I wonder occasionally if I would blog more often if I were jobless again. For those of you who don’t know, this blog was started back in January 2008 as a means for me to fill the hours of my day that weren’t spent applying for jobs, focusing on perhaps the (non-human) thing I love the most: sports. As time has moved, this space has become like one of those old toys in Toy Story 3. It sits in its toolbar. Occasionally I’ll fire it up and read an old post. But I rarely find myself with the time to compose a piece like my last post (an NFL mock draft). Even something without a ton of research in it takes at least an hour to craft. If I wanted to put together short pieces on sports, I’d call it Twitter, which I already do (@midatlanticbias).

Today though, as baseball began its unofficial and mathematically incorrect second half, I wanted to take a look at the storylines for each team (yes, all 30) as we head into late July, August, and on.

Owning MLB.TV and having a very caring, thoughtful, and understanding domestic partner (like a wife without the tax break) affords me the opportunity, or the joy, of being able to see any team play whenever I want. For instance, I started off my evening with the Blue Jays/Yankees game. At 8, with the Jays up 8-1, I moved to the Twins/Royals game, just as a time-filler before my game of the night, the Brewers/Rockies game at 8:30. On nights like this when Amanda is out socializing, I like to fill my home with the sounds of bats on balls and ex-players who do not understand a lick about the game they played saying things like, “Jeff Francouer is a real good ballplayer,” while I yell about the fact that he hasn’t had a single-season WAR above 1.0 since 2007. And you know, as annoyed as I get, I love it. Because it’s baseball.

Part of being able to see any team play whenever I want means that I’ve actually seen every team play at least once this season. Yes, I’ve watched the Astros and Padres. And I’d like to think I know a thing or two. So here’s the biggest storyline, or question, by my count, for each team in the final 44.54% of the season.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Can they keep this up?
They won’t all be that vague, but for the Diamondbacks, that’s the question. Most people had them in the cellar in the NL West. I had them finishing second. I really like Daniel Hudson and Ian Kennedy in their rotation. In the lineup, it’s really hard to argue against the still only 22 year old Justin Upton. His .293/.375/.506 split is right where you’d expect. He’s stealing more bases this year and scoring more runs (a product of hitters behind him performing better than they have previously). The question for Arizona is whether or not one of their other starters or someone other than Upton and Chris Young can overperform in the second half. There’s no one in the system who can be their version of Buster Posey, though, so maintaining their first half success might come harder than it did for the 2010 Giants.

Atlanta Braves: Can they catch Philadelphia?
I picked the Braves to win the World Series because of their balance. But they need another bat in their outfield. Colby Rasmus or Hunter Pence could be the game changer for Atlanta. They’d need to likely give up a guy like Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, or Brandon Beachy to acquire either, but doing so very well could propel them beyond the Phillies. So should they sacrifice a promising pitching future for a chance at success this year? In my opinion, yes. I would love to see Atlanta send Teheran and a second-tier prospect to St. Louis for the disgruntled Rasmus. And I think if they did so, they might prove my prognostication correct. Because that bullpen is stellar.

Baltimore Orioles: What happened to their young pitching?
The Orioles fell off the map right around the time Zach Britton and Brian Matusz did. Both of those guys are the Orioles future. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with Britton, Matusz, and (the guy I really, almost irrationally, like, Jake Arrieta. They’ve got to protect the future and ride yet another wave of failure in Charm City. The future is bright enough, so long as they can get those three guys to right the ship.

Boston Red Sox: Can the pitching stay healthy enough?
With Lester and Buchholz on the DL and Josh Beckett having been relatively unseen for the past 3 weeks, combined with Daisuke’s short season, the Red Sox rotation is a mess right now. Past Beckett, you’ve got John Lackey, Tim Wakefield, Andrew Miller, and Kyle Weiland right now. The offense has been great, but should they go through a cold spell, the Red Sox will drop quickly behind the Yankees. They need Lester and Buchholz back quickly.

Chicago White Sox: What is wrong with them?
With that rotation, bullpen, and lineup they have, on paper, you would think they would be a little bit better than the Cleveland Indians. But baseball, like life, is not played on paper. And this team has underachieved mightily. Sports Illustrated’s Joe Posnanski (who, if you’ve never read him before and are reading this now, you’d be wise to close this tab and open up one for him) wrote a few weeks ago that Adam Dunn is the most boring player in the history of baseball. And, as Pos wrote, the numbers are there. Dunn is striking out like, well, Adam Dunn, but he’s not walking as much, and his power numbers totally missing. The Sox have gotten great performances out of Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko, but not much else. They need a guy like John Danks in the rotation and Dunn in the lineup to start performing for them to have a chance at catching Detroit.

Chicago Cubs: Why watch them?
Baseball people (the ones I don’t like) talk about Starlin Castro like he’s a young Alex Rodriguez. Well, I’ve watched. He’s not. He may be the game’s worst defensive shortstop. He gets on-base at a robust clip of 33% of the time. Oh, and the .763 OPS isn’t fooling me. Look, I know he’s only 21. Five years from now, he may be an elite player (not a shortstop though). Frankly, I don’t see it. And so, why watch the Cubs? Well, there’s nothing wrong with day games.

Cincinnati Reds: Can anyone pitch?
MLB.TV grants you three “favorite teams” to always have at the top of your game schedule. Mine are the Washington Nationals (which is stupid because I get their games on local TV, but I digress), the San Francisco Giants (because I love watching their pitchers, love AT&T Park, love late night baseball, and really, really love their broadcasters Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow), and the Cincinnati Reds. Now, the Reds are not my “third favorite baseball team.” However, they might be my third favorite to watch. Good broadcasting (Thom Brennaman) and one of the game’s best offenses. I could watch Joey Votto work a count for hours. Jay Bruce’s power is great. Brandon Phillips is a great table setter. And Drew Stubbs, um, strikes out a ton. The Reds should be in first in the NL Central, but aren’t because their starting pitching has been atrocious. Edinson Volquez has regressed more than any other pitcher in baseball, based on his talent level, Johnny Cueto is pitching well, but is fragile, Mike Leake is what he is, Homer Bailey, and their fifth starter? Dontrelle Willis. This is a team that needs Cueto to stay 100% and one, or both, or Leake and Volquez to pitch above their heads. So far, as much as I’ve watched the Reds, and will continue to, I don’t see it.

Cleveland Indians: Can they keep it up?
No. Next.

Colorado Rockies: What’s up with Ubaldo Jimenez?
Well, here’s the thing. Ubaldo Jimenez is what he is. Every year, there seems to be a pitcher who shatters their own ceiling in the first two months and everyone talks about Sandy Koufax. Brad Penny a few years ago. Jimenez last year. Jered Weaver this year. All three of those guys are or were, in Penny’s case, good to very good pitchers. But none are truly Cy Young-caliber guys (I’m not a big Weaver fan. I know others will call me crazy, but he gives up too many home runs, and I’m not sure that his low number in half number one can hold up). People keep asking about Jimenez, “When’s he going to get back to where he was?” But really, other than the W-L record, how far off is he? He’s always walked a ton of guys. His HR/9 totals are higher this year, but not too dramatically. He’s a good to very good pitcher. He can have no-hit stuff, obviously. But he’s not an ace. And until Colorado finds one, they’re not going to get it done.

Detroit Tigers: Who will step up behind Verlander and Scherzer?
The lineup is there. The bullpen is shaky, but serviceable, especially in the AL Central. The starting pitching though, outside of the AL Cy Young favorite Verlander and the erratic but talented Scherzer, is bad. Like, cannot win a playoff series bad. Tiger fans keep waiting for something from Rick Porcello (keep waiting). And if you think Brad Penny is the answer, good luck. In a bad division, they could win a title. In a very good league, they won’t get out of the Wild Card round.

Florida Marlins: Will Josh Johnson come back?
A disappointing year for the Marlins, who I thought would be a good 3rd place team and are instead a bad 5th place team. The injury to Josh Johnson combined with Hanley Ramirez’s underachievement along with their managerial fiasco have buried them. And so the fans of the soon-to-be Miami Marlins have to wonder whether or not they’ll see their ace again this season and whether or not they should. I say no (and think they should sell on him, as highly as possible, now), but opening a new stadium next season, you would think the Marlins would like to have some sort of momentum for 2012. It could be an interesting, way below the radar story line.

Houston Astros: Where will Hunter Pence be on August 1?
This is perhaps the most fascinating storyline and it should play out in the next 12 days. Pence is one of the best players in baseball that no one has ever actually seen play. He can hit to all fields. He plays good defense. He can run. He hits for power. He could be an absolute game changer for one contender. The list of destinations are many for Pence. Atlanta, San Francisco, and Philadelphia make the most sense. On any of the three, he would catapult them into a favorite role, in my opinion. And he’d return a small bounty to a cupboard in Houston that is absolutely bare. When you’re the worst team in baseball, you really don’t want to have a bottom 5 minor league system. But the Astros do. Each of those three teams possess a certain degree of young pitching talent (a lot for the first two and some for the latter) that could really help Houston. But if I had to make a gut call, I’d say the Astros senselessly hang onto Pence. Which would anger and bore me endlessly. Though at least I’d have a reason to watch the Astros.

Kansas City Royals: How good can Eric Hosmer be?
I watched a Royals game a few weeks after the Hosmer call-up and listened to the announcers talk endlessly about their love of Hosmer. And it’s easy to love him. He plays good first base and has a terrific bat. Not to mention, he’s a pretty marketable star. The problem for young Hosmer is that there’s no one else worth watching right now on that team. Mike Moustakas, another recent callup and former top organizational prospect, has regressed over the course of his minor league career, and will need to switch positions before long. And while Alex Gordon has had a Renaissance, he’s still just Alex Gordon. It’ll be hard to expect much from Hosmer in the second half, because he’s such a young hitter with so little around him. But in the future, he’ll be the next Mark Teixiera.

Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout?
Mike Trout.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Is there any storyline that doesn’t involve the words “Frank” or “McCourt” or “Bankruptcy?”
No. There isn’t. And it’s too bad for Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw, and Matt Kemp.

Milwaukee Brewers: Is there any reason to believe they’re not this good?
No, in fact, they’re better. Zack Greinke has not been very good. His strikeout numbers are off the charts. He’s not walking anyone. But he’s simply giving up too many hits and subsequently runs. He should be able to fix that. Shaun Marcum has faded a bit, but if he can step it back up, combined with Yovanni Gallardo, the Brewers could rival the Giants for second best 1-2-3. Oh, and they also have a 3-4-5 in the batting order of Braun, Fielder, and Hart. And that’s not bad. Oh, and they just added one of the best closers of the last decade to their bullpen.

Minnesota Twins: Can they do what they’ve done alot with Ron Gardenhire?
That thing that they’ve done is win in the second half. And I think the answer is yes, if for no other reason than the division they play in. You’d have to expect Joe Mauer to pick it up. And soon they’ll be getting back Jason Kubel, Denard Span, and Justin Morneau. Don’t be too surprised if the Twins win the AL Central.

New York Mets: Will Jose Reyes get traded?
No. And neither will Carlos Beltran. And both of those non-moves, especially the latter, would be mistakes. Reyes’ value will never be higher than it is now. And I don’t think Beltran’s will be either. On a very bad baseball team with very little organizational pitching, those two guys are playing great baseball. Reyes is a potential MVP. He could return two top flight pitchers and one or two mid-to-high tier prospects. And that’s exactly what the Mets need.

New York Yankees: Can they tread water while A-Rod recovers from surgery?
Yes, but I don’t think it will be easy. In case you’ve never watched baseball before, Eduardo Nunez is no A-Rod. His defense leaves even more to be desired than A-Rod’s. And his bat, well, that’s not worth talking about. The thing for the Yankees remains their starting pitching depth. For Boston, the issue is health with their pitching. For New York, it just wasn’t good to begin with. CC is great. Phillip Hughes is fine. So is AJ Burnett. But those guys are both 3-4 starters. And after them, there’s nothing. So the Yankees need offensive production. Without it, they could be in a bit of trouble.

Oakland Athletics: When does Moneyball come out?
Seriously, if you’re looking for me to come up with some grand story line for the Oakland A’s, I’ve got nothing for you. Their pitching is enjoyable to watch. I like Trevor Cahill a lot. Gio Gonzalez is fine. Their offense is putrid, though. And their best pitcher, Brett Anderson, just found himself under the knife receiving Tommy John surgery. As if he hadn’t missed enough time over the past few years. Your best bet for the Oakland A’s is following pitcher Brandon McCarthy on twitter at @B__McCarthy. And yes, that’s two underscores.

Philadelphia Phillies: Do they even need Roy Oswalt?
Need? No. Would it be nice to have him around in October? Certainly. I think he’ll be there. I’d imagine they’re being extra careful with him because, well, why not? They’re great. Their top 3 starting pitchers are so far ahead of whatever 1-2-3 is the second best in baseball, you may as well be comparing the 1927 New York Yankees lineup to the 2011 Oakland Athletics lineup. If Halladay isn’t your Cy Young winner, it’s Hamels. And if Hamels isn’t, well, Cliff Lee is capable of near perfection every single time he pitches. The Phillies will be next to impossible to beat in a playoff series. The only question is whether they’ll get there. And I think even if Atlanta wins the East, Philly will win the wild card. And if Oswalt is healthy then, they won’t be stopped.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Can they keep this up?
Of course not. Don’t be stupid. But, they’re definitely on the up. Whereas last year, the Padres played above their heads all year long, and this year, the Indians are, I don’t see Pittsburgh dropping off next year like San Diego did this year and Cleveland assuredly will next year. The Pirates rotation is not what an expert would call “good.” But it’s serviceable. Their lineup has some bright spots (see the outstanding Andrew McCutchen) but they’re not the Cincinnati Reds. And their bullpen is good, but bullpens don’t win games, they lose them. Next year, the Pirates will have developed further. There’s not a ton of high system talent right now, but that will come down the line with Jameson Taillon, Starling Marte, Gerritt Cole and others. Until then, I hope the Pirates fans keep going to games and keep enjoying this team before a ticket to beautiful PNC is a difficult buy.

San Diego Padres: Much like Hunter Pence, where will Heath Bell be pitching on August 1?
The Padres will trade Bell. I don’t think that Bell is quite as good as all of his success would have you believe. His fastball is very good. But that’s about it. He’s hittable. I’d guess he’ll wind up in Texas or Detroit.

San Francisco Giants: Can they win the World Series without Buster Posey?
As good as their pitching is, their lineup is just as bad without Posey. As much as Atlanta needs a guy like Rasmus or Pence, San Francisco needs a Pence or Carlos Beltran. They need someone to produce something in that lineup. Pence would be great in San Francisco. His power would drop, but he’d become a doubles machine, while playing good defensive outfield. Put it this way, if the Giants don’t make a major offensive move, they might win the NL West. But that’s the only banner they’ll hang for 2011.

Seattle Mariners: Is Michael Pineda going to decline in the second half?
Probably. But you’d still have to be impressed with him. I know I have. His starts have become near must-watches for me. I love his effortlessness. Love his fastball. Love that he has a near-1.00 WHIP. And I especially love that he’s only 22. So if he starts giving up more long balls and walking a guy or two more, don’t fret M’s fans. For his first full season in the Major Leagues he’s been a huge success. Consider the Mariners the AL version of the Pirates. With Felix Hernandez.

St. Louis Cardinals: How in the world are they going to win the Central?
They’re not, overzealous Cardinals fans. The pitching isn’t any good. The bullpen isn’t either. Yes, they have Pujols, Holliday, and the (sure to slump) Berkman in the lineup, but they’re way behind Milwaukee in talent. And I just really dislike Tony LaRussa. A lot.

Tampa Bay Rays: Can they catch the Yankees and Red Sox?
Well, the pitching is probably good enough to get them there. James Shields has been nothing short of a revelation this year, pitching like Jack Morris. David Price is still David Price. Jeff Niemann has pitched well of late. The offense, though, isn’t good enough. Ten years from now, someone will say, “Former All-star Matt Joyce has announced his retirement….” and I’ll think, “MATT JOYCE WAS AN ALL-STAR???!!!” Snark aside, if you’re looking for Matt Joyce to carry your offense, you may as well be the Oakland Athletics (no, seriously, when does Moneyball come out?). I long for the day that Andrew Friedman gives up on BJ Upton. In short, there’s just not a lot of good stuff in that Tampa lineup. They’re kind of boring. And boring usually means “not productive.” Certainly not productive enough to win the AL East.

Texas Rangers: Is that starting rotation really good enough to win a pennant?
No, but that offense certainly is. The Rangers won the AL pennant last year. This year’s offense is better. The addition of Adrian Beltre has improved their lineup from very good to very gooder. If Ian Kinsler could figure out how to hit on the road, they’d probably stretch their small, one game lead over the Angels. I don’t think LA is a threat. So long as guys like Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison keep on doing whatever it is that they’re doing.

Toronto Blue Jays: How good could they be with Roy Halladay?
I think they could be the favorite in the AL East. I realize that one pitcher does not completely change a team, but this team desperately needs a rock at the top of the rotation. Ricky Romero is a very good number 2 starter who is their ace. Beyond Romero, there’s not a lot of intimidating stuff. But their lineup is great, anchored by the AL MVP, Jose Bautista, who is proving every one of his critics wrong, all in the face of baseless and, frankly, stupid steroid accusations. How dare he be good? Outside of Bautista, they’ve got speed in Rajai Davis, more power in Adam Lind, a hopefully resurgent Travis Snider, and a good young catcher in J.P. Arencibia. Toronto is not far off the Texas Rangers track. That’s likely not a World Series winning track, but in most divisions, it’s a contending track. And that makes them a fun watch (and a tough out) in the second half of this season.

Washington Nationals: JAYSON %#@&!$^ WERTH????!!!!!!
Okay, that’s not quite a question or a storyline, but lately, if I see him or hear his name, that’s what I want to scream. It would be easier to watch his floundering if he didn’t make $18 million per season. It would be easier to watch if it looked like he gave a darn. It would be easier to watch if he looked like he had taken a shower, for God’s sake. But with every 0-4 game, with 2 foul outs and 5 runners left on base, I think about all the things a team can do with $18 million. Like draft and sign guys way over slot. Like take risks on high upside/low-mid cost free agents. Like lowering ticket prices. Like paying people to sit in those empty $300 seats behind home plate. Like signing Jordan Zimmermann to a long-term extension. And on and on. I hated the Werth signing the moment I saw it. Anyone who had an objective eye and knew a good deal about baseball knew to look past the production in 2010 in Philadelphia. Mike Rizzo didn’t pass that test. There’s plenty for me to be excited about: Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, J-Zimm, Ryan Zimmerman, Danny Espinosa, the out-of-nowhere rise of Brad Peacock, AJ Cole’s great work in A-ball, the 2011 draft, the idea that maybe, just maybe, Matt Purke isn’t totally damaged goods. No team in Major League baseball has a brighter long-term future than the Nats. But I keep going back to the Werth signing. And I look at Michael Morse. And I think, oh no. This can’t happen again, right?

Playoff Predictions:

AL Winners:
East: Red Sox
Central: White Sox
West: Rangers
Wild Card: Yankees

NL Winners:
East: Phillies
Central: Brewers
West: Giants
Wild Card: Braves

World Series: Phillies over Red Sox
(But it could still be my preseason Braves over White Sox prediction, right?)