Jim Bowden's predictions...

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Anyone catch JB's remarks yesterday on 103.3?!?

• Predicted that Oswalt would be in an Angels uni by June/July.
• That Feliz would save more games than Nathan.
• Justin Morneau would be the Rangers 1st baseman later in the year...

Just wondering if anyone caught it...and what your thoughts are/were.


Personally, I laughed.

Just found an article on it... Former GM's bold prediction: Justin Morneau will be traded to the Rangers | Texas Rangers Blog | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | The Dallas Morning News

and Bowden's actual article...

10 bold predictions for 2012 - The GM's Office by Jim Bowden Blog - ESPN

1. The Philadelphia Phillies will not make the playoffs.
With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels fronting the game's strongest rotation, how can I go against them? Well, here's why: Last year the San Francisco Giants failed to make the playoffs with a rotation just as an impressive at the top with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner. However, injuries and lack of offense led to their downfall. The Phillies will have the same problem with injuries to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, not to mention aging veterans all over the diamond. The Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals are much improved and it looks like the Phillies are heading back toward the pack.

2. Neftali Feliz will save more games than Joe Nathan.
The Rangers have had great success in moving pitchers from their bullpen to the rotation in recent years -- with C.J. Wilson and Alexi Ogando being two success stories -- and they hope to do it again with Feliz. He has the size, frame and stuff to develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter. To take his place in the bullpen the club signed former Minnesota Twins closer Nathan; however, there are questions about Feliz's shoulder, his fastball command and how well his breaking ball will develop, which will be important the second and third time through the lineup. I predict that Feliz will be back closing by July and will end up with more saves than Nathan, who will get moved to a set-up role.

3. Drew Pomeranz will win more games than Ubaldo Jimenez (for whom he was traded).
Pomeranz has worked hard to maintain the timing on his delivery, and his 91-95 mph fastball and effective secondary pitches should lead him to a 12-14 win season. Jimenez, on the other hand, was still flying all over the place this spring and didn’t have the crisp finish on his pitches. I think he's in for another frustrating season.

4. Adam Dunn will win AL Comeback Player of the Year.
In 2011, Dunn had one of the worst offensive seasons in history. The year was so bad that Dunn didn’t even get to go out after day games or on off-days to enjoy the Windy City. This year will be much different. After watching Dunn hit bombs all spring, I am convinced he’s ready to get back to form. I predict that he hits .240/.370/.500 with 35-plus home runs and wins comeback player of the year.

5. Nolan Arenado will finish in the top five in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Arenado didn’t make the Rockies' major league club out of spring training but was one of the best young hitters I saw this March, and he also displayed incredibly soft hands at the hot corner. He’s never played above Class A, but the Rockies' third base situation is a mess and Arenado is mature beyond his 20 years. I think he'll be called up by June 1 and be one of the NL's best rookies.

6. Yoenis Cespedes will be optioned to Triple-A before June 1.
With tremendous speed and strength, Cespedes is a physical beast, and I predict that he’ll get off to a fast start and hit a bunch of home runs early on. However, pitchers will quickly figure out how to exploit his long swing and he'll be in the minors before June to work on his swing mechanics.

7. Roy Oswalt will sign with the Los Angeles Angels.
My guess is that Oswalt will wait until his children get out of school to decide between the Angels and Boston Red Sox, and by that time the Angels will be in a much better playoff position and he will decide to take a one-year discounted deal with the Angels for a legitimate chance at winning a World Series.

8. Justin Morneau will be traded to the Rangers.
This might be going out on a limb a little too far, but it’s my blog and I can do whatever I want here. The Twins will not be contenders, their payroll gives them little flexibility, and the front office is high on first baseman Chris Parmelee. The Rangers, who have a hole at first, may need another bat to keep pace with the other elite AL teams, and with Josh Hamilton a free agent at season’s end, they may decide to trade for Mourneau at the deadline, as he appears to be healthy for the first time in a couple of years.

9. David Wright will sign a long-term deal.
The New York Mets got just two compensatory draft picks when Jose Reyes signed with the Marlins, and they don't want to have a similar situation happen with Wright after he hits the market in a couple of years. Although the Mets have checked the trade market for Wright -- who has a club option for 2013 -- they haven’t found a package that makes sense for them. Based on what I've heard from GMs I’ve talked to, I doubt there will be a deal that becomes enticing enough for the Mets to move him. I think they’ll do the right thing and sign him to a long-term deal by the trade deadline and keep him in New York for the rest of his career.

10. Davey Johnson will be named NL Manager of the Year.
Davey Johnson has won 90 games six times as a manager and it would have been eight times had it not been for the strike-shortened seasons of 1994 and 1995. The Nationals are poised to make a leap this year, and Johnson is a big reason. He was AL manager of the year in 1997 and it won’t surprise me if he joins the elite club of Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, Lou Piniella and Jim Leyland as the only managers to have won the award in both leagues.

 

[Ginger]

There is a reason he is a "former" general manager and not a current one. I am just going to leave it at that.

 

[jta4437]

There is a reason he is a "former" general manager and not a current one. I am just going to leave it at that.

Very Much agree, some of the things he blogs are just insane, only reason to read his blog is if you need the occassional WTF moment in your life

If Morneau gets off to a hot start and Moreland a slow one, I could "see" that being considered,

That being said Morneau is old and injury prone and was awful this ST (3-33 last I saw), and is owed a lot of money

 

[Windingmywatch]

There is a reason he is a "former" general manager and not a current one. I am just going to leave it at that.

+1

 

[kennyt12]

There is a reason he is a "former" general manager and not a current one. I am just going to leave it at that.

He's the same Ex GM who said in July that the Angels would win the West last year. He is a MORON!