Friday Morning Bantering: Jose Bautista and Projected Standings

Jon Morosi talked to Jose Bautista about MLB's policy on PEDs. Jose feels there is no reason for any player not to understand what the rules are:

To illustrate that point, Bautista reached into his locker and pulled out a red paperback book. It was a copy of MLB's Joint Drug Treatment and Prevention Program.

"Bilingual - here you go," he said, holding it in front of him. Then he flipped the book over and rotated it 180 degrees, to show it included the details in both languages. "Spanish and English," he added.

Bautista said players are instructed to check any nutritional supplements with NSF International, a nonprofit based in Ann Arbor, Mich. MLB contracts with NSF to run tests on supplements and determine which of them could include banned substances.

NSF maintains a searchable, continually updated database of safe supplements on its website and through an app for the iPhone or Android - which, by the way, Bautista has downloaded onto his smartphone.

Bautista is so matter of fact about this. He's very clear that players should understand the rules. It is great to hear it from him.

Jose also talked about the Biogenesis stuff, saying that he never heard of the place but that he 'questioned the wisdom of seeking Bosch as a consultant'. Nice to see he agrees with us. He makes it clear that the players all know who they should talk to if they have questions about PEDs and it isn't some supposed 'doctor' from Florida.

He also says he supports stronger penalties for those caught. I wonder how this little interview will effect his relationship with his new teammate Melky Cabrera.

AZ Snake Pit has a post up comparing projected standing, for the coming season, from Baseball Prospectus, CAIRO and the Las Vegas sports book. Here is the AL East:

So, as you see there is a bit of a difference in opinions. Baseball Prospectus, or their PECOTA projections, has us finishing 4th, though just a game behind the Rays and Red Sox, who they have tied for 2nd. Any system that has us finishing behind the Red Sox, I officially hate. Much as I'd hate Baseball Prospectus, but how in the world could you have a system that picks the Sox ahead of us? We were 4 games up on them at the end of last season, and we made many many improvements to last year's team. The Red Sox? Their biggest move was to hire some crappy manager who's name escapes me at the moment.

CAIRO's predictions I like much better, it has us in 1st, 2 games up on the Rays, 3 games up on the Yankees.

Vegas has us tied with the Yankees for first. I'd have to think the first place team will win more than 86.5, but then this is less a projection as it is an over/under number. I'll take the over for the Jays.

The only thing that all three projections agree on is that the Orioles will finish last. I'm not so sure, the Orioles did benefit from a fair about of luck, early in the season, but the team that finished the season was better than the one that started it. Maybe it's just me being hopeful, but I'd like to think they can finish ahead of the Red Sox. But then, I want their new crappy manager to finish last.