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Poll: The Best Record In Baseball

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There's just a little more than a week left in the season, and with the exception of the NL West and NL Wild Card, the playoff teams are all but set. Now it's just a matter of sorting out the seeding.

For most of the season it's been assumed that whoever won the AL East would finish the season with the best record in all of baseball, but suddenly that's not the case any more. The Phillies staked a claimed to best record with last night's win, their 11th in a row to put their season record at 93-61. Both the Rays and Twins sit half-a-game behind them at 92-61, and the Yankees are within a game of Philly with a 92-62 record. No other team is within six games of the Phillies.

Since the NL won the All Star Game and thus clinched home field advantage in the World Series, having the best record in baseball isn't worth much beyond bragging rights. That might not mean anything to the teams, but it certainly means something to us fans. Remember, you can always check out the reverse standings (for draft order purposes) at our page, but it's time to vote…

Which team will finish with the best record in baseball?

Click here to vote, and here to see the results.

Poll: The Next Losing Team To Make The Playoffs

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Eight teams have assured themselves of losing records in 2010, but they're all trying to turn things around and reach the postseason. Could the Diamondbacks, under new GM Kevin Towers, be the first to reach the playoffs? What about the Royals, who have so much minor league talent? Or the Cubs, a big-market team with a number of pieces already in place? It's time to vote on those teams, plus the Nationals, Pirates, Mariners, Indians and Orioles.

Which losing team will reach the playoffs first?

Click here to vote and here to see the results.

Poll: Extending Josh Hamilton

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When he’s on the field, Josh Hamilton is one of the best players in the game. Hamilton’s five-tool ability has translated into results for a few seasons now and at 29 he leads the American League in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS.

But Hamilton, who had completed just one full season in the major leagues before this year, has not played since bruising his ribs in early September. Injuries have prevented Hamilton from playing more regularly throughout his career, so questions about his ability to stay on the field would no doubt contribute to the Rangers’ willingness to guarantee tens of millions of dollars. At this point, Rangers GM Jon Daniels tells Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that he isn’t worried about extending Hamilton.

"Our only focus as it relates to Josh right now is getting him healthy and back in the lineup," Daniels said. "The contractual stuff will take care of itself."

The Rangers have Hamilton under team control for two seasons after this so they don’t face the same urgency that the Cardinals do with their franchise player. Hamilton won’t cost nearly as much as Albert Pujols, but he’s in a position to demand more than $40MM over four years, no small amount of money. It’s a good problem to have – how would you address it if you were in Daniels’ position?

Would you offer Josh Hamilton a long-term extension?

Click here to take the survey and here to see the results.

Poll: Jayson Werth’s Next Contract

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You could make the argument that Jayson Werth has been the best everyday player on the best team in the National League this year. He has a .291/.381/.521 line, and leads the league in doubles and pitches seen per plate appearance.

That will play in Werth's favor when he hits free agency later this year, but remember that Werth will be up against Carl Crawford, who is two years younger and has a better defensive reputation. Unlike Crawford and many other members of this year's free agent class, Werth has only been a full-time player for three years. Werth will get a multi-year deal from someone, but the details are harder to predict. 

Agent Scott Boras says Werth is more comparable to Matt Holliday (who signed for $120MM) than Jason Bay (who signed for $66MM), but it's time to see what you think:

Will Jayson Werth sign for more than $100MM?

Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.

Poll: Which Free Agent Will Sign The Biggest Deal

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Last year it was Matt Holliday. Before him, it was Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano. As the 2010-11 offseason draws closer, it's time to ask a question that's always fun and never easy.

Which free agent will sign for the most guaranteed money this offseason?

Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.

Poll: Will Boston Re-Sign Beltre?

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Earlier this evening, Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal wondered if Adrian Beltre will figure into Boston's plans this offseason.  The third baseman, who will earn just $10MM for his outstanding play in 2010, is seeking a multi-year commitment in his next deal.  Beltre has exceeded all expectations this year by turning in a .326/.369/.563 slash line with 27 homers and a strong defensive play (15.1 UZR/150) at third.

The Red Sox would obviously love to have Beltre back but he may very well command more money and years on the open market than they would be willing to yield.  Tim Dierkes believes that the Scott Boras client may seek $50MM over four-years at the outset of this offseason.  And, as Ben Nicholson-Smith pointed out, there are plenty of potential suitors who could up the bidding for his services.  If Theo Epstein & Co. feel that Beltre is too rich for their blood, they could turn over the third baseman gig to either Jed Lowrie or Kevin Youkilis (if a new first baseman is found).  Of course, there would still be a void to fill in the absence of the 31-year-old Beltre.

Will Boston re-sign Adrian Beltre?

Click here to take the poll, and here to view the results.

Poll: Should The Cubs Keep Zambrano?

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Since returning to the starting rotation on August 9th, Carlos Zambrano has shown flashes of what made him one of baseball's elite pitchers.  In seven starts, Big Z has an ERA of 1.60 with 7.8 K/9, though two walk-heavy games have left him with a 5.0 BB/9 rate in that stretch.  Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com was in the locker room after his latest strong outing on Friday against Milwaukee when Zambrano was asked about the possibility of being traded this winter.

“I don’t want to talk about that,” the 29-year-old said. “I feel happy, I love this team and I want to stay here. I want to stay here the rest of my contract. No more trade talk.”

The righthander is owed almost $36MM over the next two seasons and has a vesting player option worth $19.25MM for 2013.  Even though the Cubs have been hoping that Zambrano would restore his value so that they can dump his contract, they obviously can't expect much in return for him.

Should the Cubs keep Zambrano?

Click here to take the poll, and here to view the results.

Poll: The NL West

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The Padres had been in sole possession of first place in the NL West since June 11th, but they now find themselves tied with the Giants after falling to their rivals from the Bay 1-0 last night. It was San Diego's 12th loss in 15 games, and San Francisco's sixth win in seven games. A lead that once swelled to six-and-a-half games disappeared in just 15 days.

The Pads are going to have to continue to rely on their extreme pitching and defense approach (MLB best 3.34 ERA and +47.3 UZR) while the Giants have benefited greatly from in-season additions like Pat Burrell (134 OPS+ with SF) and Buster Posey (129). It's worth noting that the Padres do have two games at hand, but it might not matter when the two clubs meet for three games in San Francisco for the season's final series.

Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Rockies, who have won eight in a row and 15 of their last 19 as part of their annual second half surge. They're now just two-and-a-half back in the division after being 11 games back 18 days ago. It's going to be a mad dash to finish for the NL West crown, which brings us to today's question.

Who will win the NL West?

Click here to vote, and here to see the results. 

Poll: Best Minor League Deal

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Every year, teams supplement their rosters by signing players to minor league deals. It's a way for teams to make low-risk investments in players who generally don't have much leverage. But finding a Joaquin Benoit, Livan Hernandez, or R.A. Dickey in the bargain bin can make a massive difference. Some players, like Austin Kearns, Jim Edmonds and D.J. Carrasco, get flipped in mid-summer trades. Others, like Pat Burrell and Chris Denorfia contribute on playoff contenders. But those aren't the only players who signed memorable minor league deals since last season ended…

Who was the best minor league signing of the year? 

Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.

Poll: Manny Ramirez’s Next Contract

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Last week, ESPN's Buster Olney opined that a team interested in Manny Ramirez this offseason should present him with an incentive-laden contract to ensure that he will maintain his focus.  Olney suggests a base salary of $800K to $1MM with incentives based on plate appearances.

While major league GMs likely wouldn't object to such a deal, one has to imagine that Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, would.  As Tim Dierkes pointed out, last winter Boras was able to land $3.3MM and $2MM guarantees for Xavier Nady and Alex Cora, respectively.  After coming off of a two-year, $45MM deal, it's probable that Ramirez can fetch a higher guaranteed salary on the open market.

However, Ramirez has now left two baseball towns on a sour note twice in recent years.  Ramirez's struggles in the outfield and advanced age also mean that he's likely to remain in the American League as a designated hitter.  Ramirez, who has a career UZR/150 of -20.0 in the outfield, told Dodgers skipper Joe Torre that he feels that he belongs in the AL before his departure to Chicago.  In essence, this probably cuts the slugger's list of prospective suitors in half; minus one if you want to nix Boston from the group.  

While Olney's idea was a suggestion and not necessarily a prediction, it does raise the question of whether Ramirez might be forced to take on that type of deal.  Rather than $1MM, we'll set the over/under a little bit higher.

Will Ramirez end up taking a one-year deal with a base of less than $3MM?

Click here to take the poll, and here to view the results.

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