RCR Extra!!

It's interesting how, a week after the All Star game, you can start to see the cracks in all of the best teams in the AL.

Boston's bullpen might actually be worse than ours, with the exception of Okajima and Papelbon. Their offense just got out scored by the Royals. And the back end of their rotation is nearly as questionable as ours (I say nearly because they have options).

The Angels just sent down Ervin Santana and Bartolo Colon has been less than stellar. And while they produce runs as well as anyone, they clearly lack power aside from Vlad, something that can be a problem if you're not always in a position to manufacture runs.

The Twins, as they usually do, came out of the break firing on all cylinders. But they just got swept by the Tigers. They scored all of 5 runs in those three games. They've always had a great bullpen, but does anyone even know who their rotation is these days?

Speaking of rotations, can anyone name all five guys in Seattle's rotation? If there's a more illogical team than the Tribe to be in the race, it's the Mariners. They have a great closer, of course. They've got some big guns in the line-up. But they don't really match-up against the rest of the league the way a contender would.

The scariest team in all of baseball right now has to be the Tigers. They have Kenny Rogers back, giving them perhaps the best rotation in baseball 1-5. Their bullpen has been the main issue this season, but even if they don't make a deal by the break, they're supposed to get Zumaya and Rodney back in August. And, of course, they have the best offense in the AL.

I still think the Tribe can make the post-season, and in some ways it's almost a bonus that the Tigers are in the Central, because if we both make the post-season than we won't face them until the ALCS.

Tribe Prediction: If Cliff Lee doesn't turn it around by the time Aaron Fultz comes off the DL, they'll send him down and move Stanford to the rotation, giving that bullpen spot to Fultz.