Fantasy Baseball Thoughts: Clayton Kershaw, Albert Pujols, and Cole Hamels

Folks. There are plenty of good writers across the SB Nation network, and the best baseball writers call Baseball Nation home, and they include Rob Neyer, Jeff Sullivan, Grant Brisbee, Al Yellon and Marc Normandin. Baseball Nation is a frequent stop of mine, and you should do the same. 

Another site I frequent is SB Nation's MLB Daily Dish, as they are up on the top baseball news, trades, rumors and signings during the season and the offseason. They are on top of all the trades and rumors this offseason, leading up to the Winter Meetings in early December.

OK. Today's the big day for Dodgers fans. The National League Cy Young award is announced today, and I think Clayton Kershaw will be handed the first of several Cy Young awards, and he's only 23 years old. If you haven't watched him pitch, you should. What a dominating pitcher.

Another young starter who I am high on is Ray's starter Matt Moore. I think he can win some Cy Young awards in the future, the very near future. Sure, he's only pitched a few innings in the big leagues, but he has dominated at every level. I think if he was with many other teams, he would have already made it to the big leagues.

More fantasy baseball thoughts after the jump:

So the Rangers are talking about moving closer Neftali Feliz into their rotation n 2012. They did stretch him out in spring training in 2011, but this definitely affects his value on draft day, and for those of you in keeper leagues.

Everyone knows Albert Pujols is a free agent this offseason, but I have a feeling he has played his last game in a St. Louis uniform. I have read so many quotes from Cardinals GM John Mozeliak over the last few months, and not once ha he sounded confident he would sign Albert. He has talked about plan B and C, so I wonder if this is a negotiating tactic or he is just preparing Cardinal fans for the dooms day news when Albert signs elsewhere. 

Now we are hearing news that there is a third team involved in the race for Pujols services. We have heard that he has received an offer from the Marlins, and he has chatted with the Cardinals. Who is the third team? Cubs? Rangers? Will we hear the inevitable "mystery team", or is that just a Scott Boras technique?

There is lots of talk lately about what the Phillies will do with Cole Hamels this offseason, as he will be a free agent at the end of the 2012 season. He has stated he wants to stay in Philly, but he really didn't sound emphatic about it. Word out of Philly is that it would take "three small countries and two bodies of water" for them to trade. Is that similar to GM Ruben Amaro Jr. saying "that ship has sailed" when asked if he would entertain signing Cliff Lee last offseason? 

Baseball Nation's Grant Brisbee tackled the Cole Hamels trade rumors in this post over on Wednesday.