Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork. [url=http://www.celticssale.com/kids-jayson-tatum-celtics-jersey/]Jayson Tatum Jersey[/url] .com) - You want to know how important the Seattle Mariners signing of Nelson Cruz was? They dont have to do another thing this offseason and they will be my pick to win the Am

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork. Jayson Tatum Jersey .com) - You want to know how important the Seattle Mariners signing of Nelson Cruz was? They dont have to do another thing this offseason and they will be my pick to win the American League West. Now with that said, I dont think they are done just yet. Seattle went into this offseason intent on upgrading its lineup - as it did last winter when it signed Robinson Cano. Yes they probably overpaid Cano, but they had to land one superstar to get another. Felix Hernandez or not, Seattle just wasnt a popular landing spot for free agents. It seemed to be the same story every offseason for the Mariners. They were in on every big bat available, yet theyd land nobody. Or anyone who would make a difference. Thats why the Cano signing last winter was so important. The ground work was being laid for something much bigger. And they knew more had to be done. Cano may have watched his power numbers decline in spacious Safeco Field, but he remained one of the best left-handed hitters in the game, despite having little or no protection in a lineup that ranked second to last in the AL last season with a .244 average. Seattle, and Cano for that matter, desperately needed some help from the right-side of the plate, as the Mariners .604 OPS by right-handed hitters in 2014 was the lowest for any team since the 1988 Pittsburgh Pirates. The right-handed hitting Cruz, meanwhile, had a .977 OPS against left-handed pitchers. As good as Cano was a year ago, hell be even better with Cruz, the only player in the league last season to hit 40 home runs. Even at 34 years of age, Cruz will drastically upgrade a designated hitter spot for the Mariners that last season produced an awful .190/.266/.301 line with 15 home runs and 50 RBI. Of course Safeco Field will likely sap some of Cruz power, but the majority of his power numbers last season came on the road rather than the hitter friendly confines of Camden Yards. Cruz hit .289 with 25 homers and 68 RBI away from home last year opposed to the 15 HRs and 40 RBI in Baltimore. Regardless, hes a nice piece to slot in between Cano and third baseman Kyle Seager, who recently inked a $100 million extension. And the Mariners arent done. They are still in on outfielders Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes. Of the three the Mariners would probably prefer Kemp since he is signed through 2019, whereas Cespedes and Upton can become a free agents after this season. Its no secret that the Los Angels Dodgers - like many other teams - covet Mariners right-handed pitching prospect Taijuan Walker, but Seattle doesnt seem inclined to include him in a deal for Kemp or anyone else for that matter. This much is certain. With King Felix, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton and yes, even Walker, along with what was the best bullpen in the AL a year ago, the Mariners have enough pitching to win. Their lineup has to catch up. Signing Cruz was a nice next step. Now we wait for whats coming next. Bob Cousy Celtics Jersey . Philbin said Thursday he wants players to treat one another with civility and he wont tolerate anything less. In taking questions for the first time since Ted Wells released his report into the bullying scandal that rocked the league, Philbin made it clear things would be cleaned up. Robert Williams Jersey . The Missouri Tigers Defensive End and SEC Defensive player of the year is eligible for the upcoming NFL draft in May. http://www.celticssale.com/kids-bill-russell-celtics-jersey/ . The first of the three games will be played in Week 4, when the Oakland Raiders will take on the Miami Dolphins on Sept.If Jonathan Bernier is forced to miss a sixth straight game on Tuesday night with a groin strain, the Maple Leafs will be forced to decide between starting James Reimer or Drew MacIntyre in net. Reimer has started five straight games since relieving an injured Bernier against the Kings on Mar. 13. However, after a strong performance against Los Angeles, Reimer has struggled mightily. Through his five games started, Reimer has allowed 12 goals on 75 shots (.840 save percentage) with his team losing every time out. Starting back-to-back nights for the second time in less than week, Reimer allowed three goals to the New Jersey Devils on 10 shots SSunday night. Paul Pierce Jersey. MacIntrye entered in relief of Reimer early in the second period and stopped all 12 shots he faced. Still, the Leafs fell 3-2. Unless Bernier proves ready for action, the Leafs will be forced to decide whether to turn back to Reimer or to give MacIntyre the first start of his NHL career against the best team in the Western Conference, the St. Louis Blues. Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle said on Monday that hes not certain when Bernier will be ready to return, but said that hes making progress. With their playoff hopes slipping, who should the Leafs turn to Tuesday night, Reimer or MacIntyre? As always, its Your! Call. ' ' '