Garnett may decide to retire at the end of the year and not receive any compensation for him.

Rumors were the Clippers offered DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe for Garnett. Which would have been an excellent deal in the long-term for the C's, but giving Garnett the no-trade clause hindered what Ainge could do.

Deciding to be buyers not sellers at the deadline means the Celtics are going for it all. Even though their record doesn't show it, they're the second best team in the east, only the Heat are head and shoulders above them.

With the emergence of Jeff Green, they have the chance to give Miami a competitive seven game series, if he can slow down LeBron James.

Overall it was a quiet deadline around the NBA, but the C's got Crawford for basically nothing. Let's hope that the older C's can get some lift knowing this may be there last opportunity to go win it all.

Owning the Boston Red Sox

Imagine buying a business with a client base that has been dissatisfied for 86 years. How do you turn things around? For the ownership of the Boston Red Sox, they only had one option- winning the World Series. So after taking over the franchise in 2002 they did just that...twice in four years. 2004 meant good-bye "wait til' next year," no more "whose your daddy?" chants in the Bronx, and so-long Curse. Boston was the winning city again. John Henry, Larry Lucchino, and Tom Warner had created a baseball team to consistently compete at a high level.

Year in and year out, Sox fans have expected a team that has the talent to make it to October. We want to make the playoffs and compete for another title. Because of this, fans are expecting much more out of the 2013 Sox than we got from rosters of the past. And we have good reason to expect nothing short of the best.

That's generally a good thing, until that teams starts to slip. The last two years have been utter disappointments for Red Sox fans. After the September collapse that Yankee fans just love to remind us about in 2011, the Fenway Faithful didn't see much of an improvement throughout 2012. As a result, many fans now question the intent of the Sox' ownership. Do they really care about winning anymore? Who's more important to John Henry, Boston or Liverpool?

Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, wrote an Op-Ed featured on LinkedIn named "The Mavs are a Business Unlike Any Other." He explained the challenges and joys of owning a major sports franchise. What is evident about Cuban is he is his team's biggest fan. He wants to win just as much as his players because after all he was a fan a long time before he ever bought the team. Much like Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, Cuban was a long time season ticket holder so he still has the fire in his belly to want to see the Mavs compete for a title.

The owners of the Red Sox have a different tale. The majority owners (Henry, Lucchino, and Warner) all have executive experience at baseball teams other than the Sox. They did not grow up in Boston so they didn't experience the 86 year drought like most fans did. They don't have members of their family who never got their dying wish- to see the Red Sox win a World Series. All other things equal, the current Sox ownership were never die-hard fans, rather they remain businessmen. But that doesn't ipso-facto make them less of an owner than Kraft or Cuban.

The longest tenured owner of the Red Sox was the Yawkey family. Coveted by Boston so much that we named a street after Tom Yawkey, but many forget or are ignorant to the fact that in the midst of our 86 year drought, Yawkey traded Willie Mays out of our farm system because he didn't want a black player on his major league roster. For those of you who didn't know that, let that settle in for a second. Yes, the Red Sox once had of the most prolific players of all time sitting in their farm system, waiting for the boss to give him a chance, but we traded him away based on the color of his skin.

So before we consider the ability of the current ownership to build competitive baseball teams and their desire to do just that, we should take these matters into perspective. It is very apparent that when current management took over, they wanted to win. They had desire that matches the Cubans and Krafts of the billionaire sports fans' club. You don't win two World Series by mistake. The existential question Sox fans address now is: do they have that same desire, and are the Sox their number one priority?

It is very easy for fans to answer that question by simply saying 'no,' when you look for all the warning signs. Fenway Sports Management has branched out in recent years purchasing the soccer franchise Liverpool while also buying half of the NASCAR team known today as Rousch Fenway Racing. It is not uncommon for owners to have teams from different sports, Kraft owns the New England Revolution in addition to the Patriots for example. But Henry and company made an unprecedented move with the blockbuster purchase of a historic soccer franchise and a NASCAR team.

What concerns many Boston fans is that these new teams take away the focus from the Red Sox. It doesn't help that former Manager Terry Francona's new book eviscerates the ownership as a group who cared more about the ratings on NESN than the team's win-loss column. Maybe Francona is just disgruntled that he was given the boot after having arguably the best tenure as manager in team history. Or, maybe this was his Canseco moment where years later we find out he was right all along. And what about rumors of Henry looking to sell? He answered these claims that they simply were looking for more investors, and that's commonplace in business.

So what is to be said about the state of the Red Sox and the team's ownership? I'm not sure. It's easy to speculate what their true intentions are and many fans love to play Monday morning quarterback after October. But any serious fan can't look at the acquisitions the last few years and think they're not trying to win. Sure, getting Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford never brought another ring, but is that management's fault? I argue no, it's not.

I'm not saying that Sox ownership should be more like Cuban, everyone has their own style. Not winning a World Serious in 5 years is not good, but it's also not proof that Sox brass has given up on the team. Nick laid out his thoughts on the 2013 team. Let's hope we get back to the days of the Idiots and Cowboy Up rather than beer and chicken wings in the clubhouse and a disabled listed with a bigger salary than the starting roster. In order to get there, the goal of winning has to come from the top.

Why the Patriots Should Franchise Aqib Talib

Guest post by: Brian Cossette

With the deadline to use the franchise and transition tags on players almost a week away, the Patriots still face the dilemma on who (or if) to tag. Assuming they plan to use the franchise tag over the rarely seen transition tag, they have three probable options. They can tag receiver Wes Welker for the second year in a row, this time at $11.4 million; right tackle Sebastian Vollmer at $10.67 million; or cornerback Aqib Talib at $9.66 million. Unfortunately for the Patriots, the decision may have just gotten easier.

Courtesy of Alfonzo Dennard’s actions the day before this past year’s NFL Draft, the Patriots may be short one of their starting cornerbacks for at least part of this upcoming season. Dennard was found guilty of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest this past week, and may be facing prison time. Even if Dennard is able to avoid incarceration, he will certainly be suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell. Combine Dennard’s situation with nickelback Kyle Arrington’s free agency and the Patriots are certainly in the market for a corner.

Luckily for them, arguably the best cornerback available in free agency is already on their roster,Talib-  who knows a thing or two about the judicial system as well. Should the Patriots take a risk and allow Talib to enter free agency, they may be looking at their worst secondary group in years if he signs elsewhere. Apparently it is possible for the Pats’ secondary to get worse.

The Patriots lack of cornerback depth provides a necessity to franchise Talib, but it turns out that it may be the most logical move as well. Talib’s play on the field certainly justifies a long term contract, but his propensity to get in trouble off the field has the team hesitating to make a commitment. Tagging Talib provides the Patriots another year to interview the troubled cornerback. Should he confirm their doubts and get into trouble, they would not be liable for a long term commitment and could part ways after next season.

The Patriots must also consider the replacements for Welker, Vollmer, and Talib. Welker is a part of a massive wide receiver free agent market that includes Pro Bowlers Greg Jennings, Mike Wallace, and Dwayne Bowe.

Vollmer would likely be replaced in house as offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia is one of the best in the league at developing offensive line talent; or via the draft where the o-line is a major strength this year.

Meanwhile, Talib is most likely the best player available to the Patriots at the cornerback position as the free agency crop has flaws (Brent Grimes is likely the best competition, and he is coming off a torn ACL). The draft is not only weak but often doesn't provide immediate returns.

The price tag for Talib is also the most fair compared to that of Welker and Vollmer. It can be argued that all three players deserve an average annual salary in the $6-8 million range. Welker is a slot receiver who is in his mid 30's and limited in his capabilities; Vollmer is a right tackle where even the highest paid players do not make more than $7 million; Talib is the best cornerback the Patriots have had since Asante Samuel. Not only is Talib valued similarly to Welker and Vollmer, but his franchise tag figure is also the lowest of the three.

While nothing is a certainty with the Patriots, it seems clear that they are in a bit of a bind when it comes to their options at cornerback. Losing Talib would be very costly and extend their recent history of poor secondary play.

It may hurt some fans’ feelings to choose a troubled newcomer over the reliable and beloved Wes Welker, but the Patriots are about smart business- not hurt feelings.

How Good is this Red Sox team?

Late in 2012 I wondered what direction the Red Sox would go? Would they totally rebuild? Sign top tier free-agents? Or rebuild while trying to be competitive. They choose option number three.

Signing outfielder Shane Victorino to a three-year $36 million deal. Pitcher Ryan Dempster to a two-year $26.5 million contract. Along with Mike Napoli, who got a incentive laden one-year deal. Those were the three big signings, they also signed Stephen Drew who will be the starting shortstop. All of these players are in their mid to late thirties, except Drew who is 29. None of them are in the prime of their career anymore, but they are still quality players.

With none of the deals being long term the Sox' are bridging the cap until their top prospects are ready. Shortstop Xander Boegarts (20) looks to be the next big thing to hit Fenway. He hits for power, average and runs the bases very well. Look for him to join the Sox' in the middle of the year, if they are competing for a playoff spot, just like the Orioles did with their prized prospect Manny Machado (20) last year.

Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (22) looks set to roam the outfield in 2014 for the Sox. Depending if the Red Sox decide to re-sign Jacoby Ellsbury after this season will dictate what position Bradley will play. 

Having to unload massive contracts that they had given out to Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, not to many people believed they would make a substantial offer to a free-agent. It seems as they have a direction that they are headed in, which hasn't been the case in recent years. 

I want to believe this team can make the playoffs and even compete for a World Series, but that would be being a little naive. This team has some great players, but they are all getting up their in age. They have Dustin Pedroia, Will Middlebrooks and Ellsbury to lean on as their young players, but they have core players that have been injured the past couple seasons. David Ortiz, Clay Buchholz and even Ellsbury have missed a chunk of time. They really need to avoid the injury bug if they want to compete.

An 85 win team is where they will probably end up. But, that total can go up or down with how this team meshes and how well the pitching staff pitches. If they have a year like last, that total will be in the 70's. 

The team seems to be more likable and should give maximum effort every night which is a blessing for Sox' fans. Just as a fan don't set your expectations too high, realize they have a plan, and enjoy the ride.

How the NBA Needs to Change All-Star Weekend

During the NBA all-star weekend, you get to see event that shows off the top talents in the NBA. The slam dunk contest isn't what it once was, but it is still fun to see some amazing dunks. Then you have the three-point contest, and the rising stars game. But, the NBA is not capitalizing on the product that they have. 

Allowing fans to vote for the all-star starters is the first thing that I would change. It is great that fans get to see the players they want. But, it is basically just the players that they know when they go to put the check mark next to their name. Look at this year's all-star starters:

Eastern Conference All-Star Starting Lineup

LeBron James (Miami Heat)

Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat)

                                        

Carmello Anthony (New York Knicks)

Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics)

Rajon Rondo (replaced by Chris Bosh)

Western Conference All-Star Starting Lineup

Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers)

Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)

Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Dwight Howard (Los Angeles Lakers)

Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)

Most of these players deserve the spot like Durant, Paul, Bryant, Anthony and James. But, all the another deserve to be on the bench or not in the game at all. I think they need to get rid of the positions, just have the five best players start on each team. Howard and Griffin should be on the bench. James Harden should be starting in his place, as he is fifth best scorer in the NBA at 26.1 ppg and is carrying a mediocre Houston Rockets team, and either Stephen Curry or Zach Randolph should be starting in Griffin's place. 

As much as I love Kevin Garnett he should be enjoying this weekend in Malibu. At the age of 37 he is not putting up numbers that validate him as an all-star. Paul George a rising young player in Indiana should be taking his spot.

Fans vote for the names they know, not everyone has an NBA league pass, so they may not see the Pacers play a lot. Have the coaches vote and get some fresh blood in their so the NBA can broaden their horizons. 

Now moving on to the Dunk Contest, this year the most recognized name was Kenneth Faried, yes, Kenneth Faried. He's a great rebounder and hustle player, but won't get the casual fan to watch the dunk contest. 

The NBA should have the right to compel certain players to do the dunk contest. It won't be a popular decision among players, but it would make the weekend much more enjoyable. Put LeBron James up against Blake Griffin. Rating's would go up, and that all the NBA cares about, just like any other sport. 

Just like all other sports all-star weekends they need some tweaking, but the NBA's all-star weekend could be an event that you look forward to. Now, its just something if your scrolling the guide on your TV you will throw on. The NBA needs to make it must watch TV and more authentic.

Fantasy Baseball Rankings 6-10

Guest post by Chris Naff.

Somehow, I convinced Nick to let me write for Around the World Sports Opinions- he has no idea what he just got himself into. For me, and probably like most of you, watching sports is the one way to unwind from long days and become detached from the real world. Hands down, my favorite sport to watch at any level is baseball.

Throughout its history, baseball has had special players from Babe Ruth to Cal Ripken Jr. come and go. By remembering these titans and recognizing how important they were to baseball we can appreciate the talent of today's greatest players. We would love to see another Willie Mays or Ty Cobb; Ted Williams claimed watching Nomar Garciaparra bat reminded him of Joe DiMaggio. So who are today's top players? Nick found 5 really good hitters that will surely be hot commodities this fantasy season. So who justifies rounding out the top ten?

Getcha popcorn ready, here's my list.

6. Josh Hamilton

I love watching this guy. As long as he spends more time in the batting cage than he does in the bar room, you can count on Hamilton having yet another big year. No one anticipated Albert Pujols to have his slow start with the Angels last year, but that doesn't mean Hamilton is destined for the same struggles. His power numbers were second only to Cabrera last year. He did not hit for average like Cabrera, but his 43 home runs were one shy of Miggy and his 128 RBIs were second best as well. Additionally, he will find himself in the middle of a very potent lineup, so he has the chance to see great pitches. Will that improve his batting average? Let's watch and find out.

2013 Projections: .290 average, 105 runs/ 40 HRs/ 130 RBIs/ 5 stolen bases

7. Adrian Beltre

Entering into the twilight of his career, Beltre is coming off three straight years with 100+ RBIs. He will turn 34 in April but all signs show he isn't slowing down any time soon. His average last year was 5th best in baseball at .321 while racking up 194 hits. The one major problem for Beltre and the Rangers? No Hamilton in the lineup this year. We'll have to see how the team adjusts and the impact Hamilton's absence will have on other players' stats.

2013 Projections: .315 average, 90 runs/ 35 HRs/ 105 RBIs/ 2 stolen bases

8. Prince Fielder

Somehow, some way, Prince makes his rotund shape work to his advantage. He is coming his second best year thus far. After playing in every game of 2012, he finished with an average of .313 with 30 home runs and 108 RBIs, not to mention an on base percentage of .412. At the age of 28 years old, he's in the midst of his prime so there's no telling how good he'll be for the Tigers in 2013.

2013 Projections: .315 average, 85 runs/ 37 HRs/ 100 RBIs/ 1 stolen base

9. Buster Posey

Overshadowed by Miguel Cabrera's historic AL Triple Crown season, let's not forget this kid from San Fran's average topped all of baseball at .336. His power numbers are outstanding for a catcher: 24 home runs with 103 RBIs, not to mention an on base percentage of .408. After returning from an injury shortened 2011, in 2012 he proved 2010 was not just beginners luck. In addition to his stellar numbers, his durability is something any fantasy juggernaut likes to see: he caught 148 games last year. Sure, he's a catcher, but at a ripe age of 25 he proves Mike Trout isn't the only young gun to be a hot commodity in fantasy leagues.

2013 Projections: .335 average, 80 runs/ 27 HRs/ 110 RBIs/ 1 stolen base

10. Albert Pujols

After going through what he considered a minor procedure on his knee, Pujols is expecting to be ready for opening day. That's good news for fantasy leagues. But picking Big Al at #10 was hard. The days of him hitting .357 are probably over, but at 33, he still has a lot of fuel left in his tank. You can chalk his slow start to 2012 for what ever reason you like. He still hit 30 home runs with over 100 RBIs. Is he just complacent now that he landed a big contract? I and every baseball fan hopes not. As you can tell, I think the lineup a hitter is placed in has a huge effect on how they perform in the batters' box. The Angles already have a great combination from Trout and Pujols, but now add Hamilton. Look out, because all other things equal, Big Al could be destined for a great year.

2013 Projections: .305 average, 90 runs/ 35 HRs/ 95 RBIs/ 3 stolen bases

So there you have it, my picks for 6-10. Our top ten list is loaded with talent which means it has all the makings of a great year for baseball. I could not be more excited. I just hope that pesky old team from Boston finds its heart again and reclaims its post-season spot.

By the way, there are a few players I think everyone should look out for. Living in Florida I have had the privilege of watching Giancarlo Stanton and Hanley Ramirez play in person. Stanton is a beast, but his problem is he's the only star left on the Marlins as Ramirez is now with the Dodgers. Stanton is developing into a great hitter. He hit 37 home runs last year while only knocking in 86 runs, but that's mainly due to not having enough runners on base when he's at bat. Hanley has been coveted by scouts for a long time. He's 29 now. He should be crushing the ball. With a new team, maybe we will see the Hanley we should always see.

Don't agree? Think players like Edwin Encarnacion or Chase Headley or Robinson Cano should have been included? Let us know and comment below.

For more rants, you can follow me on twitter @Chris_Naff.

Fantasy Baseball Rankings 1-5

It's that time of the year again. Major League Baseball teams are heading to their respective spring training complexes, gearing up for April 1st. With the beginning of spring training that means fantasy baseball is starting up. It's not as popular as fantasy football, but it ranks a close second. As always the top five fantasy selections are studs, and if you are lucky enough to draft in the top half of the first round you should be in excellent shape. When you're drafting a player that high your looking for MVP type numbers. Last year's number one pick in most draft's was Matt Kemp, coming off 39 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 2011, many expected the same. But, a hamstring injury limited him to 106 games and 8th to 9th round value at the end of the season. So these rankings are based on what I expect from these players this season on a 162 game pace.

These rankings are based on a standard league, with runs, runs batted in, batting average, home runs and stolen bases as the categories for hitters and wins, strikeouts, saves, whip and earned run average for pitchers.

1. Mike Trout

The 21-year-old was touted as MLB's top prospect in baseball for the past two seasons. Trout started the year in Triple-A and then was called up in May, and put up numbers that no one has seen from someone that young before. He played in 139 games and put up numbers that most thought were MVP worthy. Trout is an uber stud in fantasy, hitting for power, average and he even swipes some bags, finishing 2012 with .326 average and 129/30/83/49. If you pick Trout first overall you need to understand stand those numbers are going to fall off a little, but it won't be a sophomore slump. He is a lock for 25/40, with the potential to reach 40/50. Confidently pick him with the first pick, and enjoy the ride.

2013 Projections: .310 average,  125 runs/ 28 home runs/ 80 RBI's/ 50 stolen bases


2. Miguel Cabrera

Cabrera was the first person to win the triple crown since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967, which means he produced top flight numbers for fantasy owners. Miggy has been one of the most consistent fantasy players since his first full major league season in 2004. Eclipsing the 100 RBI mark every year and over 30 home runs 8 of the 9 years. Most sluggers don't hit for average but Miggy does, always hovering around .320. You should expect the same old for Miggy. With Prince Fielder hitting behind him the sky is the limit.

2013 Projections: .322 average, 108 runs/ 35 home runs/ 120 RBI's/ 1 stolen base


3. Matt Kemp

As a fantasy owner I love those guys who can produce in every category. To use a basketball term, Kemp fills the stat sheet. Like Trout, Kemp can slug and run. With the retooled Dodgers lineup, Kemp might outproduce the numbers he did in 2011. He has protection with Adrian Gonzalez and has table setters in Carl Crawford and Dee Gordon in front of him. Last season was a wash for Kemp, as his hamstring injury lingered all season long. He comes into spring training healthy, and a Dodgers fan base that expects the Dodgers to compete for a World Series, and to do it they need Kemp to produce like I expect him to.

2013 Projections: .300 average, 115 runs/ 31 home runs/ 109 RBI's/ 30 Stolen bases


4. Ryan Braun

Like Cabrera, Braun has been atop fantasy rankings for years. Braun has been in the news lately due to his name being on a PED supplier, which isn't what fantasy owners want to hear. The former MVP had his 50-game suspension for a failed drug test reversed so he could play a full 2012 slate. He produced once again, this time without Prince Fielder behind him. I believe Braun will put up great numbers, but I am afraid of a regression this year as the talent around him is no where near what it used to be. Nevertheless Braun will still produce numbers that will make him worthy of a top 5 pick.

2013 Projections: .315 average, 110 runs/ 33 home runs/ 110 RBI's/ 25 Stolen bases

5. Andrew McCutchen

I have already stated that I like guys who can produce in multiple categories, so lets round out the top five with another one. McCutchen leads a young Pirates team into 2013, who has some lofty expectations. McCutchen's numbers have gradually increased since he joined the big club in 2010. Playing in a great hitters park, McCutchen's numbers are limitless. The center fielder will get plenty of opportunities on the base paths which will make him much more valuable. I see him increasing all of his stats across the board in 2013.

2013 Projections: .330 average, 107 runs/ 27 home runs/ 99 RBI's/ 33 Stolen bases


New contributor Chris Naff will be posting the 6-10 rankings in the coming days. Chris will also be posting other stories during the weeks!