2008 Record: 86-76, 4th NL Central
2009 Prediction: 2nd NL Central

Impact Player: Albert Pujols
Impact Pitcher: Adam Wainwright
Top Prospect: Colby Rasmus, OF

Significant Acquisitions: SS Khalil Greene, P Royce Ring
Significant Losses: 2B Adam Kennedy, SS Cesar Izturis, INF Aaron Miles, INF Felipe Lopez, 1B Josh Phelps, P Braden Looper, P Russ Springer, P Randy Flores, P Mark Mulder, P Jason Isringhausen


With all of the injuries the Cards sustained last season, it's pretty amazing that they played as well as they did.  In spite of the fact that they had the second most man-games lost to injury in the NL, St. Louis finished with an 86-76 record.  This year, they enter camp healthy and so does Albert Pujols who won the NL MVP in spite of playing injured all of last year.  If the Cards get a fully recovered Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright gets close to 200 innings, Albert Pujols continues to put up his record-breaking-pace numbers, and Kyle Lohse pitces the way he did last year there is no reason why they can't challenge for the NL Wildcard.  That may sound like a lot of "ifs" but none of those things are unlikely.

Pitching
If they can stay healthy, the Cardinals have one of the best potential rotations in all of baseball.  Adam Wainwright went 11-3 with a 3.20 ERA last year and steps in as the Cards' #1.  His only problem in '08 was that injuries limited him to 132 innings.  Kyle Lohse was a bargain-basement signing last spring and ended up to be one of the best pickups in league.  He went 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA and was the only Cardinal to register 200 innings.  He signed a 4-year $41-million deal in the offseason so it's obvious that the Cards didn't consider his '08 a fluke.  The number 3 spot should go to Todd Wellemeyer who impressed managment and his teammates with a strong clubhouse presence and a 13-win, 3.71 ERA season.  The caution against him is that he's 30-years-old and on his 4th team and hadn't shown much before last year.  Carpenter has only pitched in 5 games since 2006 and is a risk for further injuries as he has been his entire career.  When healthy, however, he is one of the best pitchers in the game.  At 34, however, one has to wonder how much he has left in the tank, healthy or not.  The fifth spot should go to either Joel Pineiro or Mitchell Boggs depending on who impresses the most in the spring.  Pineiro, who hasn't been consistent in a starting or relieving role since 2003 could be on thin ice and Boggs has upside but posted a 7.41 ERA in a 34 inning stint with the big club in '08.  Prospects Adam Ottavino and Brad Furnish have outside shots at landing a spot if they have amazing springs.

In the bullpen, the Cardinals are strong overall but lack a true closer.  The early thought is that manager Tony LaRussa is prepared to go 'closer-by-committee' but, as we all know, LaRussa likes his dominating closers (see Eckersley, Isringhausen, etc).  23-year-old Chris Perez has the stuff but lacks in experience; he had 7 saves last year with a 3.46 ERA.  Ryan Franklin does not have typical-closer makeup but is a solid reliever.  He had 17 saves in '08 and a 3.55 ERA.  Kyle McClellan and Brad Thompson should be in the 'pen as well in spite of inconsistent '08s.  Josh Kinney has great stuff and should be given a full-time bullpen spot providing he continues to show improvement and Jason Motte allowed only one earned run in 11 innings in a September callup.  The Cards are short on lefties but signed Royce Ring to a minor-league contract and Furnish could also be in the mix.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Adam Wainwright (R/27)
• Kyle Lohse (R/30)
• Todd Wellemeyer (R/30)
• Chris Carpenter (R/34)
• Joel Pineiro (R/30)

Bullpen

• Chris Perez (R/23)
• Ryan Franklin (R/36)
• Kyle McClellan (R/25)
• Josh Kinney (R/30)
• Brad Thompson (R/27)
• Jason Motte (R/27)
• Royce Ring (L/28)

Lineup
The Cards made only one change to a lineup that led the NL in hits and batting average in '08; adding Khalil Greene.  In the outfield, Ryan Ludwick will start in Right, but buyer beware: last year was his breakout year and he was 29.  Centerfield might go to Colby Rasmus who almost got the job last year.  Rasmus is a potential 5-tool player who needs to mature before he can be a impact major league player.  Converted pitcher Rick Ankiel should start in Left unless Rasmus doesn't make the team.  In his first full year as an outfielder, Ankiel showed plus defense and hit 25 home runs.  If Rasmus doesn't make the team there are many other options in Chris Duncan, Skip Schumaker, and Brian Barton.  In the infield, the Cardinals have the best hitter in the NL in Pujols.  He was apparently injured all of last year yet still won an MVP hitting .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI.  Pujols is on pace for some truly remarkable career numbers; at only 29, he already has 319 home runs and 977 RBI.  At Third Base is Troy Glaus who can still hit when he's healthy and is an underrated defender and Greene is the only new offensive addition coming over from San Diego to play Short.  Second Base will be a wide open Spring battle.  Schumaker is apparently being converted to play the position and Brendan Ryan, Brian Barden, prospect Tyler Greene, and veteran Joe Thurston are all said to have a shot.  Catching is Yadier Molina who has become one of the most solid catchers in the NL; he hit .304 in '08 and won a gold glove.

Because of uncertainty in Centerfield and at Second Base, predicting who will be on the Cards' bench is futile.  Schumaker, Duncan, and backup catcher Jason LaRue are likely locks to make the team, but Barton, Barden, Thurston, Greene, and Ryan will be involved in a heated battle.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• SS  Khalil Greene (R/29)
  
• 2B  Skip Schumaker (L/29)
  
• 1B  Albert Pujols (R/29)
• 3B  Troy Glaus (R/32)
• RF  Ryan Ludwick (R/30)
• LF  Rick Ankiel (L/29)
• C    Yadier Molina (R/26)
  
• CF  Colby Rasmus (L/22)

Bench

• INF Brendan Ryan (R/27)
• OF  Brian Barton (R/27)
• OF/1B Chris Duncan (L/28)
• C    Jason LaRue (R/35)
• INF Brian Barden (R/28)

Outlook
The Cardinals have a very good lineup and one of the game's best hitters.  Their pitching staff looks solid on paper and if they can remain healthy they could be one of the top units in the NL.  Khalil Greene isn't much of a defensive downgrade from the departing Cesar Izturis and if he can regain his former offensive form, the Cardinals will be very tough to beat.  Final Prediction: 86-76, 2nd NL Central

2008 Record: 67-95, 6th NL Central
2009 Prediction: 6th NL Central

Impact Player: Ryan Doumit
Impact Pitcher: Paul Maholm
Top Prospect: Pedro Alvarez, 3B

Significant Acquisitions: UTIL Eric Hinske, OF Craig Monroe, INF Ramon Vazquez
Significant Losses: 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, OF Jason Michaels, INF Luis Rivas, INF Chris Gomez, C Raul Chavez, P T.J. Beam


Remember when the Pirates were good?  Yeah, me neither.  The last time this team had a winning record was 1992.  Do you know how old I was in 1992?  I was 8.  8!!!!  Not only that, but it's looking really good for a 17th straight losing season in Pittsburgh.  While we rave about the accomplishments of scouting departments in Florida, Tampa, Boston, and Minnesota, the Pirates languish in last place, year in, year out; receiving high draft picks, yet never getting anywhere with them.  For some reason this team can't draft, they can't develop, they can't win.  If I owned the Pirates, I would fire everyone in the organization...management, scouting, coaching, everything.  That may just be what this team needs to succeed.

Pitching
Let's just get it out of the way now.  The Pirates finished at or near the bottom in every category on both sides of the ball in '08.  They do have a potential ace in lefty Paul Maholm who went 9-9 a year ago with an impressive 3.71 ERA and was the only Pirates pitcher to hit 200 innings.  After that, 5 pitchers compete for the remaining 4 jobs.  Ian Snell appears to be a frontrunner but needs to improve on his 5.42 ERA from '08; Zach Duke has great potential but has rarely shown it but should end up being the #3 starter; Tom Gorzelanny had a 6.66 ERA in '08; and Ross Ohlendorf and Jeff Karstens were acquired from the Yankees in the Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte deal last year and could also vie for spots.  Either way, the rotation is a long way off.

In the bullpen, things aren't much better.  They do have a somewhat decent closer in Matt Capps who was 21 of 26 in saves last year with a solid 3.02 ERA, and lefty John Grabow won six games and posted a 2.84 ERA.  Outside of those two, there isn't much depth.  Righties Tyler Yates, Romulo Sanchez, Craig Hansen, Jesse Chavez and either Ohlendorf or Karstens, depending on who starts, will compete for spots with Yates being maybe the only lock.  From the left side, Sean Burnett and Phil Dumatrait should take on the responsibility of getting southpaws out, but they had a combined 5.05 ERA in '08.  The Pirates bullpen is a long way off.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Paul Maholm (L/27)
• Ian Snell (R/27)
• Zach Duke (L/26)
• Tom Gorzelanny (L/26)
• Jeff Karstens (R/26)

Bullpen

• Matt Capps (R/25)
• John Grabow (L/30)
• Tyler Yates (R/31)
• Sean Burnett (L/26)
• Phil Dumatrait (L/27)
• Romulo Sanchez (R/24)
• Ross Ohlendorf (R/26)

Lineup
As with most things, the Pirates don't have much to work with in the way of talent in thier lineup, but they do have some decent young talent...nothing like the Rays had going into last year so don't get any ideas.  Centerfielder Nate McLouth had a breakout year last year hitting .276 with 26 HR and 94 RBI to go along with 23 stolen bases and was rewarded with a long-term contract.  Here's the thing about McLouth: He'd never really hit for much power before last year.  He had 25 combined home runs in three previous years at the major league level and never hit more than 12 in the minors, and that was in A ball.  I sense that McLouth's '08 could have been an abberation and he might not hit more than 15 homeruns this year.  For the money the Pirates gave him, that isn't enough.  Formally highly-touted outfielder Nyjer Morgan will get a chance to start in Left, although at 28, no one's expecting much anymore; and in Right is Brandon Moss who was acquired in the Bay/Ramirez deal (which the Pirates totally got the best of, by the way, maybe a post on that later) who should become a solid major leaguer.  In the infield, solid vets Freddy Sanchez (2B) and Jack Wilson (SS) should man the middle and three players will vie for the two corner spots: Off-season signing Eric Hinske should be at Third and Adam LaRoche should be the primary First Base option.  Adam's brother Andy LaRoche is also in the mix and is a plus defender at both positions.  Catching will belong to Ryan Doumit who was solid on both sides of the ball in '08: He hit .318 with 69 RBI.  Either way the Pirates lineup is not as young as you'd expect...and they're still a long way off.

On the bench, there is some depth with Andy LaRoche and off-season signings Craig Monroe in the outfield, and Roman Vazquez in the infield.  Young Shortstop Brian Bixler might make the team and could even challenge Wilson for the starting job; and Jason Jaramillo should backup Doumit at Catcher.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• LF  Nyjer Morgan (L/28)
• 2B  Freddy Sanchez (R/31)
• CF  Nate McLouth (L/27)
• 1B  Adam LaRoche (L/29)
• C    Ryan Doumit (S/28)
• 3B  Eric Hinske (L/31)
• SS  Jack Wilson (R/31)
• RF  Brandon Moss (L/25)

Bench

• 3B/1B Andy LaRoche (R/25)
• OF Craig Monroe (R/32)
• INF Ramon Vazquez (L/32)
• C    Jason Jaramillo (S/26)
• SS  Brian Bixler (R/26)

Outlook
Do not make the mistake of thinking that the Pirates are this year's Rays.  They aren't.  The Rays had/have a lot of young talent, while the Pirates seem to have lost the ability to draft well since Barry Bonds left.  Nate McLouth will take a huge step back this year and outside of LaRoche and Doumit, there's really not a whole lot of upside in the lineup.  As for the pitchers Maholm, Snell, and Duke all have potential but need to become aces if the team has any shot at even approaching .500.  Either way, the Pirates are still a long way off.  Final Prediction: 60-102, 6th NL Central
 

2008 Record: 90-72, 2nd NL Central (NL Wildcard Champs)
2009 Prediction: 4th NL Central

Impact Player: Ryan Braun
Impact Pitcher: Yovani Gallardo
Top Prospect: Alcides Escobar, SS

Significant Acquisitions: P Trevor Hoffman, P Braden Looper, P Jorge Julio, OF/1B Trot Nixon
Significant Losses: OF Gabe Kapler, OF/1B Russell Branyan, 2B Ray Durham, INF Joe Dillon, P C.C. Sabathia, P Ben Sheets, P Salomon Torres, P Brian Shouse, P Guillermo Mota, P Derrick Turnbow

For the first time since winning the 1982 AL Pennant, the Brewers made the playoffs last season.  Their 90-72 record was good enough to capture the NL Wildcard just barely over the Mets; this, in spite of the fact that they fired manager Ned Yost with only 12 games remaining in the regular season.  This year, former A's manager Ken Macha takes the reigns but finds himself with a team that may have real problems matching what they did last year.  Gone are rotation anchors C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets and gone are valuable vets Gabe Kapler and Ray Durham.  The Brewers hope that some of their young pitchers can fill out a rotation that has a #1 pitcher who only played 4 games in '08 and only has 9 career wins.  They'll still hit though.

Pitching
With Sabathia and Sheets gone, the 'ace' moniker will go to 23-year-old Yovani Gallardo who has shown major promise in his 24 career starts with a 3.35 ERA, but hasn't pitched enough to really be considered a top-flight number one.  He does have great stuff though, and could do the job if he pitches the full year.  After him is former Blue Jay castaway, Dave Bush.  Bush has been solid in his career with Milwaukee but is probably only a 4 or 5 starter on a good team; here he's expected to be the #2 guy.  Veteran Braden Looper was signed in the off-season from division-rival St. Louis but has never been a great starter; he's probably good for a .500 record and an ERA in the 4s.  Jeff Suppan struggled in his first go-'round with the Brew Crew, posting a 4.96 ERA and should enter the year as the #4 guy, and 26-year-old Manny Parra should round out the rotation.  Parra might have top-flight stuff but has never been consistent at the major-league level.  If he puts it all together he could be the #2 this team needs.

The bullpen could go either way this year, but has a nice mix of veterans and younger arms.  All-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman brings his 554 career saves to Milwaukee and should close, but he posted his lowest save total (30) since 2003, his highest ERA (3.77) since 1995 and is 41-years-old.  Setup should go to veteran David Riske who struggled immensely last season with a 5.31 ERA and might lose that spot to Mark DiFelice, converted starter Carlos Villenueva, or last year's closing experiment Eric Gagne, who signed a minor-league deal to return.  Fireballing righty Jorge Julio signed in the off-season after posting a 3.60 ERA with Cleveland and Atlanta in '08 and Seth McClung is also in the mix.  The only lefthander expected to break camp in the 'pen is Mitch Stetter who was solid in 25.1 innings last season.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Yovani Gallardo (R/23)
• Dave Bush (R/29)
• Braden Looper (R/34)
• Jeff Suppan (R/34)
• Manny Parra (L/26)

Bullpen

• Trevor Hoffman (R/41)
• David Riske (R/32)
• Mark DiFelice (R/32)
• Carlos Villenueva (R/25)
• Jorge Julio (R/30)
• Seth McClung (R/28)
• Mitch Stetter (L/28)

Lineup
With only two expected starters over the age of 30, the Brewers should field one of the best young lineups in the NL, and there is no shortage of power.  The Brew Crew finished 3rd in the NL in home runs in '08 but, their lack of plate discipline led them to only the 12th best batting average and 7th most runs scored; they return the exact same lineup of projected starters.  In the outfield is savvy vet Mike Cameron in Center, flanked by Corey Hart (who does indeed where his sunglasses at night, so he can...so he can) in Right, and 25-year-old super-slugger Ryan Braun in Left.  Braun is one of the most impressive young offensive talents in the game and adapted fairly well after being moved to the outfield from Third, where he was awful in '07.  In the infield, the Brewers have First Baseman Prince Fielder who, in '07, became the youngest player ever to hit 50 home runs; last year he slummed it with only 34.  At Second will be Rickie Weeks who was awful in '08, hitting just .234, but has the potential to be one of the best offensive Second Basemen in the NL.  J.J. Hardy is back at Short and although his defense leaves something to be desired, he can hit with the best of them; and at Third should be Bill Hall who needs to find the form he exhibited in 2006 when he clubbed 35 HR.  Catching responsibilities will go to steady vet Jason Kendall who's only real skills are game-calling and taking great care of his pitching staff; offensively and defensively, he isn't great anymore.

On the bench will be some veterans to help out the young lineup.  Craig Counsell is back as utility-infielder and extra outfielders Tony Gwynn Jr. and Trot Nixon should log some valuable playing time.  Corner infielder Mike Lamb returns and could step in at Third if Hall continues to struggle, and Mike Rivera will handle backup catching duties and can also fill in at First.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• RF  Corey Hart (R/27)
• C    Jason Kendall (R/35)
• LF  Ryan Braun (R/25)
• 1B  Prince Fielder (L/25)
• CF  Mike Cameron (R/36)
• SS  J.J. Hardy (R/26)
• 2B  Rickie Weeks (R/26)
• 3B  Bill Hall (R/29)

Bench

• INF Craig Counsell (L/38)
• OF Tony Gwynn Jr. (L/26)
• OF/1B Trot Nixon (L/35)
• 3B/1B Mike Lamb (L/33)
• C/1B Mike Rivera (R/32)

Outlook
The Brewers will definitely have trouble building on what they did last year.  They have the lineup, but their pitching suffered two huge blows with the losses of Sabathia and Sheets.  They have no real number 1 or 2 pitcher and their bullpen could be shaky.  Expect Milwaukee to finish near the bottom of the NL in most pitching categories and take a nose-dive in the standings.  Final Prediction: 78-84, 4th NL Central

2008 Record: 86-75, 3rd NL Central
2009 Prediction: 5th NL Central

Impact Player: Lance Berkman
Impact Pitcher: Roy Oswalt
Top Prospect: Jason Castro, C

Significant Acquisitions: OF Jason Michaels, INF Aaron Boone, P Mike Hampton, P Russ Ortiz, P Clay Hensley
Significant Losses: C Brad Ausmus, INF Ty Wigginton, INF Mark Loretta, OF Jose Cruz Jr., P Shawn Chacon, P Randy Wolf, P Oscar Villareal


The Astros may have surprised some people in '08 when they went 86-75 and made a concerted run at the post-season.  The 'Stros were supposed to be an old team who was on the verge of rebuilding.  Well, this year, they are another year older, in fact, they are the oldest team in all of baseball.  The opening day roster might include as little as 5 players under the age of 30.  They still have some pieces of a contender but in reality, many of their older players started showing their age last year and will only get worse in '09.  Their bullpen was heavily-worked last season which means you can expect some arm-drag from its oldest members and the starting rotation has no depth to speak of.  This could be a long year in Houston.

Pitching
One thing the Astros do have is a true ace.  Roy Oswalt showed again last year why he is one of the most respected pitchers in the league going 17-10 with a 3.54 ERA in a hitter-friendly ballpark.  Outside of him, however, there is a shocking lack of depth and a lot of pitchers with a high risk of injury.  Lefthander Wandy Rodriguez is coming off a solid year where he posted a 3.54 ERA but has never proven to be durable and is likely to see time on the DL.  Brandon Backe's '08 ERA was higher than Michael Phelps at his last house party and is sadly penciled in as the #3 starter for '09.  37-year-old Brian Moehler was 11-8 last year but his age would signify a further decline from his 4.56 ERA in '08 and he will battle with injury risks Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton for the final two spots.  Hampton hasn't pitched more than 13 starts since 2004 and was very recently diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and Ortiz hasn't pitched at all since his 12 starts with the Giants in 2007.

In the bullpen, the Astros were solid last year but are also not young.  On top of that, seven of them threw more than 50 innings; four of them more than 60.  There is a significant downward performance spiral from pitchers who throw a lot of innings out of the bullpen the previous year and the Astros will be no exception to this rule.  Jose Valverde was solid as the '08 closer notching more saves than anyone else in the NL with 44, but also had 7 blown saves and his ERA was a middle-of-the-road 3.38.  Geoff Geary was very good in setup and returns there this year.  Aging vet LaTroy Hawkins (36) and positively ancient Doug Brocail (42) are back in middle relief and are joined by Tim Byrdak and long-reliever Chris Sampson (who could also start).  The final spot will likely go to lefty Wesley Wright who is the lone young pitcher on the team at only 24.  Minor league contracts were handed out to Clay Hensley, Chad Paronto, Jose Capellan and the Baby-Faced Assassin Danny Graves who will try and crack the team.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Roy Oswalt (R/31)
• Wandy Rodriguez (L/30)
• Brandon Backe (R/31)
• Mike Hampton (L/36)
• Brian Moehler (R/37)

Bullpen

• Jose Valverde (R/30)
• Geoff Geary (R/32)
• LaTroy Hawkins (R/36)
• Doug Brocail (R/42)
• Wesley Wright (L/24)
• Tim Byrdak (L/35)
• Chris Sampson (R/31)

Lineup
The Astros won't finish last in the NL in hitting, but they certainly won't finish in first either.  In spite of the fact that they play in a very hitter-friendly park, the Astros had a shocking lack of power in '08, finishing only 8th in home runs.  Outside of Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn, the lineup is aging and should expect a decline this season.  In the outfield, Pence should start in Right and is an up-and-coming star at only 26.  Last season he hit 25 HR and tallied 83 RBI and he could be a 20-20 threat once he gains better instincts on the basepaths; he had only 11 stolen bases in 21 attempts last year.  Bourn will leadoff and start in Center.  He is a plus baserunner and fielder but hit just .229 with only 29 RBI in '08.  In Left will be Carlos Lee who has been as solid as anyone and should be the team's primary clean-up hitter; he hit .314 with 100 RBI last season.  In the infield, Lance Berkman returns at First and remains one of the better switch-hitters in baseball.  He can also substitute in any of the outfield positions and steals his fair share of bases.  Kazuo Matsui returns at Second and even though he's 33, has seen his average increase with every year of major-league service.  On the left side of the infield is nothing but questions.  Geoff Blum is expected to be the Third Baseman, but at 36 isn't considered by many to be starting-caliber anymore, and at Short is Miguel Tejada who has seen decreased production in the past few years and has been involved in the steroid scandal all winter.  Catching duties could belong to either J.R. Towles (who struggled in '08) or Humberto Quintero.

The bench is one area where the Astros have some depth.  Veteran Darin Erstad can play all three outfield positions and First at very high levels and can still contribute some offensively.  Outfielder Jason Michaels was signed in the off-season to be the fourth outfielder and could even start if Bourn struggles like he did last year.  Infielder Aaron Boone could start at Third if Blum struggles but is more valuable off the bench because of his ability to play anywhere in the infield, and utility-man David Newhan is back on a minor-league deal.  Quintero or Towles will also warm the bench depending on who the 'Stros decide to go with at Catcher.

Lineup

• CF  Michael Bourn (L/26)
• 2B  Kazuo Matsui (S/33)
• 1B  Lance Berkman (S/33)
• LF  Carlos Lee (R/33)
• RF  Hunter Pence (R/26)
• SS  Miguel Tejada (R/35)
• 3B  Geoff Blum (S/36)
• C    Humberto Quintero (R/29)
  

Bench

• OF/1B Darin Erstad (L/35)
• OF  Jason Michaels (R/33)
• INF Aaron Boone (R/36)
• INF David Newhan (L/35)
• C    J.R. Towles (R/25)

Outlook
This team has some talent but is old...very old.  On paper they look top-heavy with stars like Oswalt, Berkman, and Lee but lack real depth.  Expect a big step back for the Astros this year and expect that to spurn a rebuilding stint starting in 2010.  Final Prediction: 74-88, 5th NL Central

I finally got around to putting a blogroll in the sidebar.  It will grow throughout the summer as I have more time to read more blogs.

In other news, I'm tired from writing a paper on critical communication theory and my brain hurts.  Travis=bed.

Houston Astros tomorrow

2008 Record: 74-88, 5th NL Central
2009 Prediction: 3rd NL Central

Impact Player: Jay Bruce
Impact Pitcher: Edinson Volquez
Top Prospect: Yonder Alonso, 1B

Significant Acquisitions: C Ramon Hernandez, CF Willy Taveras, P Arthur Rhodes, 1B Daryle Ward, OF Jonny Gomes, OF Jacque Jones
Significant Losses: C Paul Bako, OF Corey Patterson, OF Ryan Freel, C Javier Valentin, UTIL Jolbert Cabrera, P Josh Fogg, P Matt Belisle, P Jeremy Affeldt, P Gary Majewski

The Reds haven't had a winning season since 2000 and haven't been to the playoffs since 1995 when they lost to the world champion Braves in the NLCS.  The 2009 Reds, however, have many young bourgeoning players who are on the verge of becoming superstars.  The team enters the spring with the most promise it's had since they acquired Ken Griffey Jr. in 2000.  The NL Central is expected to take a step back as a whole this year so it could be the year that we see a winning team in Cincinnati again.

Pitching
When the Reds traded Josh Hamilton to the Rangers last off-season for little-known prospect pitcher Edinson Volquez, many people thought Cincinnati got the raw end of the deal.  Indeed when Hamilton went on to post MVP-type numbers in Texas, it appeared as though that was the case.  Volquez, however, ended up balancing the scales of the trade when he made the NL All-Star team and finished with a 17-6 record and a 3.21 ERA.  Volquez is now the ace of this staff and should be for years to come.  Bronson Arroyo emerged as a solid #2 pitcher posting 15 wins but his ERA was a bit high at 4.77.  However, that could have been partially because Great American Ballpark is about the size of a little league diamond.  Aaron Harang had a forgettable '08 tying Barry Zito for the most losses in the NL at 17.  Harang's ERA was only 0.01 higher than Arroyo's and he still has solid #3 pitcher-type stuff; expect a rebound in '09.  After those three, three pitchers are expected to compete for the final two jobs with the frontrunners being 23-year-old Johnny Cueto and 26-year-old Micah Owings who was acquired in the Dunn deal last July.  Cueto was 9-14 with a 4.81 ERA in 174 innings last year while Owings was 6-9 with a 5.93 ERA mostly with the Diamondbacks.  Highly-touted prospect Homer Bailey might have a shot at cracking the rotation as well but was 0-6 in a short stint with the club last year and never really recovered at the AAA level.

The Reds bullpen could be one of their strenghs in 2009.  Closer Francisco Cordero is back after posting 34 saves last year and a 3.33 ERA.  He'll look to be a little more consistent this year however; he blew 6 saves in '08.  39-year-old David Weathers is back for another year and was solid last season posting a 3.25 ERA and Jared Burton will look to help him setup Cordero.  From the left side, the Reds bring back 26-year-old Bill Bray who was outstanding last season with a 2.87 ERA and should benfit from a full season at the major-league level.  The team also signed near-senior Arthur Rhodes who posted a 2.04 ERA last year with Seattle and Florida including a stupifying 0.68 ERA in 25 games with the Marlins.  A number of other pitchers could vie for the final one or two spots including Mike Lincoln, Nick Masset, Ramon A. Ramirez, Josh Roenicke, and lefty Daniel Ray Herrera.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Edinson Volquez (R/25)
• Bronson Arroyo (R/32)
• Aaron Harang (R/31)
• Johnny Cueto (R/23)
• Micah Owings (R/26)

Bullpen

• Francisco Cordero (R/34)
• David Weathers (R/39)
• Jared Burton (R/28)
• Bill Bray (L/26)
• Arthur Rhodes (L/39)
• Mike Lincoln (R/34)
• Nick Masset (R/27)

Lineup
The Reds have one of the best young lineups in the NL and they are poised to put up big numbers in the diminutive Great American Ballpark.  Jay Bruce emerged as an everyday player in '08, bursting onto the scene with one of the best starts a rookie has ever had.  He finished the year with 21 HR and 52 RBI in only 108 games.  He will likely start in Right.  In Center, the Reds acquired a bonafide lead-off hitter in Willy Taveras from the Colorado Rockies.  Taveras stole a surreal 68 bases last year, 12 more than second-best Jose Reyes' 56.  Jerry Hairston Jr. hit .326 in 80 games last year and that might be enough to get him the starting Left Field job.  If he can't hang onto it, however, Chris Dickerson and minor-league invitees Jonny Gomes and Jacque Jones could have a shot.  In the infield, the Reds return three high-quality run producers in Edwin Encarnacion (3B), Brandon Phillips (2B), and Toronto-native Joey Votto (1B).  Votto and Encarnacion emerged as true big-league power threats last year and Phillips is one of the most productive two-baggers in the league.  At Shortstop is defensive wizard Alex Gonzalez who missed most of last year with an injury.  If he can't regain his form Jeff Keppinger is still around.  Catching duties will belong to Ramon Hernandez who was acquired in a deal that sent utility-man Ryan Freel to the Orioles.

On the bench, the Reds will look to Dickerson, Gomes, and Keppinger along with backup catcher Ryan Hanigan, and veteran First Baseman Daryle Ward who was signed in the off-season.  Keppinger and Ward are also two of the best pinch hitters in the league.  If Hanigan can't stick at the major-league level Humberto Cota was also signed to a minor-league deal.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• CF  Willy Taveras (R/27)
• LF  Jerry Hairston Jr. (R/33)
• RF  Jay Bruce (L/22)
• 3B  Edwin Encarnacion (R/26)
• 1B  Joey Votto (L/25)
• 2B  Brandon Phillips (R/28)
• C    Ramon Hernandez (R/33)
• SS  Alex Gonzalez (R/32)

Bench

• INF Jeff Keppinger (R/29)
  
• C    Ryan Hanigan (R/28)
• OF  Chris Dickerson (L/27)
• 1B  Daryle Ward (L/34)
• OF  Jonny Gomes (R/28)

Outlook
The Reds aren't a true contender yet, but with players like Bruce, Encarnacion, Votto, Volquez, and Cueto they may not be more than a year off.  I believe this team will make huge strides in '09 and may even make people believe they could attain a playoff spot well into August or September.  Thier pitching wasn't good last year but the only need to hold the leads their terrific offense will supply them.  Final Prediction: 83-79, 3rd NL Central.

I'm number 41 on MLBlogs fan sites after only 3 weeks!

Obviously a thank you goes out to Mark from http://mlblogs.mlblogs.com, but my biggest thank you must go to Julia from Julia's Rants.  Putting me on your blogroll an commenting on each and every entry of mine has no doubt helped immensely.  You're awesome...and that's saying a lot since you ARE a Red Sox fan.  I may like you less when your Red Sox are pounding my Blue Jays in the '09 Standings.

Cincinnati Reds preview today.  Posting might be down a little (other than the previews) until Thursday as I have a MASSIVE paper due.  Gotta love school.

Vernon Wells is out for a month with another hamstring problem. 

What is it with this team and injuries.  It's getting a little old

2008 Record: 97-64, 1st NL Central
2009 Prediction: 1st NL Central

Impact Player: Aramis Ramirez
Impact Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano
Top Prospect: Josh Vitters, 3B

Significant Acquisitions: OF Milton Bradley, P Kevin Gregg, P Aaron Heilman, P Luis Vizcaino, OF Joey Gathright, C Paul Bako, INF Aaron Miles
Significant Losses: INF Mark DeRosa, OF Jim Edmonds, INF Ronny Cedeno, C Henry Blanco, 1B Daryle Ward, OF Felix Pie, P Jason Marquis, P Rich Hill, P Kerry Wood, P Bob Howry, P Michael Wuertz, P Jon Lieber


For a team that finished with the best record in the NL by far (5 more wins than Philadelphia), the Cubs were not content on sitting back and allowing the same group to go out in 2009 and attempt to finish what last year's team couldn't.  The Cubs were one of the more active teams during this off-season as they realized that with the current core they have, they have to take a legitimate shot at winning a World Series right now; knowing that last year's group couldn't do it, they made the necessary changes.  Along with a number of trades and signings that did happen, the Cubs also made a concerted effort at acquiring Jake Peavy from the Padres and with the recent trading of starting pitcher Rich Hill to the Orioles, they appear to have put themselves in a position to make another run at him.  Don't be too surprised if the Cubs end up acquiring Peavy by the end of Spring Training or at some point in the season.  If they get him, there's nothing standing in the way of this team winning their first World Series in 101 years.  If they don't get him, they still have as good a chance as anyone.

Pitching
Even without acquiring Peavy, the Cubs may have the deepest rotation in the NL.  Carlos Zambrano is their ace and is coming off an off-year by his standards.  He was still14-6 with a 3.91 ERA.  Outside of Zambrano, the Cubs have two pitchers who won 17 games a piece in '08.  Former Blue Jay lefthander Ted Lilly went 17-9 with a 4.09 ERA and Canadian-born Ryan Dempster was the team's best starter last year going 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA.  Dempster also finished 6th in the league in Cy Young voting.  Another Canadian pitcher, Rich Harden, is slated to be the Cubs' fourth starter.  The story of Harden's career has been brilliance when healthy, but rarely healthy.  Harden went 10-2 with a 2.07 ERA splitting between Oakland and the Cubs in '08 and had a 1.77 ERA with the latter.  In his career, Harden is 41-20 with a 3.23 ERA.  If he could just stay healthy he might be one of the best pitchers in the game.  The fifth spot is expected to be a spring competition between two starters: Sean Marshall and off-season acquisition Aaron Heilman.  Heilman, although developed in the Mets' system as a starter has worked prodominently as a reliever in his career so probably has less of a chance at cracking the rotation than Marshall, but Marshall is a lefty who could be used in a bullpen that lacks southpaws.

In the bullpen, the departure of Kerry Wood means the closer spot is somewhat undecided heading into the spring.  Carlos Marmol will get the closest look considering he went 7 for 9 in save opportunities last year and posted a 2.68 ERA as Wood's setup man, but former Marlins closer Kevin Gregg and '08 late-season callup Jeff Samardzija could challenge him if he struggles.  Neal Cotts figures to be the only lefty to make the bullpen unless 42-year-old Mike Stanton can make the team after being given a minor-league contract.  Veteran Luis Vizcaino was acquired in the off-season and should fill out the 'pen along with Chad Gaudin and Heilman if he doesn't start.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Carlos Zambrano (R/28)
• Ryan Dempster (R/32)
• Ted Lilly (L/33)
• Rich Harden (R/27)
• Sean Marshall (L/26)

Bullpen

• Carlos Marmol (R/26) -- CLOSER
• Kevin Gregg (R/31)
• Neal Cotts (L/29)
• Chad Gaudin (R/26)
• Jeff Samardzija (R/24)
• Luis Vizcaino (R/34)
• Aaron Heilman (R/30)

Lineup
The Cubs led the NL in runs scored last year and only seemed to improve things for '09.  They have a veteran lineup that has what it takes to push a team with good pitching to the World Series.  In the outfield, perennial 40-40 threat Alfonso Soriano is back in Left and should continue to lead off even though manager Lou Piniella has talked about moving him down.  In the past when Soriano has been moved from the lead-off spot he has struggled and appears to be most comfortable there.  Kosuke Fukudome will likely move from Right to Center this year with the addition of Milton Bradley.  Fukudome came with a lot of hype in '08 but was overall a minor disappointment for the Cubs hitting just .257, many think he'll be better this year now that he has adjusted to the majors.  Bradley joins his 7th team in only his 10th season, signing in the off-season.  Bradley has an immense amount of talent but has always had problems on and off the field with his attitude; he seems to be maturing slowly and if that's the case, the Cubs may have found their missing piece.  In the infield Aramis Ramirez (3B) and Derrek Lee (1B) anchor the corners and both are outstanding hitters.  If Lee can find his former power stroke he could win the MVP.  In the middle-infield, fire-starters Ryan "The Riot" Theriot and Mike Fontenot are back.  Both play solid defense and are good contact hitters and also have great rapports in the clubhouse.  Catching will be reigning NL All-Star and Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto.  Soto had such a good year in '08 that he actually finished 13th in MVP voting; he seems to do everything well.

On the bench the Cubs have some real depth that should allow them to overcome injuries without much decrease in talent.  Former Blue Jay fan favourite Reed Johnson (the Jays could really have used him last year, but they decided to keep Shannon Stewart over him in the Spring; Stewart was released in July) and speed-demon Joey Gathright will be the extra outfielders and veteran Aaron Miles should get a decent amount of playing time up the middle.  Backup catching duties will belong to Paul Bako and Micah Hoffpauir returns as a First Base and corner outfield option.  Outfielder So Taguchi and infielder Luis Rivas were also extended invites to Spring Training.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• LF  Alfonso Soriano (R/33)
• CF  Kosuke Fukudome (L/32)
• 1B  Derrek Lee (R/33)
• 3B  Aramis Ramirez (R/31)
• RF  Milton Bradley (S/31)
• C    Geovany Soto (R/26)
• 2B  Mike Fontenot (L/29)
• SS  Ryan Theriot (R/29) 

Bench

• OF  Reed Johnson (R/32)
  
• OF  Joey Gathright (L/28)
• C    Paul Bako (L/37)
• INF Aaron Miles (S/32)
• 1B/OF Micah Hoffpauir (L/29)

Outlook
The '09 Cubs have great pitching, a great lineup, solid defense, one of the best coaching staffs in the league and a lot of character players.  They have absolutely everything they need to win a World Series and should sit atop the NL standings by the end of the regular season.  They do, however, have one thing going against them: The emblem on thier chest.  Final Prediction: 100-62, 1st NL Central (Lose to Arizona in NLCS)

Garret Anderson has signed with Atlanta


Anderson has long been one of the unsung heroes of many great teams in Anaheim over the years and should step into a Left Field platoon Matt Diaz.  Anderson will provide some much-needed pop to the middle of the Braves' lineup.

Obviously, Atlanta needed to explore other options when Griffey signed in Seattle and Anderson should work nicely in that role.

And just one more thing before I stop writing: Manny Ramirez.

I think it's time that the Dodgers put a deadline on him signing or not.  If I'm Joe Torre, I want to start preparing my outfielders for the season and how are you supposed to tell Juan Pierre that he's only going to start if Manny doesn't sign.  It's not fair to the guys who are at camp already, waiting to see what their role will be.

Quite clearly Scott Boras thinks he's still in a position of power with his client Ramirez.  I would argue that each day Manny doesn't sign, he has less and less power.

Comment discussion time!  What does everyone think about this situation?  Is there a realistic possibility that Manny could sit out part of the season to get his demands?  If he does that, does he gain more or less leverage with potential suitors? 

Given the past, when I write about a player, they usually sign mere minutes after I post, rendering my writing completely useless (See Griffey).

NL Central Previews start tomorrow with the Chicago Cubs, enjoy! 

2008 Record: 59-102, 5th NL East
2009 Prediction: 5th NL East

Impact Player: Ryan Zimmerman
Impact Pitcher: John Lannan
Top Prospect: Jordan Zimmerman, RHP

Significant Acquisitions: OF/1B Adam Dunn, OF Josh Willingham, P Scott Olsen, P Daniel Cabrera, C Javier Valentin, INF Alex Cintron
Significant Losses: INF Aaron Boone, OF Willie Harris, INF Emilio Bonifacio, P Tim Redding


The Washington Nationals were the worst team in baseball in 2008.  In fact, since their move from Montreal in 2005 their best record was in that year when they went 81-81.  The Nationals made a big push for Mark Teixeira in the off-season and just lost out to the Yankees in the end and they eventually signed maybe the most prolific slugger in the majors in Adam Dunn.  The Nats also pulled off a deal to acquire troubled lefty Scott Olsen and outfielder Josh Willingham from division-rival Florida.  On paper, the Nats look better, but in reality players like Scott Olsen and another off-season acquisition Daniel Cabrera are not exactly character guys and have yet to fulfill the promise they once showed.  I just don't see how the Nats are going to be much better this year; their young players still need to get better.

Pitching
The Nationals were 14th in the NL in ERA last year and ranked no higher than 12th in any pitching category.  To allieviate that the Nats acquired Olsen and Cabrera to try and boost their rotation which is without a true #1...or #2 for that matter.  The two underachievers were a combined 16-21 in '08 with a 4.69 combined ERA.  Joining them are two lefties in John Lannan and veteran Odalis Perez.  Lannan showed promise and could be the opening day starter after posting a 3.91 ERA in spite of 15 losses and Perez struggled going 7-12.  The fifth spot is a wide-open competition between veteran Shawn Hill and three prospects: Jordan Zimmerman, Collin Balester and Shairon Martis.  Zimmerman may have the inside track after going 10-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 134 innings split between A+ and AA last year.  Both Balester and Martis played breifly with the big club in '08 and Hill battled injuries the whole year.  If Hill can regain the form that saw him post a 3.42 ERA in 16 starts in '07, he could get another shot.

The bullpen was atrocious last year and only the Braves had less saves.  The best closing option in Jon Rauch was traded near the deadline last year to acquire Emilio Bonifacio who was then traded in the Olsen/Willingham deal.  As many as four pitchers could vie for the job in spring training.  Joel Hanrahan probably has the best shot, but young Steven Shell posted a 2.16 ERA in 50 innings last year and has closer-type stuff and so does Garret Mock.  Veteran setup-man Saul Rivera might end up closing if none of these pitchers can close effectively.  Joining those four in the 'pen will be any three of a number of pitchers: Lefties Matt Chico, Michael O'Connor, and Mike Hinckley and righties Jason Bergmann, Tyler Clippard, and Marco Estrada.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• John Lannan (L/24)
• Scott Olsen (L/25)
• Odalis Perez (L/32)
• Daniel Cabrera (R/28)
• Jordan Zimmerman (R/23) 

Bullpen

• Joel Hanrahan (R/27)
• Saul Rivera (R/31)
• Steven Shell (R/26)
• Garret Mock (R/26)
• Matt Chico (L/26)
• Jason Bergmann (R/28)
• Mike Hinckley (L/26)

Lineup
The Nationals hitting, like their pitching, was awful in '08.  They finished no higher than 11th in any category and were dead last in the NL in slugging percentage and second-last in home runs.  There should be more slugging this year with the addition of two players, Dunn and Willingham, who should take more than their fair share of baseballs over the wall.  In the outfield will be Willingham in Left, attitude problem Lastings Milledge in Center, and once-highly-touted Elijah Dukes in Right.  If Milledge or Dukes can't keep it together, the Nats also have Wily Mo Pena and Austin Kearns in the mix and Dunn can play the outfield as well.  Dunn, however, will likely play First and anchor an infield that includes future franchise-player Ryan Zimmerman (no relation to Jordan) at Third.  Veterans Christian Guzman and Ronnie Belliard could play up the middle, but Anderson Hernandez is expected to be given every opportunity to start at second over Belliard.  24-year-old Jesus Flores may be ready to take the on the starting catching job, but if he struggles veteran Wil Nieves is around, as is minor-league invitee Javier Valentin.

On the bench will be Kearns, Pena, Belliard and either Nieves or Valentin if they don't start.  This gives the Nats some depth and also some trade bait for more young players.  Joining them will be Nick Johnson who has spent the last few years battling injuries and may be close to the end of his career because of them.  A minor-league contract was also given to veteran utility-infielder Alex Cintron and Dmitri Young is still kicking around as well but is a long-shot to make the team.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• CF  Lastings Milledge (R/24)
• SS  Christian Guzman (S/31)
• 3B  Ryan Zimmerman (R/24)
• 1B  Adam Dunn (L/29)
• LF  Josh Willingham (R/30)
• RF  Elijah Dukes (R/25)
• C    Jesus Flores (R/24)
• 2B  Anderson Hernandez (S/26)

Bench

• OF Wily Mo Pena (R/27)
  
• OF Austin Kearns (R/29)
• INF Ronnie Belliard (R/34)
• 1B  Nick Johnson (L/30)
• INF Alex Cintron (S/30)
• C    Javier Valentin (S/33)

Outlook
The Nats have still got a long way to go and I don't believe that the addition of Dunn and Willingham will be enough to bring this offense out from near the bottom of the NL, nor do I believe Olsen and Cabrera will be enough to have a good rotation.  The Nationals young players are still a year or two away from being true major leaguers and until that happens this team will be terrible.  Final Prediction: 55-107, 5th NL East

2008 Record: 92-70, 1st NL East
2009 Prediction: 2nd NL East

Impact Player: Ryan Howard
Impact Pitcher: Cole Hamels
Top Prospect: Dominic Brown, OF

Significant Acquisitions: OF Raul Ibanez, P Chan-Ho Park
Significant Losses: OF Pat Burrell, OF So Taguchi, INF Tadahito Iguchi, P Rudy Seanez, P Tom Gordon






For the first time since the Phillies' 1980 world championship, the city of Philadelphia had a reason to celebrate.  The Phillies have had a long history of losing; last year was only the team's second World Series title in a history that spans over 120 years.  The Phillies were so bad that they actually changed their name in 1943 to the Philadelphia Blue Jays because they believed the "Phillies" were cursed.  They changed it back after just two seasons.  All that has changed, the Phillies have a core of young players who have become stars and will look to win their 3rd straight NL East as well as defend their world title.  Expect another dog-fight with the Mets for the division; the Mets and Phillies are quickly cultivating one of the most intriguing rivalries in baseball.

Pitching
The Phillies did a great thing in the off-season when they inked ace Cole Hamels to a 3-year $20.5-million contract extension.  Hamels, who is still only 25, is coming off a year in which he went 14-10 with a very good 3.09 ERA, and went onto win the MVP of both the NLCS and World Series.  This guy is the real deal; expect Hamels to be at the top of this rotation for years to come.  After Hamels, the Phillies trot out the oldest player in the majors, Jamie Moyer.  The 46-year-old Moyer signed a two-year extension in the off-season and there doesn't appear to be any reason to doubt that he will continue to put up great numbers.  He was 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA last year.  Brett Myers struggled at times in '08 but looked good down the stretch and in the playoffs; he's the number 3 guy.  Joe Blanton returns and hopes to build on a strong September and post-season as well and the fifth spot could go to a number of pitchers.  Young options J.A. Happ, Kyle Kendrick (who was 11-9 last year), and Carlos Carrasco (who's only 22) will compete with veterans Adam Eaton and off-season signing Chan-Ho Park.  Park had a comeback season in '08 pitching out of the bullpen for the Dodgers.  It is likely, however, that Park and Happ will start the year in the 'pen.

Brad Lidge won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award after posting a perfect 41 for 41 save total and had a sparkling 1.95 ERA and he returns as the closer.  The Phillies should be careful with Lidge though; closers tend to experience setbacks after big years.  J.C. Romero tested positive for Androstiendione in the off-season and will be suspended for the first 50 games of '08.  Romero says that he mistakenly bought the wrong supplement powder because he ran out of his normal stuff.  Either way, Romero is the team's top lefty and will be out until June 1st.  In his absence, veteran Scott Eyre will have to step up and Happ could be the second lefthanded option.  From the right-side, Ryan Madson pitched 82.2 innings in the 'pen last year so could experience some arm-drag but is expected to setup Lidge, and Chad Durbin is back after posting a 2.87 ERA last season.  Veteran Clay Condrey is also expected to earn a spot.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Cole Hamels (L/25)
• Jamie Moyer (L/46)
• Brett Myers (R/28)
• Joe Blanton (R/28)
• Kyle Kendrick (R/24) 

Bullpen

• Brad Lidge (R/32)
• Ryan Madson (R/28)
• Chad Durbin (R/31)
• Scott Eyre (L/37)
• Clay Condrey (R/33)
• Chan-Ho Park (R/36)
• J.A. Happ (L/26)

Lineup
The Phillies led the NL in home runs in '08 and finished tied with the Mets for second in runs scored.  This year should be more of the same with almost exactly the same lineup returning.  In the outfield, Pat Burrell bolted to play for the team the Phillies beat in last year's World Series, the Rays, and has been replaced by veteran Raul Ibanez who signed a 3-year deal in the off-season.  Shane Victorino returns in Center and could win a gold glove; many people also think that he'll one day be a 20-20 threat.  In Rightfield is former Blue Jay Jayson Werth who emerged last season as an everyday player hitting .273 with 24 home runs and 67 RBI while also stealing 20 bases.  If he can't live up to his '08 season and falls back to his pre-'08-type numbers than Geoff Jenkins is still around.  The Phillies may have the best infield in all of baseball.  Ryan Howard is coming off another great year where he led the NL with 48 home runs and if he can bring his average back up to about .280 (he hit .251 last year) than he might be the best all around hitter in the NL whose name isn't Albert.  Second Baseman Chase Utley is a 5-tool player who could win an MVP someday and Short Stop Jimmy Rollins is a former MVP who is the inspirational leader of this team.  At Third is Pedro Feliz who had a decent first season in Philly and is outstanding defensively but management would like to see him hit higher than .249.  Catching will be split between veterans Chris Coste and Carlos Ruiz.  Ruiz has the edge as starter simply because he's younger and more durable.

The Phillies have a very deep bench, something all contending teams need.  Jenkins and Coste will be joined by three other vets in corner infielder Greg Dobbs, middle-infielder Eric Bruntlett and pinch-hit specialist Matt Stairs.  Stairs is 41 but still has the ability to take any pitcher deep late in games if they make a mistake and can also still play the odd inning in the outfield or at First.  Marcus Giles has also been given a minor-league deal and could crack the team with a solid spring.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• SS  Jimmy Rollins (S/30)
• CF  Shane Victorino (S/28)
• 2B  Chase Utley (L/30)
• 1B  Ryan Howard (L/29)
• 3B  Pedro Feliz (R/34)
• LF  Raul Ibanez (L/37)
• RF  Jayson Werth (R/30)
• C    Carlos Ruiz (R/30)

Bench

• OF  Geoff Jenkins (L/34)
• 3B/1B Greg Dobbs (L/30)
• C    Chris Coste (R/36)
• OF/1B Matt Stairs (L/41)
• INF Eric Bruntlett (R/31)

Outlook
The Phillies have about as good a chance as anyone at repeating, at least in the National League.  The NL is so rife with parody that there are probably 10 teams that could be in the playoff mix; Philadelphia will no doubt be one of them.  Their offense is as good as anyone's and their pitching staff has a lot of potential.  The difference this year is that the Phillies will have a target on their back and that might make it tougher for them to repeat as World Series champs.  Final Prediction: 89-73, 2nd NL East (NL Wildcard Champs, Lose to Chicago Cubs in NLDS)

So, this whole World Baseball Classic thing seems to have a lot of potential.  I will be watching it.  I think it's a great idea, but here's what I don't like:  These "insurance issues"that are keeping some of the best players from playing.  If you're going to have a World Baseball Classic that is supposed to display the world's best players then you have to let the world's best players play.  This is something that really needs to be addressed before the 2013 Classic.

So far Albert Pujols and Vernon Wells and probably many others won't be going because they are "injury risks" and have contracts that are too big.

In the case of Wells, this bugs me mostly because he had a fantastic season in '06 when he played for USA.  I was really looking forward to him starting the season the same way this year.

So seriously MLB...fix these problems.

2008 Record: 89-73, 2nd NL East
2009 Prediction: 1st NL East

Impact Player: David Wright
Impact Pitcher: Johan Santana
Top Prospect: Fernando Martinez, OF

Significant Acquisitions:  P Francisco Rodriguez, P J.J. Putz, P Sean Green, P Freddy Garcia, P Tim Redding, P Livan Hernandez, OF Jeremy Reed, INF Alex Cora
Significant Losses:  OF Endy Chavez, INF Damion Easley, OF Moises Alou, OF Trot Nixon, P Pedro Martinez, P Joe Smith, P Aaron Heilman, P Scott Schoeneweis, P Claudio Vargas, P Jorge Sosa, P Luis Ayala

The New York Mets should be entering the '09 season on a high; they should be the three-time defending NL East champs and they should be entering camp with (at the very least) one NL Pennant.  The Mets have been one of the most talented teams on paper in the NL for the past few years but near-unexplainable late-season collapses have led to no playoff appearances since 2006.  The single biggest reason for those late-season collapses has been their bullpen and that's where GM Omar Minaya spent most of his time and resources this off-season.  Gone are Joe Smith, Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis, Claudio Vargas, Jorge Sosa, Luis Ayala, and the injured Billy Wagner; in are the single-season saves leader Francisco Rodriguez, J.J. Putz, and Sean Green.  If these transactions sure-up the Mets' bullpen, there's nothing stopping them from winning the NL East.

Pitching
The Mets look to have moved on from Pedro Martinez who is still a free agent but doesn't look to be signing with the Mets, but don't worry Mets fans, there are plenty of arms to fill the void left by the future-HOFer.  Johan Santana could be the best lefthanded pitcher of this generation when he's done.  He had another fantastic year (ho-hum) in '08 going 16-7, leading the league in both ERA (2.53) and innings pitched (234.1) while finishing 3rd in NL Cy Young voting behind Tim Lincecum and Brandon Webb.  Mike Pelfrey emerged as a solid #2 guy last year winning 13 games and posting a 3.72 ERA and Oliver Perez was re-signed after an inconsistent '08; if he can ever put it all together he could win 15-18 games yearly.  John Maine made strides last year and should be the team's #4 option and the fifth spot will go to one of four pitchers: veteran free-agent signings Freddy Garcia, Tim Redding, and Livan Hernandez or highly-touted prospect Jonathon Niese who is also said to be in the mix but would have to blow Mets management's collective socks off to unseat one of the other three.  2010 should be his year.

As I said in the intro, the bullpen received a major makeover from the one that got pounded down the stretch in each of the last two years.  K-Rod is the new closer but will likely see a drop-off in numbers from last year (only because he can't possibly put up more saves than his record 62 from '08); he should still put up solid numbers and be reliable.  Former Mariners closer J.J. Putz was the main piece of that 3-team, 12-player deal at the Winter Meetings and figures to be the setup man to Rodriguez.  Sean Green was also acquired in that deal and should receive a hefty workload after proving to be durable with 79 innings pitched in '08.  Returnees Duaner Sanchez and lefty Pedro Feliciano are both back and look to find their 2006 form when they were two of the top relievers in the majors.  One of the possible starters and veteran Brian Stokes will likely round out the 'pen.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Johan Santana (L/30)
• Mike Pelfrey (R/25)
• Oliver Perez (L/27)
• John Maine (R/28)
• Livan Hernandez (R/34)

Bullpen

• Francisco Rodriguez (R/27)
• J.J. Putz (R/32)
• Duaner Sanchez (R/29)
• Pedro Feliciano (L/32)
• Sean Green (R/30)
• Brian Stokes (R/29)
• Tim Redding (R/31)

Lineup
The Mets return pretty much the same lineup that was 2nd in the NL in runs scored last year.  They have many players who are perennial All-Stars and their core is still young.  They should have no problem in this department.  The outfield is anchored by Center-fielder Carlos Beltran who continues to be one of the game's true 5-tool threats; he was a 20-20 man for the 7th time in his career last year.  The corner spots will be occupied by Ryan Church in Right (who was having a great year before succumbing to injury) and young Daniel Murphy in Left.  Murphy hit .317 in a short audition last year and will be given every opportunity to start in '09.  If he struggles, Fernando Tatis had a great comeback year and could play Left.  In the infield, the Mets trot out 3 possible MVP winners in David Wright (3B), Jose Reyes (SS), and Carlos Delgado (1B).  Wright and Reyes are 5-tool players who are both only 26 and Delgado rebounded last year to finish 9th in MVP voting and had his 11th 30 home run campaign in the last 12 years; also, he's only 31 home runs away from 500.  Second Base will likely be played by veteran Luis Castillo who struggled in his first tour in Flushing.  The Catcher will be reliable Brian Schneider who seems to do everything well defensively and is an adept game-caller.

On the bench will be Tatis, backup Catcher Ramon Castro, First Baseman/Outfielder Marlon Anderson and two new acquisitions: Outfielder Jeremy Reed who was another player in the Putz deal and veteran infielder Alex Cora who might even start at second if Castillo struggles again.  Cora's worth more on the bench, however, as he can play more positions.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• SS  Jose Reyes (S/26)
• 2B  Luis Castillo (S/33)
• 3B  David Wright (R/26)
• 1B  Carlos Delgado (L/37)
• CF  Carlos Beltran (S/32)
• RF  Ryan Church (L/30)
• LF  Daniel Murphy (L/24)
• C    Brian Schneider (L/32)

Bench

• C    Ramon Castro (R/33)
• OF Jeremy Reed (L/28)
• 3B/LF Fernando Tatis (R/34)
• INF Alex Cora (L/33)
• 1B/OF Marlon Anderson (L/35)

Outlook
Hopefully Minaya did enough to make sure that the Mets' 'pen won't collapse again this year and hopefully that will get this team into the playoffs.  However, as anyone on this team will tell you, the bullpen was not the only problem in finishing the job these past two years; these players need to stick together and not let clubhouse squabbles get the best of them.  Having said all that, I believe they have built themselves some character having gone through the terrible collapses and will be triumphant this year.  Final Prediction: 90-72, 1st NL East (Lose to Arizona in NLDS)

2008 Record: 84-77, 3rd, NL East
2009 Prediction: 4th NL East

Impact Player: Hanley Ramirez
Impact Pitcher: Ricky Nolasco
Top Prospect: Cameron Maybin, OF

Significant Acquisitions: P Leo Nunez, P Dan Meyer, P Scott Proctor, INF Emilio Bonifacio
Significant Losses: 1B Mike Jacobs, OF Josh Willingham, OF Luis Gonzalez, OF Jacque Jones, C Paul LoDuca, P Scott Olsen, P Mark Hendrickson, P Kevin Gregg, P Joe Nelson, P Doug Waechter, P Justin Miller, P Arthur Rhodes


The Florida Marlins are the Minnesota Twins of the NL, except with world championship rings and (curiously) a whole lot less fan support.  The Marlins will once again be an unappreciated surprise as sports' best scouting department will have their wears on display and nobody will be watching.  Come on, South Florida, pay attention!!  Their pitching is young and very, very good; players like Hanley Ramirez, Jeremy Hermida, and Dan Uggla are quickly becoming perrennial successes, yet the financial situation would tell you that they won't be together for long.  As soon as those players get to the point where they'll be demanding a pay-raise, they'll move on to greener pastures.  The Marlins may, however, take a small step back this year (as young teams often do after a successful season) but they will still be fun to watch and they might just challenge the powers-that-be in the NL East.

Pitching
The Marlins have one of the youngest pitching staffs in baseball, but they are also stacked with some of the most highly-touted young arms in the business.  They will be erratic at times, but they will be brilliant at others.  Ricky Nolasco was the standout starter last year, emerging as a true ace going 15-8 with a 3.52 ERA in 212.1 innings.  After him, Josh Johnson is expected to be slotted into the #2 hole.  Johnson struggled with injuries in '08 but was outstanding when healthy going 7-1 with a 3.61 ERA.  22-year-old Chris Volstad is another pitcher in the long-line of special talents developed in the Marlins' system.  In half of a season, Volstad went 6-4 with a sparkling 2.88 ERA.  Anibal Sanchez has top-of-the-rotation stuff but was injured most of last year and ineffective when he did pitch; if he's healthy this year he could be a Cy Young contender.  The fifth spot will likely go to lefthander Andrew Miller who has yet to find himself at the major-league level.  If he is still below-par, offseason waiver pickup Dan Meyer could step in and some other young arms (Burke Badenhop, Jesus Delgado, and Ryan Tucker) aren't far off.

The Marlins' 'pen is much like their rotation.  They have some excellent talent, but it is still very raw and that could be both good and bad in '09.  Matt Lindstrom, at 29, is the second oldest pitcher in the organization and is expected to break camp as the closer; he had a 3.14 ERA in 57.1 innings a year ago.  The Marlins traded First Baseman Mike Jacobs to the Royals in order to get a true set-up man in Leo Nunez.  Nunez, who's only 25, posted a 2.98 ERA bridging the gap to Joakim Soria in Kansas City last season.  If Lindstrom struggles closing out games, Nunez could step in.  Righthanders Logan Kensing, Badenhop and offseason signing Scott Proctor (the only pitcher on staff older than 30) will join lefties Reynel Pinto and Taylor Tankersley in rounding out the 'pen.  Tankersley was awful last year after basically being handed the closer's job at the beginning of the '07 season (and then losing it to Kevin Gregg).  Meyer could also be in the mix if he's not starting.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Ricky Nolasco (R/26)
• Josh Johnson (R/25)
• Chris Volstad (R/22)
• Anibal Sanchez (R/25)
• Andrew Miller (L/24)

Bullpen

• Matt Lindstrom (R/29)
• Leo Nunez (R/25)
• Logan Kensing (R/26)
• Renyel Pinto (L/26)
• Scott Proctor (R/32)
• Burke Badenhop (R/26)
• Dan Meyer (L/27)

Lineup
The Marlins smash home runs.  They were 2nd in the NL in '08 in long balls and 5th in runs scored.  However, they were 11th in batting average and 1st in strike outs.  I guess that's what you get with a young team.  If the Marlins can stay disciplined at the plate, they might turn into a great offensive team, especially in the offensively-challenged National League.  In the outfield, Cameron Maybin may finally be ready to stick in the majors.  Numerous setbacks have held things up for him, but he's still only 22 and one of the biggest pieces from the Cabrera/Willis deal from a couple off-seasons ago.  He should, barring another setback, start in Center.  In Left, Jeremy Hermida is emerging (slowly) as a true power threat; if he can stay consistent and cut down on strike outs, he could easily be a valuable cleanup hitter.  In Rightfield, Cody Ross emerged as a solid option last season, drilling 22 home runs.  He can also play Center fairly effectively if Maybin struggles.  At Shortstop, the Marlins have a future MVP in Hanley Ramirez.  Ramirez is a true 5-tool player.  He hit .301 with 33 HR, 67 RBI and 35 SB in '08.  Like Hermida, if he can cut down on his strikeouts, there is nothing stopping him.  He's expected to move down in the lineup which will help out his RBI totals.  The rest of the infield consists of Jorge Cantu (3B), Dan Uggla (2B), and young Gaby Sanchez (1B).  All three have plus power, but struggle defensively.  The potential defensive woes of this infield is what could hold them back from being a true contender.  Catching duties will belong to either John Baker or Mike Rabelo.

One thing most young teams lack is a deep bench; that is not the case here.  Besides the extra catcher, utility-man Alfredo Amezaga is back and can play 4 or 5 different positions and almost always finds his way into the late part of games for his defensive ability.  Brett Carroll should be the fourth outfielder providing he's not starting in Right, veteran corner infielder Wes Helms returns and is the oldest player on the team at age 33, and young, switch-hitting infielder Emilio Bonifacio could round out the bench if he has a good spring.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• CF  Cameron Maybin (R/22)
• RF  Cody Ross (R/28)
• SS  Hanley Ramirez (R/25)
• 3B  Jorge Cantu (R/27)
• LF  Jeremy Hermida (L/25)
• 2B  Dan Uggla (R/29)
• C    John Baker (L/28)
• 1B  Gaby Sanchez (R/25)

Bench

• C    Mike Rabelo (S/29)
  
• UTIL Alfredo Amezaga (S/31)
  
• OF  Brett Carroll (R/26)
• 3B/1B Wes Helms (R/33)
• INF Emilio Bonifacio (S/24)

Outlook
It seems like every year this team surprises you with their talent.  You just never know when the Marlins will up and win a World Series...they've done it twice without anyone really realizing it.  Chances are that won't happen this year...or will it?  Final Prediction:  81-81, 4th NL East
  

Well, he went back to Seattle...mere minutes after I published the Braves preview, stating how I thought Griffey would be there, he signed in Seattle.  I don't have the energy to go re-write it, so it stays.  'Tis the reality of writing previews when there is still a lot of movement to be had.

The Marlins will be done and up tomorrow afternoon.

OH...and thank you to Julia for adding me to her favourite blogs.  When I get some free time, I'll add some links of my favourite MLBlogs and there's no doubt that Julia's will be there...even though she's a Red Sox fan and she just quietly rooted for Scott Downs to be put on the DL.  JUUULLIIIIAAAA!!!!!  I shake my fist at thee.

Scott Downs has pain in his throwing elbow. 

An MRI revealed no structural damage so that's good news, but the Jays really don't need this.  Downs, who had a 1.78 ERA in 2008, may be the most important Jays pitcher outside of Roy Halladay; him going down for an extended period of time would be disastrous for Toronto.  Let's hope it's nothing.

2008 Record: 72-90, 4th NL East
2009 Prediction: 3rd NL East

Impact Player: Brian McCann
Impact Pitcher: Jair Jurrjens
Top Prospect: Tommy Hanson, RHP

Significant Acquisitions: P Derek Lowe, P Javier Vazquez, P Kenshin Kawakami, P Boone Logan, P Eric O'Flaherty, C David Ross
Significant Losses: P Mike Hampton, P John Smoltz, P Will Ohman, P Julian Tavarez, P Chuck James, P Royce Ring, P Jorge Julio

The Braves has an awful 2008 by almost all accounts.  They finished 4th in a division that many people thought they could have won and had their worst record since 1990 finishing 72-90; only their second losing season since that year.  The Braves have some young players coming up through their system that could help them get back atop the NL East.  Although they should be a much improved team over the '08 version, they still don't look to have the players necessary to take down the Mets or the Phillies. 

DISCLAIMER:  Two future Hall-of-Famers in Tom Glavine and slugging outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. appear to be close to signing but have yet to do so.  Glavine is almost definately coming back; the specifics and incentives in his deal just have to be worked out, while Griffey is torn between returning to Seattle where he played for 11 years or staying close to his home in Orlando by signing with Atlanta.  Although the Glavine signing wouldn't make too much of a difference in the ability of this team to win the East, the signing of Griffey may be a different story if he proves that he is past his injuries of '08.  I will write this preview without Griffey, but my final prediction is very much influenced by him signing with the Braves as I believe that is where he will end up.

Pitching
The Braves did a lot to sure-up their rotation for '09 this off-season; they finished 12th in the NL in ERA last year.  With Tim Hudson expected to miss the entire year recovering from Tommy John surgery and the loss of John Smoltz and possibly Tom Glavine, the Braves needed to make sure they weren't going to get run over in a division with some very good pitching staffs.  Three pitchers were brought in: Derek Lowe (free-agent signing from the Dodgers), Kenshin Kawakami (free-agent signing from Japan), and Javier Vazquez (acquired in a trade with the White Sox).  Lowe and Vazquez will settle in nicely at the top of this rotation with future ace Jair Jurrgens.  Jurrgens has 20-win potential and this could be the year if he gets decent run-support from his teammates.  Kawakami has made a very nice career for himself pitching in Japan's Central League.  He led the Chunichi Dragons to their first championship in 53 years in 2007 and is a former League-MVP and Best Pitcher award recipient.  The fifth spot is expected to be filled by Glavine when he signs, but if he doesn't sign or gets injured, there are a number of pitchers who could fill the role.  Jorge Campillo, Jo-Jo Reyes and highly-touted prosect Tommy Hanson are just a few.  Hanson is thought of so highly in the Braves organization that they refused to include him in trade talks this winter for Padres' ace Jake Peavy.

The bullpen wasn't very good last year and the Braves didn't do much to improve it this year.  Lefty Mike Gonzalez is back after saving 14 in 16 opportunities in '08 and should be the closer.  If he faulters, set-up options Rafael Soriano and Manny Acosta could step in.  Soriano looked to be in line to receive the job last year before injuries limited him to just 14 innings.  Lefty Boone Logan was acquired in the Vazquez deal and should be the team's main southpaw option.  Returnees Blaine Boyer, Buddy Carlyle, and Jeff Bennett will likely round out the 'pen.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Derek Lowe (R/36)
• Javier Vazquez (R/32)
• Jair Jurrgens (R/23)
• Kenshin Kawakami (R/34)
• Jorge Campillo (R/30)

Bullpen

• Mike Gonzalez (L/31)
• Rafael Soriano (R/29)
• Manny Acosta (R/28)
• Blaine Boyer (R/27)
• Boone Logan (L/24)
• Buddy Carlyle (R/31)
• Jeff Bennett (R/29)

Lineup
If Griffey doesn't sign, the Braves will return almost exactly the same team offensively that walked off the field at the end of last year.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing.  The weakness of this team was certainly not their hitting.  The Braves finished 3rd in batting average and 6th in runs scored last season even though they were only 14th in home runs.  The addition of Griffey would give the Braves the home run threat they are currently lacking and make them one of the better offensive teams in the National League.  In the outfield, Jeff Francoeur returns in Right and looks to rebound after a terrible year that saw him get demoted to the minors.  If he can return to his '06-'07 form where he totaled 208 RBI, the Braves may do some damage.  Lead-off hitter of the future and now Josh Anderson should start in Center barring a terrible spring and Left-field will be Matt Diaz's job to lose...unless of course Griffey signs, then Diaz will platoon with the slugger and start mainly against left-handers.  In the infield, Chipper Jones is back at Third coming off of one of his best seasons.  Jones hit .364 with 22 HR and 75 RBI before an injury cut his year short.  Yunel Escobar is back at short and appears as though he will be a mainstay there for years to come.  Kelly Johnson should start the year at Second.  Johnson is a converted outfielder who has adjusted well defensively to his new position and has shown some pop over the last two years with the bat.  At first base will be Casey Kotchman who was acquired in the Mark Teixeira deal last July.  Kotchman's numbers dropped off dramatically after the trade but he should be more comfortable now that he's set to start his first full season in Atlanta.  Catching will be the responsibility of Brian McCann.  McCann has developed into one of the best catchers in the game and might be the Braves' best player.  He hit .301 with 23 HR and 87 RBI in 2008.

The only position-player acquisition that the Braves made in the off-season was signing backup catcher David Ross.  Outside of him the bench will feature infielders Martin Prado and Omar Infante as well as veteran utility-man Greg Norton.  Outfielder Gregor Blanco will be the team's fourth outfielder unless Griffey signs; then you might see him in AAA.

Lineup

• CF  Josh Anderson (L/26)
• SS  Yunel Escobar (R/26)
• 3B  Chipper Jones (S/37)
• C    Brian McCann (L/25)
• RF  Jeff Francoeur (L/25)
• 1B  Casey Kotchman (L/26)
• 2B  Kelly Johnson (L/27)
• LF  Matt Diaz (R/31)

Bench

• C    David Ross (R/32)
• INF Martin Prado (R/25)
• INF Omar Infante (R/27)
• OF  Gregor Blanco (L/25)
• UTIL Greg Norton (S/36)

Outlook
Unless they sustain catastrophic injuries, the Braves will be better this year than their 72-90 record of 2008.  The acquisitions to their starting rotation should give them the boost they need to still be in the thick of the race in the NL East into September, however, I don't believe they have what it takes to beat both the Mets and Phillies who appear (on paper, at least) to have much better teams.  Final Prediction:  84-78, 3rd NL East.

Okay, I'm a massive Ken Griffey Jr. fan.  But dude's gotta make a decision here.

Griffey is still undecided about whether or not he'll return to Seattle or play in Atlanta. 

The thing is, I'm waiting to write the Braves preview until he decides.  Of well, I'll just write it now and update it tomorrow if he signs.

GOD, damn future-Hall-of-Famers taking their sweet-*** time.

Alright, it has been brought to my attention, quite rightly, that the way I have the AL playoffs predicted wouldn't actually work.  I did not realize that two teams in the same division could not face each other in the division series.  This changes things...

I had the Yankees facing Boston in the ALDS which would not happen...it would actually be the Tigers and Red Sox and the Yankees and Angels.

Therefore as much as I HATE to say it, I believe it will be a Yankees/Red Sox ALCS (YAWN).

Of well, I picked them that way.  I'll correct things.

Now that I've reached the unofficial half-way point of the previews, I think it's a good idea to give a quick overview of the American League as a whole.

The AL is still clearly the superior league with much less parody than the National League.  Here's a look at what I think will be the final standings in the AL.

East

• Boston              101-61
• NY Yankees        95-67
• Tampa Bay          86-76
• Toronto                78-84
• Baltimore             74-88

Central

• Detroit                 91-71
• Minnesota            87-75
• Chi. White Sox     85-77
• Kansas City         75-87
• Cleveland             70-92

West

• LA Angels           94-68
• Oakland              78-84
• Texas                 70-92
• Seattle                62-100

The records above would indicate that the AL as a whole would finish 24 games above .500.  The Red Sox, Tigers, Angels and wildcard winning Yankees would advance to the post-season and with the rankings they would achieve by their records above would be matched up like this in the ALDS:

1. Boston
3. Detroit

2. LA Angels
4. NY Yankees

If this were to happen, I think that the Red Sox would be too strong for the Tigers, even though they'd put up a decent fight with that offense and the Yankees would be too much for teh Angels who once again won't be as good as their record indicates.  Setting up an ALCS as such:

1. Boston
4. NY Yankees

The Red Sox pitching in a seven game series is just too strong; when you can run out Beckett, Daisuke, Lester, and Smoltz it doesn't matter who you're facing.  Red Sox in 6, making them the AL Champs for the 3rd time in 6 years.

Here's how I think the awards will go down:

MVP -- Miguel Cabrera, DET
Cy Young -- Roy Halladay, TOR
Manager OTY -- Jim Leyland, DET
Closer OTY -- Jonathon Papelbon, BOS
Rookie OTY -- Travis Snider, TOR

Stay tuned for the next 16 days as I will preview the National League starting with the Atlanta Braves tomorrow.

2008 Record: 79-83, 2nd AL West
2009 Prediction: 3rd AL West

Impact Player: Josh Hamilton
Impact Pitcher: Vicente Padilla
Top Prospect: Neftali Perez, RHP

Significant Acquisitions: SS Omar Vizquel, P Eddie Guardado, P Brendan Donnelly, P Derrick Turnbow
Significant Losses: C Gerald Laird, INF Ramon Vazquez, OF Milton Bradley, P Jamey Wright, P Kameron Loe, P Franklyn German

                                                                                                       

The Texas Rangers haven't had a winning season since 2004 and this year doesn't look good.  Their offense has no problem; the Rangers finished in the top 4 in the AL in every major offensive category last year including #1 in runs scored, hits, batting average, slugging percentage, and doubles.  With much of the same team returning for '09, the Rangers won't have a problem scoring runs, but their pitching is a different story.  The Rangers made no visible improvements to a staff that was dead-last in the AL in ERA in '08.  GM Jon Daniels may be on thin ice if this team can't at least show some improvement in '09; new team president Nolan Ryan might want to install his own guy who has more of an emphasis on pitching.

Pitching
As I said just seconds ago, this team can't pitch.  The Rangers were at or near the bottom in most pitching categories and this year they look no better.  They have some young guys coming up through the system but most of them are still a few years away from making a real impact.  Vicente Padilla is back as the de-facto #1.  Padilla was 14-8 last year but posted an erratic 4.74 ERA and is entirely too hittable to be the best pitcher on a staff.  Kevin Millwood was awful last year; he battled injuries and finished with a 5.07 ERA in 168.2 innings.  If Millwood is healthy he could be a #1 starter, but he's 34 and not getting any younger.  After that, the three pitchers expected to make the rotation are Scott Feldman (a converted reliever with moderate stuff), Matt Harrison (who showed major promise last year going 9-3 but still only had a 5.49 ERA), and Brandon McCarthy (who has upside, but threw only 22 innings in '08 due to injury).  The Rangers had signed Ben Sheets to a two-year deal but revoked the offer after his physical when a tear was discovered in his pitching elbow.  If Sheets recovers by mid-season, the Rangers could still have a shot at signing him, but that will only happen if they are close enough to make a run at the division.  Dustin Nippert and veteran Jason Jennings are also in the running should someone fail to step up in the spring.

In the 'pen, the Rangers won't be much better.  They have four pitchers with closing experience in C.J. Wilson, Eddie Guardado, Brendan Donnelly, and Derrick Turnbow, but the job will likely go to Frank Francisco who posted a solid 3.13 ERA in '08.  Wilson will set-up and be the primary option against lefties; he posted 24 saves last year but had a 6.02 ERA.  Guardado returns for his second stint in Texas (he started the year here last year before finishing it in Minnesota) and should help Wilson in setup.  A minor-league contract was given to oft-injured vet Donnelly who looks to make a comeback as does Turnbow who can't seem to stay healthy since going off the juice.  Younger options, Josh Rupe, Warner Madrigal and Luis Mendoza appear to be in the mix as well.  Joaquin Benoit will be out until mid-season recovering from an operation on his shoulder in January.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Vicente Padilla (R/31)
• Kevin Millwood (R/34)
• Scott Feldman (R/26)
• Matt Harrison (L/23)
• Brandon McCarthy (R/25)

Bullpen

• Frank Francisco (R/29)
• C.J. Wilson (L/28)
• Eddie Guardado (L/38)
• Josh Rupe (R/26)
• Warner Madrigal (R/25)
• Derrick Turnbow (R/31)
• Brendan Donnelly (R/37)
• **Joaquin Benoit (R/31) -- Out until mid-season with an injury.

Lineup
The Rangers won't have a problem scoring runs with this lineup in a hitter-friendly ballpark.  The core of this group is still young and if they could ever get just a bit of pitching help, the Rangers would, without a doubt, be a contender.  In the outfield, Josh Hamilton will play in center after his MVP-type '08.  Hamilton shocked the baseball world by coming back from a crippling heroin addiction to hit .304 with 32 HR and 130 RBI.  He tailed off as the season went on but in all fairness, it was his first full big league season so fatigue might have been an issue; it shouldn't effect him as much this year.  David Murphy was impressive in his first full season and should start in Left; and Right-field will be fought over by Nelson Cruz and Marlon Byrd.  In the infield, rock-of-the-franchise Michael Young is back but moves to Third to make room for impressive prospect Elvis Andrus at Short.  Young was initially put-off by the Rangers' request to move him and asked for a trade, but things seemed to have quieted down and he appears to be okay with it now.  If Andrus struggles, the Rangers signed Omar Vizquel as insurance.  At Second will be Ian Kinsler.  Kinsler has become one of the best offensive second-baseman in the game; he hit .319 with 18 HR and 71 RBI last year and the team has talked about moving him down in the order to be their cleanup hitter.  At First, Chris Davis had a coming-out party in '08 hitting 17 HR and driving in 55 RBI in only 80 games.  Davis is expected to be a guy who can deliver .300/30/100-type numbers for years to come.  At catcher, Jarrod Saltalamacchia is slowly getting better defensively and at 24 should continue to develop into a solid starter.  The DH in '09 will likely be Hank Blalock who can still contribute with the bat but knee injuries have forced him to give up most of his defensive playing time.

On the bench, the Rangers will try out Taylor Teagarden at catcher and he could leap-frog Saltalamacchia for the starting job if he continues on the track he was on last year; Teagarden hit 6 home runs in 16 games with the Rangers in a September call up.  Whoever's not playing in Right-field, Vizquel, veteran utility-man Frank Catalanotto, and infielder Joaquin Arias will also ride the Rangers' pine.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• SS  Elvis Andrus (R/20)
• 3B  Michael Young (R/32)
• CF  Josh Hamilton (L/28)
• 2B  Ian Kinsler (R/27)
• 1B  Chris Davis (L/23)
• DH  Hank Blalock (L/28)
• LF   David Murphy (L/27)
• C    Jarrod Saltalamacchia (S/24)
• RF  Marlon Byrd (R/31)

Bench

• OF  Nelson Cruz (R/28)
• INF Joaquin Arias (R/24)
• C    Taylor Teagarden (R/25)
• UTIL Frank Catalanotto (L/35)
• SS  Omar Vizquel (S/42)

Outlook
If the Rangers could just get some consistent pitching they would challenge the Angels for the division; their offense rivals that of the Yankees and Red Sox.  Unfortunately, they didn't do much to improve upon a staff that was awful in '08, and that may be the undoing of young GM Jon Daniels.  Final Prediction: 70-92, 3rd AL West

On Wednesday, I will be releasing a preview of the '09 Atlanta Braves.  Normally I write the previews a few days in advance so if something comes up (like, say, crippling food poisoning) I have material to post.  I am going to wait to write the Braves preview, however, because there are two possible free agent acquisitions that could drastically alter how that team looks.

Last week, a story surfaced that linked Ken Griffey Jr. to the team he started his career with (and played his best years with), the Seattle Mariners.  Griffey stated in his return to Seattle in '07 while playing for the Reds that he would like to finish his career with the Mariners.  He thought he owed it to the fans that treated him so well. 

Personally, I have always been a massive Griffey fan.  With all the steroids floating around the majors, Griffey's name has never been mentioned.  Never.  Having said that, there is little doubt that Griffey is the best home run hitter of our generation and if it weren't for injuries, we wouldn't be talking about Barry Bonds or Alex Rodiguez breaking Hank Aaron's home run record because Griffey probably would have destroyed it long ago.  People have criticized Griffey for having thin skin and getting injured too easily, but the fact is, he has always been one of the classiest players on the field; loved by teammates and fans alike since the day he broke into the league as the 18-year-old son of Ken Griffey Sr.  He has the most beautiful swing I've ever seen...it's mesmerizing.  I would love to see Griffey suit up with the M's again, but I also want to see him win a world series before he retires and the Mariners simply don't have a Popsicle's chance in hell of doing that.

So, where will Griffey sign?  He's been linked to the Mariners, yes, but he has also been in talks with the Atlanta Braves.  The sentimental pick is obviously Seattle, but let's look at this realistically.  Atlanta is an hour flight from his home in Orlando; the Braves have a better chance at winning than the Mariners...a much better chance; and Griffey has always wanted to play for Braves manager Bobby Cox.  Yes, the Mariners need a middle-of-the-lineup presence, but they should be spending their time developing guys like Wladimir Balentin, not dolling out playing time to a 39-year-old when you're team is not likely going to contend.  The deal doesn't seem to make sense for the Mariners.  I think Griffey signs with the Braves in the next few days.

Then there's Tom Glavine.  Glavine is 43-years-old and is coming off of major shoulder and elbow surgery.  Yes, he will be in the hall-of-fame someday, as will Griffey, but I'm not sure this guy has much left.  The Braves could use a fifth starter but would likely have more success from a younger option...and they have lots of those.  Tommy Hanson, for instance, is thought of so highly that the Braves flat-out refused to talk to the Padres about acquiring Jake Peavy because they wanted Hanson in return.  Hanson is only 22 and hasn't played higher than AA, but what better time than now to give him a shot at making the Braves.  If Glavine is there, he has no shot; and neither do Jorge Campillo, Jo-Jo Reyes or Charlie Morton, three other pitchers who many think could be solid starters. 

The Braves have already offered Glavine a contract, but I don't think that was a wise move.  I think they did it mostly for sentimental reasons, but they let John Smoltz go...why do they feel the need to suddenly get sentimental over Glavine?

In summary, I think Griffey signs with Atlanta and plays a left-field platoon with Matt Diaz and I think Glavine also signs in Atlanta despite the fact that it seems like a bad idea.

2008 Record: 61-101, 4th AL West
2009 Prediction: 4th AL West

Impact Player: Ichiro Suzuki
Impact Pitcher: Felix Hernandez
Top Prospect: Greg Halman, OF

Significant Acquisitions: OF Franklin Gutierrez, INF Ronny Cedeno, DH/1B Russell Branyan, OF Endy Chavez, P Garrett Olson, P David Aardsma, P Tyler Walker
Significant Losses: OF Raul Ibanez, INF/DH Jose Vidro, OF Jeremy Reed, INF Miguel Cairo, INF Willie Bloomquist, P J.J. Putz, P Sean Green, P R.A. Dickey

The Seattle Mariners had an awful year last year but they did manage to do something that no other team in major league history had ever done before: Lose 100 or more games with a payroll of $100-million or more (their's was $118-million).  While I've talked about how good teams like the Twins, Rays, and Athletics have done with no money, the Mariners are proof that money doesn't always buy championships.  The M's are slightly younger this year and have trimmed some of the fat that led them to their 101-loss '08 campaign, but don't expect a whole lot of improvement; at least not this year.

Pitching
Erik Bedard was supposed to bring this team back to the post-season; at least that was the hope of Mariners' management when they acquired him from the Orioles, but the Canadian-born pitcher was injured a lot last year and only threw 81 innings, he's back this year at the top of the rotation along with the phenom, 23-year-old Felix Hernandez.  It's hard to believe that Hernandez is only 23 considering he seems to have been around forever, but he's still a young pitcher.  It appears as though he's ready to take the next step and if this team can provide him with any offense he could start to put up the Cy Young-type numbers people have expected from him for a long time.  Outside of those two, the Mariners have at least 6 pitchers vying for the remaining 3 spots.  One of the front-runners appears to be Brandon Morrow who had a 3.34 ERA in '08 mostly pitching out of the bullpen and the M's believe he's ready to assume a starter's role.  Veterans Carlos Silva and Jarrod Washburn were a combined 9-29 last year and have to prove that they can still pitch at the major-league level, if they can't they might receive their pink slips by the end of Spring Training.  A trio of young lefty hurlers are also in the mix:  Aussie Ryan Rowland-Smith has been brilliant in the bullpen and will attempt to secure a spot in the rotation; Ryan Feierabend has struggled at the major-league level so far but has great stuff and a great arm; and Garrett Olson was traded twice in the off-season and ended up in Seattle with an outside shot after pitching 132.2 innings in Baltimore last year.  If Rowland-Smith or Morrow fail to make the rotation, they will assuredly receive spots in the 'pen.

The Mariners decimated an already unsteady bullpen in the off-season by shuffling off arguably the top two hurlers they had in '08.  Sean Green and closer J.J. Putz were both traded to the Mets in that 12-player, 3-team deal that took place at the Winter Meetings.  What's left, if you consider that Rowland-Smith and Morrow will likely start, doesn't look very capable of holding leads.  But bullpens are funny like that, they might end up being the best in baseball...you just never know.  26-year-old Mark Lowe and off-season signing David Aardsma appear to be the top candidates for closer and Roy Corcoran is back after a solid '08.  The team inked middle-reliever Tyler Walker from San Francisco and will also give a shot to aging vet Miguel Batista.  Getting left-handers out could be a challenge as it looks like a number of young unproven lefties will hope to fill the role.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Felix Hernandez (R/23)
• Erik Bedard (L/30)
• Brandon Morrow (R/24)
• Ryan Rowland-Smith (L/26)
• Carlos Silva (R/30)

Bullpen

• Mark Lowe (R/26) -- CLOSER
  
• David Aardsma (R/27)
• Tyler Walker (R/33)
• Roy Corcoran (R/29)
• Miguel Batista (R/38)
• Jarrod Washburn (L/34)
• Cesar Jiminez (L/24)

Lineup
The Mariners were not good offensively last year and with the departure of Raul Ibanez things don't look to be getting better; even if Ken Griffey Jr. makes his return (although it looks as though Atlanta has a better chance at signing him right now).  The Mariners are reportedly also talking to some other free agent outfielders so there's a possibility this preview will be out-of-date pretty soon.  For now the outfield consists of Ichiro in Right (who's still one of the game's best hitters and still runs very well), another one of the players acquired in the Putz deal in Franklin Gutierrez in Center, and a battle between youngster Wladimir Balentien and veteran Endy Chavez (who was also acquired in the Putz deal) will take place in the spring for the Left-fielding job.  Chavez, however, is an ideal fourth outfielder because of his ability to play all three positions very well.  In the infield, Adrian Beltre returns at Third and although he may never again hit 48 home runs, he has become a consistent major-leaguer.  At Short is defensive prodigy Yuniesky Betancourt who is also becoming a competent offensive player.  At Second, Jose Lopez finally had his breakthrough year becoming maybe the team's best all-around hitter.  Lopez hit .297 with 17 HR and 89 RBI in '08.  At First will likely be a platoon between veteran slugger Russell Branyan and up-and-coming youngster Bryan LaHair.  Branyan will most likely also split time at DH with catcher Jeff Clement.  Clement, should also see his fair share of innings as catcher, although his offensive ability has developed much faster than his defensive ability and a position change may be in the cards for him.  Kenji Johjima will look to rebound after a sub-par campaign as the team's number one catcher.

On the bench, the M's made a deal for underacheiving infielder Ronny Cedeno who comes over from the Cubs and utility-man Tug Hulett might also secure a spot.  The Mariners may carry three catchers with Clement expected to see a lot of time at DH; Rob Johnson should be that third catcher.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  RF  Ichiro Suzuki (L/35)
  SS  Yuniesky Betancourt (R/27)
  2B  Jose Lopez (R/25)
  3B  Adrian Beltre (R/30)
  DH  Russell Branyan (L/33)
  CF  Franklin Gutierrez (R/26)
  1B  Bryan LaHair (L/26)
  C    Kenji Johjima (R/33)
  LF  Wladimir Balentien (R/24)

Bench
 INF  Ronny Cedeno (R/26)
UTIL  Tug Hulett (L/26)
 OF   Endy Chavez (L/31)
  C    Jeff Clement (L/25)
  C    Rob Johnson (R/25)

Outlook
The Mariners will be hard-pressed to make it out of the basement of the weak AL West, but they could do it if Erik Bedard is healthy, Brandon Morrow and Ryan Rowland-Smith pitch as well as starters as they did as relievers, Ichiro stays motivated, and a few of their young bullpen arms defy the odds.  All of that happening seems unlikely and the M's still have a lot of fat to trim before they can get a whole lot better.  Final Prediction: 62-100, 4th AL West.

2008 Record: 75-86, 3rd AL West
2009 Prediction: 2nd AL West

Impact Player: Matt Holliday
Impact Pitcher: Brad Ziegler
Top Prospect: Brett Anderson, LHP

Significant Acquisitions: OF Matt Holliday, 1B/DH Jason Giambi, P Russ Springer, P Michael Wuertz, P Edgar Gonzalez
Significant Losses: OF Carlos Gonzalez, DH Frank Thomas, OF Emil Brown, DH Mike Sweeney, INF Donnie Murphy, OF Matt Murton, P Greg Smith, P Huston Street, P Alan Embree, P Andrew Brown, P Keith Foulke, P Dan Meyer, P Kirk Saarloos

The Oakland Athletics are a team like the Minnesota Twins, without the success...at least not these days.  The Athletics do a lot with very little and the names and faces of players are almost always unknown at the beginning of each season.  For the first time in years, however, the A's made significant acquisitions that might help the team be better now.  Matt Holliday was acquired from the Rockies in arguably the biggest blockbuster of the off-season and old Athletics-alum Jason Giambi has been brought back to try and rekindle the success of the late-90's and early-00's.  The question is, will a once again young and unproven rotation be enough to challenge the Angels in the weak AL West?

Pitching
The A's have traded away a proverbial All-Star team of starters over the past few years.  Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Dan Haren, Rich Harden, Joe Blanton; the list goes on and on.  This year was no different as they shipped off a pitcher in Greg Smith, who many believe will one day be an All-Star, to the Rockies in the Holliday deal.  The number-one starter in this year's rotation will be former All-Star reliever Justin Duchscherer who posted an ERA that would have led the league had he had enough innings to qualify (2.54).  Despite this, he had only a 10-8 record.  After Duchscherer, it's a crapshoot.  Young left-hander Dana Eveland, who was acquired in the Dan Haren trade a couple years ago, appears to have one of the spots locked down; as does 23-year-old righty Sean Gallagher.  Three pitchers will likely battle for the remaining two spots: Lefties Dallas Braden (25) and Gio Gonzalez (23), as well as righty prospect James Simmons (22).  26-year-old right-hander Edgar Gonzalez signed a minor-league deal and could also be in the mix, but it looks as though he'll have a better shot at the bullpen.  Another minor-league contract was handed out to former San Francisco Giant Jerome Williams who had a good 2003 before falling off the map due to personal problems.

The A's refuse to name an outright closer, at least at this time.  Instead they plan to use Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler in a platoon fashion unless one proves he deserves the job over the other.  Both were lights-out last season; Devine was 6-1 with a stupidly-low 0.59 ERA (and no, that's not a typo), and Ziegler was 3-0 with an almost-as-ridiculous 1.06 ERA.  The A's signed veterans Russ Springer (40) and Michael Wuertz (30) to deals in the off-season and they should bridge the gap to their two closers nicely.  Santiago Casilla should round out the right-side of the 'pen and young lefties Jerry Blevins and Josh Outman should take care of the A's needs in the southpaw department.  Overall, this bullpen has major promise and they'll need to be at their best every night with the inexperience and all-but-certain growing pains their rotation will experience.  The lack of a true closer may hurt them if Devine and Ziegler don't continue their path to success.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Justin Duchscherer (R/31)
• Dana Eveland (L/25)
• Sean Gallagher (R/23)
• Dallas Braden (L/25)
• Gio Gonzalez (L/23)

Bullpen

• Joey Devine (R/25) -- CO-CLOSER
• Brad Ziegler (R/29) -- CO-CLOSER
• Russ Springer (R/40)
• Michael Wuertz (R/30)
• Santiago Casilla (R/28)
• Jerry Blevins (L/25)
• Josh Outman (L/24)

Lineup
The A's might hit more in '09 than they did in '08 with the addition of some proven talent in Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi and the continued development of some of their young hitters.  In the outfield, Holliday will play Left, young Ryan Sweeney (acquired in the deal that sent Nick Swisher to the White Sox in the 07-08 off-season) will likely play Center, and young Travis Buck should start the year as the everyday Right-fielder.  If either Sweeney or Buck don't look ready yet, Eric Patterson or Rajai Davis might step in.  In the infield, Eric Chavez is back from an injury-plagued '08 at Third.  Chavez hasn't been healthy since 2005 and management may be nearing the end of its patience, especially considering the A's have a highly-touted prospect in Chris Carter who may not be that far off the majors and another young talent in Cliff Pennington who can also play the position.  The middle infield is filled with question marks.  Bobby Crosby should start again at Short but seems to have forever lost the power that saw him win the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2004.  People seem to forget, however, that he was never a good contact hitter, hitting only .239 that year, which is exactly his career average.  Mark Ellis should start at Second but struggled mightily last year hitting just .233 with 7 less home runs and 35 less RBI than in '07.  Daric Barton was awful at First in '08 and will likely spend this year learning from Giambi who should get most of the playing time there.  Giambi could also DH at times, giving everday DH Jack Cust a chance to play the outfield.  The A's liked Cust's 33 HR in '08 but didn't care for his .231 average, his 77 RBI or his 197 strike outs.  Catching duties will belong to Kurt Suzuki who was solid last season and might benefit from not being asked to lead-off this year.

On the bench the A's, as with most areas, will go young with backup catcher Rob Bowen (28), Barton (23), Patterson (26), Pennington (25), and corner-infielder/second baseman Jack Hannahan (29).  That youth off the bench might hurt them when players like Chavez and Giambi go down with injuries.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  CF  Ryan Sweeney (L/24)
  C    Kurt Suzuki (R/25)
  1B  Jason Giambi (L/38)
  LF   Matt Holliday (R/29)
  DH  Jack Cust (L/30)
  3B   Eric Chavez (L/31)
  2B   Mark Ellis (R/32)
  RF  Travis Buck (L/25)
  SS  Bobby Crosby (R/29)

Bench
  C    Rob Bowen (S/28)
  1B  Daric Barton (L/23)
OF/2B Eric Patterson (L/26)
 INF  Cliff Pennington (S/25)
 INF  Jack Hannahan (L/29)

Outlook
The A's appear to be better offensively than last year but their pitching took another hit with the loss of Greg Smith and All-Star closer Huston Street.  The A's will need more unexpected performances from another crop of no-name pitchers to even approach the .500-mark.  Although I believe in the A's development system (especially when it comes to pitchers), I'm just not sure this year will work out very well for them.  Final Prediction: 78-84, 2nd AL West

2008 Record: 100-62 1st AL West
2009 Prediction: 1st AL West

Impact Player: Vladimir Guerrero
Impact Pitcher: Ervin Santana
Top Prospect: Nick Adenhart, RHP

Significant Acquisitions: OF Bobby Abreu, P Brian Fuentes
Significant Losses: 1B Mark Teixeira, P Francisco Rodriguez, OF/DH Garret Anderson, P Jon Garland, P Chris Bootcheck

Now on the to AL West, where these days, it's pretty easy being the Angels.  They are by far the strongest team in the weakest division in baseball.  Last year, as it has in other years, the Angels lack of real competition during the regular season led to them bowing out in the ALDS series.  That, it would seem, is this team's biggest problem.  It's not making the playoffs that they have issues with, it's getting anywhere within them.  In fact, since their World Series win in 2002, they have not advanced past the first round despite the fact that are a perennial contender.  If things are going to change this year, the Angels might want to hope for a more competitive division; unfortunately that's probably not going to happen.

Pitching
The Angels will have no problem in this department, this team was #3 in the AL in ERA last year and #1 in wins.  Their one through four starters might be the best such group in the AL; all of them have the capability of being aces.  Let's start with their true ace, Ervin Santana.  Santana was an All-Star for the first time last year and finished with a 16-7 record and a 3.49 ERA.  He also led the team with 219 innings pitched; and he's only 26.  John Lackey had been the "holdover ace" while Santana was developing and took to that position well.  Last year was no exception as he went 12-5 with a 3.75 ERA in only 24 starts.  Lackey and Santana are good, but no Angels starter put up better numbers in '08 than Joe Saunders.  Saunders led the team with 17 wins and led the rotation with a 3.41 ERA.  The #4 starter is 26-year-old Jered Weaver who struggled a bit last year with 11 wins and a 4.33 ERA but has shown brilliance in the past.  In 47 starts over his first two years in the league (2006-07), Weaver was a surreal 24-9 with a 3.33 ERA; not bad for your #4 guy.  The fifth spot in the rotation will eventually go to former-Jay Kelvim Escobar who is ahead of schedule recovering from shoulder-surgery and should be ready to go by June or July.  Until then, the spot will be filled by one of four candidates: Dustin Moseley, top prospect Nick Adenhart, Shane Loux (who could also be in the bullpen mix), and 23-year-old Anthony Ortega.

Even with the loss of Francisco Rodriguez (who set a major league record with 62 saves in '08) to the Mets, this bullpen could be the scariest in the league.  That could be why the Angels didn't put up much of a fight for K-Rod.  The closer job should go to free-agent signing Brian Fuentes who comes over from the Rockies where he saved 30 games in '08 while putting up a frightening 11.78 K/9.  The setup job will be shared by 25-year-old Jose Arredondo, who was outstanding in '08 leading the league in bullpen wins with 10 and posting a 1.62 ERA, and veteran Scot Shields who's as solid as anyone.   Downright old Darren Oliver is the team's main left-handed option and went 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA last year and another former Jay, Justin Speier hopes his atrocious '08 is behind him (2-8, 5.03 ERA).  Kevin Jespen (24), Jason Bulger (30), Rafael Rodriguez (24) and Loux will also vie for spots this spring.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Ervin Santana (R/26)
• John Lackey (R/30)
• Joe Saunders (L/28)
• Jered Weaver (R/26)
• Dustin Moseley (R/27)
• ** Kelvim Escobar (R/33) -- Return from shoulder surgery expected in June/July.

Bullpen

• Brian Fuentes (L/33) -- CLOSER
• Jose Arredondo (R/25)
• Scot Shields (R/33)
• Darren Oliver (L/38)
• Justin Speier (R/35)
• Kevin Jespen (R/24)
• Jason Bulger (R/30)

Lineup
The Angels offense was a massive underachiever in '08.  In spite of having a very good lineup on paper, the Angels struggled finishing 9th in home runs, 10th in runs scored, and 7th in batting average.  This year they've lost face-of-the-franchise Garret Anderson as well as MVP-candidate Mark Teixeira so who knows what to expect?  In the outfield there are three savvy veterans who are solid on both sides of the ball in Torii Hunter (CF), Vladimir Guerrero (RF) and recent signing Bobby Abreu (LF) who signed a bargain-basement deal at 1-year for $5-million.  DH Juan Rivera may also see time in the outfield regularly in order to give days off to Guerrero and Abreu.  In the infield, speed demon Chone Figgins returns as the lead-off hitter and Third Baseman, and defensive wizard Erick Aybar is back at Short.  Howie Kendrick solidified himself as a capable #2 hitter and Second Baseman and Kendry Morales gets his shot at playing everyday First Base with the departure of Teixeira.  If he faulters, veteran Robb Quinlan is more than capable.  Catching duties will belong to Mike Napoli who has lots of power but struggles defensively, and Jeff Mathis who can't hit but plays great defense.  Expect Napoli to play most of the time.

On the bench will be Mathis and Quinlan along with infielder Maicer Izturis, speedy outfielder Reggie Willits and the 55-million dollar-man Gary Matthews Jr.  Matthews is the beneficiary of one good year that got him a massive contract and since has done nothing to earn it.  The Angels are now paying him about $11-million a season to sit on the bench.

Lineup
  3B  Chone Figgins (S/31)
  2B  Howie Kendrick (R/25)
  LF  Bobby Abreu (L/35)
  RF  Vladimir Guerrero (R/33)
  CF  Torii Hunter (R/33)
  DH  Juan Rivera (R/30)
  C    Mike Napoli (R/27)
  1B  Kendry Morales (S/26)
  SS  Erick Aybar (S/25)

Bench
  OF Gary Matthews Jr. (R/34)
  OF Reggie Willits (S/28)
 INF  Maicer Izturis (S/28)
UTIL  Robb Quinlan (R/32)
  C    Jeff Mathis (R/26)

Outlook
The Angels would really have to screw things up to not win the AL West again this year.  The entire starting team hitting the DL or maybe the complete and total collapse of capitalism (maybe more plausible) would likely be the only things that would prevent them from doing so.  The talent this team has coupled with the complete lack of talent from everyone else in the division pretty much assures the Angels some post-season baseball.  Once they get there, however, their lack of true competition will hurt them against teams like the Red Sox and Yankees who play their whole year against the other behemoths in the AL East.  Final Prediction: 94-68, 1st AL West (Lose to NY Yankees in ALDS).

2008 Record: 88-74 (plus loss to CWS in one-game playoff), 2nd AL Central
2009 Prediction: 2nd AL Central

Impact Player: Justin Morneau
Impact Pitcher: Joe Nathan
Top Prospect: Aaron Hicks, OF

Significant Acquisitions: P R.A. Dickey
Significant Losses: OF Craig Monroe, SS Adam Everett, P Dennys Reyes, P Brian Bass, P Eddie Guardado

The Minnesota Twins are baseball's model franchise.  It seems that every year they lose significant players and they continue to win with one of the best player-development systems in the bigs.  In '08, they lost Johan Santana and still finished the regular season tied with the White Sox for first in the AL Central (they lost in a one-game playoff).  For the first time in years, the Twins DIDN'T lose anything significant in the off-season so expect good things from these perennial over-achievers in '09.  This also marks the beginning of the final season for the HHH Metrodome; the Twins move into their new open-air stadium, Target Field, in 2010.

Pitching
The Twins enter '09 with a slue of no-names but return most of a staff that was solid in '08.  This should be the year that Francisco Liriano assumes the #1 role in this rotation.  He recovered from Tommy John surgery and went 6-4 with a 3.91 ERA in 14 starts last year.  If you remember, he was 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA in '07 before succumbing to injury.  After him is Scott Baker who emerged last year as a true top-of-the-rotation talent going 11-4 with a 3.45 ERA in 28 starts.  Kevin Slowey tied for the team lead in wins with 12 and posted an ERA a shade under 4 and should be the teams #3 option.  Nick Blackburn led the team with 193.1 innings in '08 and will look to improve on an 11-11 record as the #4 option and lefty Glen Perkins rounds out the rotation after going 12-4 last season.  This group of aces-by-committee will be tough in any 3 or 4-game series.

Joe Nathan continues to defy his critics by putting up unbelievable numbers year after year as the Twins closer.  Last year, Nathan led all closers with a 1.33 ERA and also posted 39 saves.  After Nathan, the Twins run out one of the best bullpens in the AL with set-up man and Toronto-native Jesse Crain and durable, although erratic in '08, Matt Guerrier.  The loss of lefties Eddie Guardado and Dennys Reyes will be felt this year but 28-year-old Craig Breslow was outstanding in just under 40 innings last year posting a 1.91 ERA and figures to be the team's main option against left-handed hitters.  Converted starters Philip Humber and Boof Bonser will get a chance in the 'pen this year while Pat Neshek continues with his injury-plagued career; he will miss the entire '09 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Young left-handed prospect Jose Mijares was outstanding in a September audition last year and could be in the mix as well.  Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey may also find his way onto the team after signing in the off-season.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Francisco Liriano (L/25)
• Scott Baker (R/27)
• Kevin Slowey (R/25)
• Nick Blackburn (R/27)
• Glen Perkins (L/26)

Bullpen

• Joe Nathan (R/34) -- CLOSER
• Jesse Crain (R/27)
  
• Matt Guerrier (R/30)
• Craig Breslow (L/28)
• Boof Bonser (R/27)
• Philip Humber (R/26)
• Jose Mijares (L/24)

Lineup
The Twins lineup won't scare you...and that's why they'll hurt you.  Despite the fact that the Twins were dead-last in the AL in home runs, they managed to be 3rd in runs scored.  That might have been because they were 3rd in batting average, 5th in stolen bases and #1 in triples.  In the outfield, there are four players battling for three spots with Michael Cuddyer (who battled injuries in '08), Delmon Young (who should eventually develop power to go along with his hitting ability), and exciting spark-plugs Carlos Gomez and Denard Span gunning for starting jobs.  In the infield, another Canadian, '06 AL MVP Justin Morneau is the rock of the franchise at First and should put up another solid season.  At second will be Alexi Casilla who had 50 RBI in only 385 at-bats in '08 and Nick Punto and Brendan Harris will battle for the job at short.  Punto is solid defensively, but Harris will provide more power.  At third will be a spring battle between Brian Buscher and youngster Matt Macri (who hit .324 in limited time last year); Harris could also be in the mix there.  The Twins return one of the best catchers in the game in Joe Mauer.  Mauer may never develop the power people thought he would have, but who cares when you can field a catcher who might win a batting title, a gold glove, and only strike out 50 times a year?  Personally, I think he will develop that power eventually.  At DH should be Jason Kubel who is inept defensively in the outfield but hit 20 HR last year.  If he struggles, the fourth outfielder will see time there.

On the bench, the Twins have some depth with so many battles for starting jobs taking place.  Veteran Mike Redmond will backup Mauer again at catcher and the rest of the spots will be filled by the players who lose the starting jobs.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  RF  Denard Span (L/25)
  2B  Alexi Casilla (S/25)
  C    Joe Mauer (L/26)
  1B  Justin Morneau (L/28)
  LF  Delmon Young (R/23)
  DH  Jason Kubel (L/27)
  SS  Brendan Harris (R/28)
  3B  Brian Buscher (L/28)
  CF  Carlos Gomez (R/23)

Bench
  C    Mike Redmond (R/38)
 INF  Nick Punto (S/31)
 OF  Michael Cuddyer (R/30)
 INF  Matt Macri (R/27)
 INF  Matt Tolbert (S/27)

Outlook
The Twins success in recent years is remarkable when you consider the funds they operate with year after year but they still haven't won a World Series since 1991.  There will never be any real pressure on the small-market Twins to win it all (maybe that's part of their success) but eventually the regular season success will have to turn into post-season success otherwise the moniker "model-franchise" may disappear.  The Twins will definately contend in the AL Central this year but I don't believe they have what it takes to overtake the Tigers.  Final Prediction: 87-75, 2nd AL Central

2008 Record: 75-87 4th AL Central
2009 Prediction: 4th AL Central

Impact Player: Alex Gordon
Impact Pitcher: Zack Greinke
Top Prospect: Mike Moustakas, SS

Significant Acquisitions: OF Coco Crisp, 1B Mike Jacobs, P Kyle Farnsworth, P Doug Waechter, INF Willie Bloomquist
Significant Losses: 2B Mark Grudzielanek, OF Joey Gathright, P Brett Tomko, P Ramon Ramirez, P Leo Nunez


For the first time since 2003, the Kansas City Royals didn't finish in last place in the AL Central.  Their 75-87 record was also their best since that year.  Their young players are getting better and if they manage to keep them you might see a winner in KC soon...but not in '09.  Although they will play better and be more competitive, their record won't be any better; neither will their standing, the AL Central is just too competitive this year.  There are people who believe that the Royals could be this year's Rays; I'm not sure they're ready.

Pitching
The Royals have one of the youngest rotations in baseball and they have some great arms.  Zack Greinke is back after signing a four-year extension in the off-season.  Greinke had a breakthrough year last year going 13-10 with a 3.47 ERA, finally living up to his lofty potential.  It appears his troubles with anxiety and depression are finally behind him.  Veteran Gil Meche returns after going 14-11 with an ERA of 3.98.  The third spot should go to Brian Bannister who will look to rebound after going 9-16 a year ago.  If he can be back in his '07 form (12-7, 3.87 ERA) the Royals should have three very good starters at the top of their rotation.  After those three, Luke Hochevar and Kyle Davies should round out the starters; they are both a year older and are projected to be top-of-the-rotation-type arms in the coming years.  If someone gets injured or flops in spring training, lefty Horacio Ramirez is also around, but is coming off a year where injuries allowed him only 24 innings, as is Brandon Duckworth who started seven games last year.

When it comes to the Royals' bullpen, a lot rides on the arm of of 25-year-old Joakim Soria.  Soria established himself as one of the premier closers in the league last year nabbing 42 saves in 45 opportunities and posting a ridiculous 1.60 ERA; not bad for a former Rule-5 Draft pick.  Bridging the gap to Soria was a bit of a problem last year and the team's main options in setup were traded away; Ramon Ramirez to the Red Sox for Coco Crisp and Leo Nunez to the Marlins for Mike Jacobs.  A pair of veterans were signed to help alleviate that issue in Kyle Farnsworth and Doug Waechter.  Farnsworth struggled in '08 posting a 4.48 ERA in both New York and Detroit, but Waechter was solid in Florida posting a 3.69 ERA in 49 games.  Veteran journeyman left-handers Ron Mahay and John Bale are back and both showed some ability last year but are 38 and 35 respectively.  Joel Peralta, Robinson Tejeda, and Duckworth should round out the 'pen from the right side.  Horacio Ramirez and Jimmy Gobble could also be options.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Zack Greinke (R/25)
• Gil Meche (R/30)
• Brian Bannister (R/28)
• Luke Hochevar (R/25)
• Kyle Davies (R/25)

Bullpen

• Joakim Soria (R/25) -- CLOSER
• Kyle Farnsworth (R/33)
• Doug Waechter (R/28)
• Ron Mahay (L/38)
• Robinson Tejeda (R/27)
• John Bale (L/35)
• Joel Peralta (R/33)

Lineup
This team could scare some people this year.  Their lineup isn't as bad as you might have come to expect from the Royals.  KC finished 6th in the AL in batting average last year but were second-to-last in home runs.  With some up-and-coming power hitters in the mix, that should improve this year.  In the outfield, the Royals made a drastic improvement over the departed Joey Gathright by trading for former Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp as their new Centerfielder.  It'll be interesting to see whether the hot-headed Crisp will take well to playing for a team with such a long history of losing.  Face-of-the-franchise David DeJesus is back in Left after another solid season and slugger Jose Guillen returns in Right after driving in 97 runs a year ago.  In the infield, there are some true blue-chip youngsters to look out for.  This could be the year Alex Gordon (3B) steps up and becomes one of the best pure hitters in the game, I expect big things from this kid and so do the Royals.  Think David Wright with more plate coverage.  Mike Aviles showed promise last year at Short after driving in 51 runs and hitting .325 in 102 games and light-hitting Alberto Callaspo hit .305 in 74 games and plays outstanding defense and could start at second if Willie Bloomquist doesn't take the job.  New at First this year should be Mike Jacobs whose bat will keep him in the lineup even if he struggles defensively.  He might also split time at DH with Billy Butler allowing the Royals to utilize the defensive ability of Ross Gload at First.  Catching duties should belong to Miguel Olivo or John Buck, although Buck is running out of chances because of his lack of offensive ability.

On the bench will be Gload, the backup catcher, the loser for the job at second and Tony Pena Jr.  The fourth outfielder should be Canadian Mark Teahen who can also play third, first, and even spot at second if needed.  Gload can also play the outfield.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  CF  Coco Crisp (S/29)
  LF  David DeJesus (L/29)
  3B  Alex Gordon (L/25)
  RF  Jose Guillen (R/33)
  1B  Mike Jacobs (L/28)
  DH  Billy Butler (R/23)
  SS  Mike Aviles (R/28)
   C   Miguel Olivo (R/30)
  2B  Alberto Callaspo (S/26)

Bench
 INF  Willie Bloomquist (R/31)
  1B  Ross Gload (L/33)
   C  John Buck (R/28)
UTIL Mark Teahen (L/27)
  SS Tony Pena Jr. (R/28)

Outlook
The Royals are very slowly getting better.  Their pitching staff has some promise and a future ace in Greinke and their bullpen has a top-notch closer in Soria.  Alex Gordon could be an MVP someday and there are a stable of young players ready to go under the major-league spotlight soon.  GM Dayton Moore has done a good job developing young players and sticking to a plan that has worked for the Rays, but the Royals won't make the same strides as the Rays did last year.  Next year, maybe.  Final Prediction: 75-87, 4th AL Central.

Hey kids,

I haven't been as active this week (all the previews that are up have been done since Saturday) because of a bout with some nasty food poisoning and shut me down for several days.  The last couple days have been spent frantically catching up on school work.  But I'm back now.

I'm going to try my best to get 4 previews up in the next two days in order to make up for the lack of them on Thursday and Friday.

Today I will write and post the KC Royals and Minnesota Twins; tomorrow I'll churn out the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Oakland Athletics. 

2008 Record: 74-88 5th AL Central
2009 Prediction: 1st AL Central

Impact Player: Miguel Cabrera
Impact Pitcher: Justin Verlander
Top Prospect: Rick Porcello, RHP

Significant Acquisitions: P Edwin Jackson, P Brandon Lyon, SS Adam Everett, C Gerald Laird, C Matt Treanor
Significant Losses: SS Edgar Renteria, OF/DH Matt Joyce, P Kenny Rogers, P Todd Jones, P Aquilino Lopez, P Casey Fossum, P Kyle Farnsworth, P Freddy Garcia


Although I grew up in the Toronto-area, I have now lived in Windsor, ON for about 6 years.  Windsor, as you geographically-inclined folks will know, is directly across a small river from Detroit.  In my six years here, I have witnessed an incredible bandwagon shift of Tigers fans.  Before the '06 campaign (the year the Tigers won the pennant) no one in Windsor (and not many in Detroit) cared about the Tigers.  During the '06 campaign and for the entire '07 season you could not escape the hats, jerseys, or annoying car-window flags displaying the caligraphy 'D'.  Now, we're back.  After a terrible '08 season that saw the Tigers finish LAST in the AL Central, behind even the lowly Royals, no one in Windsor gives a proverbial piece of feces about Le Tigres.  But I'm preparing myself for that bandwagon to be riding the axle again in '09.  It looks like the Tigers will challenge for the wide-open Central.


Pitching
The biggest problem for the Tigers since they went to the World Series in '06 has been the inconsistencies of their pitching staff.  '08 was a disaster on all fronts.  The Tigers were near the bottom of the AL in many categories: 12th in ERA, 11th in Saves, 11th in Home Runs Allowed, and 13th in Walk Allowed.  Injuries to key members was the biggest problem, but if everyone remains relatively healthy, the Tigers staff should rebound in '09.  At the top is Justin Verlander who lost more games than anybody in the AL last year (17), but has 20-game winner stuff when he repeats his delivery well.  He has the ability to win a Cy Young Award any year.  Behind him, the Tigers will need a healthy and effective Jeremy Bonderman.  Bonderman has had flashes of brilliance throughout his career but consistency has eluded him.  This is the year that he needs to put it all together.  Armando Galarraga was the lone bright spot of Detroit's rotation last year.  Seemingly out of nowhere, the 27-year-old Galarraga won 13 games and posted a 3.73 ERA.  He's back as the #3 option.  Edwin Jackson was acquired from the Rays in the trade for Matt Joyce and will be the #4 starter; he won 14 games for the AL Champs in '08.   The fifth spot will go to one of three underachievers: Lefties Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson and righty Zach Miner.  Willis has the inside track in raw talent but was a disaster in his first tour of duty with the Tigers last year.  The losers of that battle could end up in the bullpen.

In the bullpen, the Tigers lost closer Todd Jones to retirement.  Replacing him will be either off-season signing Brandon Lyon, who had 26 saves with the Diamondbacks in '08 but also posted an erratic 4.70 ERA, or Fernando Rodney who also struggled last year with an ERA of 4.91.  The sleeper pick for closer could be Joel Zumaya.  If Zumaya stays healthy and continues to develop a second pitch to compliment is mammoth 101mph fastball, he could be dominant in the closer's role.  Lefty Bobby Seay and righty Freddy Dolsi appear to be the only other locks in the bullpen.  Minor-league contract recipient Juan Rincon could also land a spot.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Justin Verlander (R/26)
  
• Jeremy Bonderman (R/26)
• Armando Galarraga (R/27)
• Edwin Jackson (R/25)
• Dontrelle Willis (L/27)

Bullpen

• Brandon Lyon (R/29) -- CLOSER
  
• Fernando Rodney (R/32)
• Joel Zumaya (R/24)
• Bobby Seay (L/31)
• Freddy Dolsi (R/26)
• Nate Robertson (L/31)
• Juan Rincon (R/30)

Lineup
The Tigers will have no problem scoring runs this year.  They ranked in the top 5 in the American League in every offensive, hitting-based category in '08 except doubles and they return much of that same lineup this year.  In the outfield, Curtis Granderson is back in Center and should continue to be the spark plug of this offense.  Only Grady Sizemore has had more power out of the leadoff spot over the last two years than Granderson; he has real 30/30 potential.  Magglio Ordonez and his consistent, albeit aging, bat returns in Right.  In Left, the Tigers could experiment with Carlos Guillen who can't seem to find a consistent position bouncing between Short, First, Third and the Outfield, but they will likely go with Marcus Thames most of the time.  Guillen will probably be the primary option at third for Detroit; Brandon Inge can play there on the days Guillen plays elsewhere.  Placido Polanco is back at second and is still one of the most consistent two-baggers in the AL.  At first will be Miguel Cabrera who is adjusting quickly to his new position and puts up MVP-type numbers every year.  '08 Shortstop Edgar Renteria bolted to San Francisco leaving the job to free agent signing Adam Everett who comes over from division-rival Minnesota.  Catching will be the job of Gerald Laird who signed on from Texas and the DH job will be given to Gary Sheffield who has struggled in the past couple years.  His first home run of the season will be the 500th of his career.

The bench will consist of utility-man Inge, backup catcher Matt Treanor, infielder Ramon Santiago, First Baseman Jeff Larish and outfielder Clete Thomas.  Other options that could emerge during the year are proverbial Swiss-Army knife Ryan Raburn and outfielder Brent Clevlen.

Lineup
  CF  Curtis Granderson (L/28)
  2B  Placido Polanco (R/33)
  1B  Miguel Cabrera (R/26)
  RF  Magglio Ordonez (R/35)
  LF  Marcus Thames (R/32)
  3B  Carlos Guillen (S/33)
  DH  Gary Sheffield (R/40)
  C    Gerald Laird (R/29)
  SS  Adam Everett (R/32)

Bench
UTIL  Brandon Inge (R/32)
  C    Matt Treanor (R/33)
 INF  Ramon Santiago (S/29)
  1B  Jeff Larish (L/26)
  OF  Clete Thomas (L/25)

Outlook
The Tigers slide to last place should be a very temporary one.  I believe this team has all the pieces to contend in the competitive AL Central and I think their pitching staff is one that will perform well in October, should they get there.  With more consistency from the pitchers and another season with one of the best offenses in the AL, the Tigers could finish first.  Final Prediction: 91-71, 1st AL Central (Lose to Boston in the ALDS).

2008 Record: 81-81, 3rd AL Central
2009 Prediction: 5th AL Central

Impact Player: Grady Sizemore
Impact Pitcher: Cliff Lee
Top Prospect: Matt LaPorta, OF

Significant Acquisitions: P Kerry Wood, INF Mark DeRosa, P Carl Pavano, P Joe Smith
Significant Losses: OF Franklin Gutierrez, P Juan Rincon, P Joe Borowski

The Cleveland Indians were one win away from the 2007 World Series and actually had a 3-1 lead in their ALCS with the Red Sox before blowing it and losing in 7 to the eventual champs.  Last year, the Indians had a hangover year and started terribly.  By the time they woke up at the end of July, they were 47-60 and their ace pitcher and franchise player C.C. Sabathia had been traded to the Brewers.  They finished the year very well and amazingly finished 3rd in the AL Central with an 81-81 record.  This year, the team lacks depth on all fronts and might have a hard time staying out of the cellar of the competitive Central division.

Pitching
The rotation is top-heavy with reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee and young fire-baller Fausto Carmona in the one and two spots.  Lee was fantastic last year going 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA; it will be very hard for him to live up to those numbers and it will be interesting to see if he can do it.  Carmona was stellar in '07 but his production dropped off in '08 as he couldn't seem to replicate his delivery and too often left balls over the plate.  If the Tribe has ANY chance of competing in this division, he'll need to be back in form.  Outside of those two, the rotation is extremely thin with young, unproven lefties Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers expected to get the #3 and #4 spots.  The fifth spot could go to any number of four pitchers: Anthony Reyes, Scott Lewis, Zach Jackson, or off-season signee Carl Pavano who will look to find the form he was never able to in the spotlight of New York.  Only the first two spots are really locked down with Jake Westbrook likely out until August, recovering from Tommy John Surgery, so look for a wide open competition this spring.

In the bullpen, the Indians will look to a new face at closer with off-season signing Kerry Wood.  Wood was 34 for 40 in save opportunities last year with the Cubs but has always had injury problems; so far the move to the bullpen has allowed Wood to stay mostly healthy.  Outside of Wood, the Indians will look to a unit that struggled to stay consistent last year but was very good in '07.  Getting to Wood will be the responsibility of three young guns: Jensen Lewis (25), who might also compete for a job in the rotation, Rafael Perez (27), a lefty who may have the best stuff in the 'pen, and Rafael Betancourt (24), who looks to rebound after a terrible '08.  Also in the mix will be Joe Smith who posted a 3.55 ERA last year with the Mets and was acquired in the three-team trade that sent J.J. Putz from the Mariners to the Mets.  A number of minor-league contractees and young prospects will vie for spots as well.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Cliff Lee (L/30)
• Fausto Carmona (R/25)
• Aaron Laffey (L/24)
• Jeremy Sowers (L/26)
• Anthony Reyes (R/27)
• **Jake Westbrook (R/31) out until August.

Bullpen

• Kerry Wood (R/31)
• Jensen Lewis (R/25)
• Rafael Perez (L/27)
• Rafael Betancourt (R/24)
• Joe Smith (R/25)
• Masahide Kobayashi (R/35)
• Carl Pavano (R/33)

Lineup
The Indians were a middle-of-the-road team offensively in '08 and they should be no better in '09.  In the outfield, franchise player Grady Sizemore is back after a solid campaign that saw him hit 33 HR and drive in 90.  The problem was he hit only .268; far less than we've come to expect, so he will look to rebound in that regard.  He was still the only 30/30 man in the AL and plays gold-glove-caliber defense in Center.  Shin-Soo Choo will start the year as the everyday Right Fielder after being one of the team's most consistent hitters in '08; and Ben Francisco and David Dellucci will battle for the Left Field job with the loser being the team's fourth outfielder.  In the infield, Ryan Garko (1B), Asdrubal Cabrera (2B), and Jhonny Peralta (SS) all return and super-utility-man Mark DeRosa enters the fray as the new Third Baseman.  DeRosa might be the most significant off-season pickup for the Indians because of his versatility and ability with the bat.  Catching and DH are a little more complicated in '09.  Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner struggled to stay healthy last year and even when they were healthy, they didn't exactly play to their full potential.  Meanwhile, Kelly Shoppach emerged as a bona fide starting catcher hitting 21 HR and played outstanding defense with a .989 fielding percentage.  Expect Shoppach and Martinez to split catching duties and Hafner and Martinez to split time at DH until someone proves that it should be otherwise.

On the bench will be whoever gets the day off from the Hafner/Martinez/Shoppach triangle, and whoever gets the day off in Left Field.  Infielder Josh Barfield might see time at Second if Cabrera struggles and utility infielder Andy Marte should also be on the big club unless he gets moved before the end of Spring Training.  Veteran Jamey Carroll will also be kicking around.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  CF  Grady Sizemore (L/26)
  RF  Shin-Soo Choo (L/26)
  1B  Ryan Garko (R/28)
  DH  Travis Hafner (L/32)
  3B  Mark DeRosa (R/34)
  SS  Jhonny Peralta (R/27)
  C    Kelly Shoppach (R/29)
  LF  Ben Francisco (R/27)
  2B  Asdrubal Cabrera (S/24)

Bench
  OF  David Dellucci (L/35)
  C/1B/DH Victor Martinez (S/30)
  2B  Josh Barfield (R/26)
  INF Andy Marte (R/25)
  INF Jamey Carroll (R/35)

Outlook
The Indians surprised a lot of people with their awful start and then surprised them again with their strong finish.  I don't believe Travis Hafner will ever be the player he once was and every other aspect of the team seems to lack real depth.  Their starting rotation is thin and if Lee, Carmona, or Wood go down with an injury this team will suffer immensely.  I just don't see them competing this year.  Final Prediction: 70-92, 5th AL Central

P.S. The Indians HAVE to change their symbol.  It is one of the most racist things I've ever seen and the fact that his name is "Chief Wahoo" just makes it all the worse.  That is why I have the "I" symbol at the top of this entry.

2008 Record: 88-74 (Plus 1 win over Minnesota to make playoffs) 1st AL Central
2009 Prediction: 3rd AL Central

Impact Player: Alexei Ramirez
Impact Pitcher: Gavin Floyd
Top Prospect: Gordon Beckham, SS

Significant Acquisitions: P Bartolo Colon, INF Wilson Betemit
Significant Losses: 3B Joe Crede, SS Orlando Cabrera, OF/1B Nick Swisher, INF Juan Uribe, OF Ken Griffey Jr., C Toby Hall, P Javier Vazquez

Now that we're done with the AL East previews, let's dive right in to another competitive division.  The AL Central is probably the hardest division to predict in baseball.  Legitimately, all five teams could win the Central...even the Royals made great strides last year.  The White Sox are the defending champs.  They defeated the Minnesota Twins in a one-game playoff to decide who would face (and lose to) the Tampa Bay Rays.  The White Sox are content on building within and allowing their young players to mature into legitimate big-league talents.  They Sox decided not to resign Joe Crede, Orlando Cabrera, and Ken Griffey Jr. and traded away Javier Vazquez and Nick Swisher for young talent.  Apparently the mantra for the '09 White Sox is to let their young players step into more prominent roles.  The team still has enough talent to challenge for the division but with the Tigers expected to bounce back it could be tough to repeat.

Pitching
The White Sox have no clear-cut ace, but they do have three pitchers that would probably be considered aces on a lot of other teams.  Gavin Floyd won 17 games last year and posted a solid 3.84 ERA.  Lefty John Danks had a breakout year going 12-9 with a 3.32 ERA and the always consistent Mark Buehrle won 15 games and garnered an impressive 3.79 ERA.  None of these pitchers are standouts but all of them are consistent and all of them are good.  Outside of that are some question marks.  Jose Contreras will likely miss the first half with an injury and Bartolo Colon is back for a second run with the South-Siders but hasn't been fully healthy in a few years; regardless, he should open the year as the #4 starter.  The fifth spot will likely go to youngster Clayton Richard who struggled in a short stint with the big club in '08 but went 12-6 with a 2.46 ERA across AA and AAA.  If Richard is ineffective and Colon sees some time on the DL, the Sox could use two other highly-touted prospects in 25-year-old Lance Broadway and 22-year-old phenom Aaron Poreda.

The bullpen was inconsistent in '08 outside of closer Bobby Jenks (30 of 34 in save opportunities) and lefty Matt Thornton (2.67 ERA).  Octavio Dotel is back after proving he could stay healthy for an entire year, now he just needs to prove he can stay consistent for an entire year.  Veterans Scott Linebrink and D.J. Carrasco return along with a trio of young righties vying for spots in Ehren Wasserman, Adam Russell and Kelvin Jimenez who came over from St. Louis.  Minor-league contracts were also extended to Franklyn German, Brad Salmon, Canadian Ryan Z. Braun, and former All-Star Mike MacDougal; any one of which has a shot at making the team out of the spring.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Gavin Floyd (R/26)
• Mark Buehrle (R/30)
• John Danks (L/24)
• Bartolo Colon (R/36)
• Clayton Richard (L/25)
• **Jose Contreras (R/37) Expected out until mid-season.

Bullpen

• Bobby Jenks (R/28) -- CLOSER
• Octavio Dotel (R/35)
• Matt Thornton (L/32)
• Scott Linebrink (R/32)
• D.J. Carrasco (R/32)
• Ehren Wasserman (R/28)
• Mike MacDougal (R/32)

Lineup
The White Sox hit more home runs than any other team in baseball last year and were fifth in runs scored.  They certainly were not known for getting singles, their average ranked #11 in the AL.  This year should be similar with power throughout the lineup.  In the outfield, Jermaine Dye continues to hear trade rumours but should start the year in Right and is good for 30/100 like numbers.  Carlos Quentin had a breakout All-Star year after swatting 36 HR and is back in Left and selfish Nick Swisher was traded to New York so Center will be battled for by three players: Brian Anderson, Jerry Owens, and journeyman Dewayne Wise.  Rumour has it that the Sox are pursuing free agent outfielder Bobby Abreu but that seems unlikely as that would mean Quentin would have to move to Center (where he isn't comfortable) and Dye would have to move to Left (where he hasn't played in years).  In the infield, gone are Crede and Cabrera and in are Josh Fields at Third and Alexei Ramirez at Short.  The Cuban-born Ramirez was great in '08 as the team's main option at second hitting .290 with 21 HR and 77 RBI and shouldn't have a problem with the position switch.  At second will likely be one of three prospects in Chris Getz, Jayson Nix or Brent Lillibridge who was acquired from the Braves in the Vazquez trade; and at First is Paul Konerko who struggled last year but the Sox hope he can return to form in '09.  Catching duties will belong once again to A.J. Pierzynski who's solid all around.  At DH is future Hall-of-Famer Jim Thome who doesn't seem to let age slow him down; he hit 34 HR in '08, but his average dipped to .245, something that might concern the Sox.

The bench will likely be made up of Wilson Betemit (who was acquired in the Swisher deal), young catcher Cole Armstrong (although free agent Paul LoDuca is said to be on Chicago's radar), and any of the losers for starting jobs at either Center Field or Second Base.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  SS  Alexei Ramirez (R/27)
  C    A.J. Pierzynski (L/32)
  RF  Jermaine Dye (R/35)
  LF  Carlos Quentin (R/26)
  DH  Jim Thome (L/38)
  1B  Paul Konerko (R/33)
  3B  Josh Fields (R/26)
  CF  Brian Anderson (R/27)
  2B  Chris Getz (L/25)

Bench
  INF Wilson Betemit (S/27)
  OF Dewayne Wise (L/31)
  OF Jerry Owens (L/28)
  INF Jayson Nix (R/26)
  C   Cole Armstrong (L/25)

Outlook
I don't think the Sox will be much better or much worse than they were last year, but I do expect the Tigers to be much better so although I believe their record will be similar to last year's, I don't think the White Sox will be going back to the post-season in '09.  Final Prediction: 85-77, 3rd AL Central.

2008 Record: 86-76 4th, AL East
2009 Prediction: 4th, AL East

Impact Player: Vernon Wells
Impact Pitcher: Roy Halladay
Top Prospect: Travis Snider, OF/DH

Significant Acquisitions: P Matt Clement, P Mike Maroth, C Michael Barrett, C Raul Chavez, P Brian Burres
Significant Losses: P A.J. Burnett, C Gregg Zaun, OF Brad Wilkerson


Now it's time to preview my team, the Toronto Blue Jays.  Last year was a weird year for the Jays.  They finished 4th in their division, fired Manager John Gibbons part way through the year and finished 11th in runs scored in the AL.  From the outside, someone could safely presume that they had a pretty awful year.  However, the Jays finished with a very respectable 86-76 record and played some pretty damn meaningful games in late August and if they had've won some of them, we might be talking about meaningful games in September; something Jays fans haven't been privy to since winning back-to-back world titles in '92 and '93.  This year's Jays have lost A.J. Burnett, but that's really the only major change to this roster; so theoretically they should be a decent team this year as well.  Don't get ahead of yourself.  I may be a Jays fan, but I'm also a staunch realist.  This might be a rough year for Canada's team and its fans.

Pitching
Let's say injuries were NOT a reality of pro-sports.  If this ludicrous suggestion were true, the Jays might be a World Series contender in '09...well maybe not, but they'd be very good.  The Jays finished '08 with the #1 team-ERA in baseball.  However, Dustin McGowan will be out until at least May with a shoulder injury and will probably be operating on reduced effectiveness for most of the year; and Shaun Marcum will miss all of this season with Tommy John surgery.  Because of this, the Jays rotation looks a little weak.  Roy Halladay is still at its top and is still the best pitcher in baseball (in my opinion) and should be counted on to win 18-20 games once again (he was 20-11 and finished 2nd in Cy Young voting behind Cliff Lee in '08).  After that, 13-game-winner Jesse Litsch is probably the only other true major-league starter that will enter the Spring in the rotation.  Promising young arm David Purcey should lock up the #3 spot and the final two spots will be battled for by as many as 8 different pitchers.  Casey Janssen is coming off of shoulder surgery and should lock up the #4 spot barring setbacks; and minor-league contracts were handed out to Matt Clement, Mike Maroth, and 40-year-old Japanese pitcher Ken Takahashi.  Prospect left-handers Brett Cecil, Ricky Romero and Brad Mills also have outside shots at landing in the starting rotation.

As bad as things could be for the starters, the Jays shouldn't have any problems with their bullpen as they are returning the entire '08 unit that finished #1 in all of baseball.  B.J. Ryan is back and should be the primary closer after saving 32 in 36 opportunities and has the added incentive of pitching in a contract year.  Lefties Scott Downs, Brian Tallet, and Jesse Carlson all return after stellar '08 campaigns and righties Jason Frasor and Brandon League are also back.  Shawn Camp is back as well after a solid '08, especially against righties.  Added to this solid group is the return of Jeremy Accardo who saved 30 games and posted a 2.14 ERA in '07 before struggling in the early part of '08 and succumbing to an injury in May that ended his year.  Brian Wolfe is another pitcher the Jays could turn to in the event of an injury to one of their key bullpen members.  There is absolutely no shortage of depth in the Jays bullpen heading into the season.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Roy Halladay (R/32)
• Jesse Litsch (R/24)
• David Purcey (L/27)
• Casey Janssen (R/27)
• Matt Clement (R/34)
• **Dustin McGowan (R/27) -- Out until at leasy May
  

Bullpen

• B.J. Ryan (L/33) -- CLOSER
• Scott Downs (L/33)
• Brian Tallet (L/31)
• Jesse Carlson (L/28)
• Brandon League (R/26)
• Jason Frasor (R/31)
• Shawn Camp (R/33)
• Jeremy Accardo (R/27)
• Brian Wolfe (R/28)

Lineup
The Jays have dumbfounded experts in recent years with their inability to hit.  Their hitters have the talent, but injuries and under-achievement  have led to the Jays finishing near the bottom in the AL in most offensive categories.  Will this year be the year that they finally put it all together?  Maybe.  In the outfield, the cornerstones of the offense return in Vernon Wells (CF) and Alex Rios (RF).  People point to Wells' struggles as one of the big reasons this offense hasn't lived up to potential, but I submit that injuries (more than ability) have had to do with the underwhelming performances by Wells in the past two seasons.  If you stretch Wells' numbers over 155 games (he actually played only 108 in '08) he would've hit a respectable .300 with 30 HR and108 RBI.  Rios could lead-off unless he shows he can truly hit for plus-power.  Young talents Adam Lind and Travis Snider will split time in Left and at DH.  In the infield, the Jays return the underachieving Lyle Overbay at First and the oft-injured Scott Rolen at Third who is clearly past his prime but should still contribute if he remains in the lineup.  Aaron Hill went down with a concussion last May and missed the rest of the year but his solid bat and gold-glove calabre defense will be back and healthy in '09.  I think Hill could put up Pedroia-like numbers if he stays healthy.  At short, the Jays should split Marco Scutaro who has an average bat and an average glove; and John McDonald who may only hit .200, but is probably the best defensive shortstop in baseball.  Catching duties will belong to Rod Barajas who had a solid '08 and won the job from the now-departed Gregg Zaun.

On the bench the Jays are a little thin.  Minor-league contractors Michael Barrett and Raul Chavez will battle for the backup catching job while J.P. Arencibia spends another year at AAA.  One of the shortstops and Jose Bautista will reserve the infield and another minor-league pickup, Jason Lane, could vie for the fourth outfielder spot with speed-demon Buck Coats.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  RF  Alex Rios (R/28)
  2B  Aaron Hill (R/27)
  CF  Vernon Wells (R/30)
  LF  Travis Snider (L/21)
  3B  Scott Rolen (R/34)
  1B  Lyle Overbay (L/32)
  DH  Adam Lind (L/25)
  C    Rod Barajas (R/33)
  SS  John McDonald (R/34)

Bench
  UTIL Marco Scutaro (R/33)
  C    Michael Barrett (R/32)
  INF Jose Bautista (R/28)
  OF  Buck Coats (L/27)

 
Outlook
With a little luck and gilded expectations, the Jays might be a winning team again in '09, but it's hard to see this team getting enough from its starting pitching and its perennially underachieving offense to do much.  As much as I am a Jays fan, through-and-through, it pains me to say I don't expect much from the '09 squad, but that won't stop me from attending a fair number of games in the Skydome this year.  Yes, I still call it the Skydome...it will never be the Rogers Centre to me...never.  Final Prediction: 78-84, 4th AL East.

 

It doesn't make me angry, it doesn't make me apathetic, it just makes me sad.

Football players use steroids like they're Tylenol and no one cares because it's a game for giants; it's a game for behemoths.  I watch football like a drug between the months of September and February and I just fail to care that the players use steroids because it's so important for football players to be ridiculous physical specimens.  That's not to say that I don't think it's wrong for football players to use steroids, but it's just not something that taints the game for me.

But baseball?  Baseball is an amazing game because of it's appeal to anyone.  It takes skill, intelligence, grace; it's the thinker's sport.   Athletic ability is no doubt important and the truly great players all possess an astounding amount of it.  But it takes more than just that.  It takes a brain.  Many players have walked into the spotlight of some of the great parks such as Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park and used almost nothing but their intelligence to dominate their opponent.  Greg Maddux, Ted Williams, Nolan Ryan, Tony Gwynn...these are some of the most intelligent athletes on the planet.

I hear people all over baseball saying how great Alex Rodriguez is and how much he loves baseball.  He watches it all the time and never stops thinking about it.  That may be true, but he doesn't love baseball.

If these allegations are true (and I think it's important to acknowledge that are just allegations, and they have not yet been proven true beyond any doubt), then Alex Rodriguez doesn't

love the game.  If these allegations are true, Alex Rodriguez merely thinks of baseball as a way to make himself look good; a way to feed his ego.  If these allegations are true, Alex Rodriguez sees baseball as his ATM.  He loves it only as much as it gives him the benefits he has come to enjoy. 

Another important thing to remember is that Rodriguez is not alone.  Too many players have come to view baseball in this way; as their ATM, ready to spew out cash at the press of a button, or the hitting of a ball. 

In a way, you can't even blame him...or anyone.  This is the society we live in.  Do anything to get an edge over your opponent; it's the mantra of capitalism; of the so-called "American dream."  It's just sad that it has seeped into something that should be immune from all the bull-**** in society.  It has tainted baseball.

History will no doubt show us, however, that the game is bigger than these small, selfish issues.  Baseball will prevail and it will move past the steroid era and be better for it.  It should not forget this dark moment; just like it will not forget the 1919 White Sox...or Pete Rose, but it will move past it.  It will continue to provide us fans, and society, with a reminder of just how great it truly is.

No one, not even the great Alex Rodriguez can ruin that integrity.

Apparently A-Rod tested positive for steroids in '03. 

Now I've never been the biggest A-Rod fan.  I find him to be kind of a baby.  A spoiled baby.  If you remember, he once yelled at a Blue Jays third baseman while rounding third a couple years ago pretending to be the short stop, causing said third baseman to back off the ball and let it drop on the infield.  The ensuing fights between the Jays and Yanks continued for almost a year.  He's an ***. 

Having said that, he has ability as a baseball player that I have simply never seen before.  He's probably the best hitter of all time and there are no real glaring holes in his game (except maybe World Series batting average).  Curt Schilling once said (and I think it was around the '03 or '04 season) that he was utterly disappointed by the use of steroids in the game and went on to praise A-Rod as being one of the true "freak" talents because he put up these numbers without the use of steroids.  WRONG.

Now I don't want to jump to conclusions about his use but he certainly didn't deny it when he was approached by reporters in a Miami gym.  "You'll have to talk to the union...I'm not saying anything."  Sounds fishy.  I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now...but I've been hurt before.

I really wish these jackasses would just stop with the performance-enhancing drugs already.  I don't advocate the asterisks in the record book...what's done is done, but just come clean and stop it already.  You're ruining the best sport on the planet. 

What's really dumb is that I'm sure almost every fan would forgive each and every 'roid user if they'd just admit to what they did and stopped.  Too much to ask, I know.

2008 Record: 97-65 1st AL East
2009 Prediction: 3rd AL East

Impact Player: Evan Longoria
Impact Pitcher: Scott Kazmir
Top Prospect: David Price, LHP

Significant Acquisitions: OF Pat Burrell, OF Gabe Kapler, OF/DH Matt Joyce, P Lance Cormier
Significant Losses: UTIL Eric Hinske, OF/1B Cliff Floyd, OF Jonny Gomes, OF Rocco Baldelli, P Edwin Jackson, P Trever Miller, P Al Reyes


I never thought I'd see the day when the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays would win the AL East and then go on to win the AL Pennant.  It still boggles the mind.  You sort of expected to see them fall eventually.  Eventually they'd hit a 15-game losing streak and the dream would be over.  It didn't happen.  The Rays surprised everyone in '08 (except probably themselves) winning 97 games and defeating the Boston Red Sox to be crowned champions of the American League.  The core of the team is entirely intact from last year and they should be a good team once again although a slide to third in the standings seems inevitable.  I'm probably wrong though, I picked them to finish 4th in the AL East in '08.  Either way, the Rays becoming a winning team means there's another obstacle for my hapless Blue Jays in this ridiculous division.

Pitching
The Rays outstanding stable of young arms lived up to their lofty potential last year and produced one of the best staffs in the league.  Much of that staff is back for '09.  James Shields (14-8, 3.56 ERA), Scott Kazmir (12-8, 3.49 ERA), Matt Garza (11-9, 3.70 ERA) and Andy Sonnanstine (13-9, 4.38 ERA) are all back and and have one more year of experience under their belts.  The oldest of that group is 27-year-old Shields which means if this group stays together they can be one of the best units in the league for years to come.  With the departure of the often erratic Edwin Jackson, the door is open for top prospect David Price to grab the fifth spot.  Price was phenomenal in the post-season after a September call-up and is only 23.  I was tempted to make Price the team's impact pitcher for this year as I believe he's just that good.  Don't be surprised if Price is being mentioned for both Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young come September.  Injuries or a sub-par performance by Price may give opportunities to some other young arms including Mitch Talbot (25) and Jeff Niemann (26).

After possessing one of the worst bullpens in baseball in '07, the Rays rebounded with one of the best in '08.  The acquisition of Troy Percival to last year's team no doubt had an impact on that.  Percival was 28 for 32 in save opportunities last year and figures to be team's main closer again this year barring injuries (he was left off the Rays post-season roster due to injuries).  Percival will be 40 before the season is finished but some insurance exists in the 'pen.   Righties Grant Balfour (1.54 ERA) and Dan Wheeler (3.12 ERA) are back along with lefty J.P. Howell (2.22 ERA) and should be able to bridge the gap to Percival or even step in and close when he needs a day off.  Submariner and righty-specialist Chad Bradford (1.42 ERA) is back for his first full season with the Rays and should be extremely valuable and off-season pickup Joe Nelson had a 2.00 ERA last year with the Marlins.  If these pitchers perform at half the level they did last year, this bullpen will be nearly impossible to break.  Minor-league contracts were handed out to veterans Randy Choate and Lance Cormier and both have a shot at making the team.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• James Shields (R/27)
  
• Scott Kazmir (L/25)
  
• Matt Garza (R/25)
  
• Andy Sonnanstine (R/26)
  
• David Price (L/23)

Bullpen

• Troy Percival (R/39) -- CLOSER
• Grant Balfour (R/31)
• J.P. Howell (L/26)
• Dan Wheeler (R/31)
• Chad Bradford (R/34)
• Joe Nelson (R/34)
  
• Lance Cormier (R/28)

Lineup
The Rays return a lineup that ranked 4th in the AL in home runs but only 13th in average hitting just .260 as a team.  In spite of that, they were still 4th in On-Base Percentage showing patience and poise for such a young team.  The outfield returns with the face of the franchise, Carl Crawford, in Left who is one of the best defensive left fielders in the game and should be in the top 5 in baseball in stolen bases.  In center will be B.J. Upton who's good for similar numbers and expectations as Crawford.  In Right will be one of two off-season acquisitions, Matt Joyce and Pat Burrell.  The two will likely split time in Right and at DH.  In the infield, Carlos Pena (1B), Aki Iwamura (2B), Jason Bartlett (SS), and Evan Longoria (3B) are all back.  Longoria is quickly becoming one of the best third basemen in baseball and should have a huge year and Pena is one of the best pure power-hitters in the AL (77 HR in the last two years).  At catcher will be Dioner Navarro unless something goes horribly awry in his arbitration hearing.  Navarro is one of the most underrated catchers in the game.  He is an excellent game-caller and hit .295 with 54 RBI last year.  This lineup is young; Burrell is the oldest of the projected starters at only 32.

On the bench will be utility-men Willy Aybar and Ben Zobrist along with potential fourth outfielder Gabe Kapler who signed a minor-league deal.  The backup catching job will likely go to Shawn Riggans and journeyman outfielder Gabe Gross might find himself on the outside looking in with so many outfielders on the Rays roster.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  LF  Carl Crawford (L/27)
  CF  B.J. Upton (R/24)
  3B  Evan Longoria (R/23)
  1B  Carlos Pena (L/31)
  DH  Pat Burrell (R/32)
  RF  Matt Joyce (L/24)
  C    Dioner Navarro (S/25)
  2B  Aki Iwamura (L/30)
  SS  Jason Bartlett (R/29)

Bench
  INF Willy Aybar (S/26)
  UTIL Ben Zobrist (S/28)
  OF Gabe Kapler (R/33)
  C   Shawn Riggans (R/28)
  INF Reid Brignac (L/23)

Outlook
The Rays will be one of the best teams in the AL for years to come, but a repeat of their 97-win performance of '08 seems doubtful with the improvements made by both the Red Sox and Yankees.  They will be competitive and will fight the Yankees for the wildcard spot most of the year but will likely fall short.  I just don't think their talent is quite at the level of the Yankees or Red Sox and I feel like a bit of a sophomore slump could plague the Rays this year.  Final Prediction: 86-76, 3rd AL East.

When healthy, Ben Sheets is one of the better pitchers in baseball, the problem is, obviously, that he is rarely healthy.  Once again he will have to undergo elbow surgery and will miss the first half of '09.  But the former Brewer is in a unique situation.  He's a free agent.

The Texas Rangers stepped up with a two-year contract that Sheets and his agent agreed to pending a physical which obviously didn't go well.  The Rangers withdrew their offer and it is expected now that Sheets will not sign anywhere until he's healthy.

Here's why I think the Jays need to go after him now...

The Jays apparently had no interest in Sheets because they don't have the finances to pursue him.  Fair enough.  Sheets was reportedly going to sign for 2-years at around $16-million with the Rangers, far out of the price range for the Jays to even consider him.  But now things have changed.

We know that Sheets will be out until late June/early July at the earliest so I think the Jays should try and get Sheets now at a diminished price.  All well and good, but how do you make Sheets want a deal?  Here's what I suggest:

You give Sheets a contract for 1-year at a guaranteed $750,000 but you lace it with incentives.  If he starts 10 games in '09, he gets an extra $1-million.  If he starts 15 games in '09, you give him an extra $1.75-million.  If he starts 20 or more games, give him an extra $3-million.  On top of that, if Sheets wins more than 10 games with the Jays in '09, you throw on an extra $2-million.  This means that if Sheets comes back around mid-season and starts more than 20 games down the stretch and wins more than 10, the deal could end up being worth $5.75-million.  Not bad for a guy only pitching half the year who was looking for $8-million for a full, healthy season.

To sweeten the deal for both sides, add two option years; options for both 2010 and 2011 worth some guaranteed amount of money.  Let's say $7.5-million for 2010 and $9-million for 2011.  The options would be for both parties at the end of both years.  SO, if Sheets comes back and performs well, the two could agree to exercise their option for 2010.  If he does well in 2010, they could bring him back for 2011.  If Sheets feels like he could make more by going back on the market at any point, he could do just that.  If Sheets can't stay healthy and doesn't end up pitching in '09, the Jays have only spent $750,000 and will be free of him next fall.  Win-win.

If Sheets made the maximum in incentives in '09 and decided to come back on both his option years, the deal would end up being 3-years for $22.25-million...nothing to sneeze at in this market.

I'll be expecting my phone call from Mr. Riccardi any day to thank me for this wonderful idea.

So I may or may not have been publishing the Rays preview as I was writing it.  Sorry Rays fans.  The finished product will be up tomorrow afternoon.  For now, enjoy the Yankees preview.

2008 Record: 89-73 3rd, AL East
2009 Prediction: 2nd, AL East

Impact Player: Alex Rodriguez
Impact Pitcher: C.C. Sabathia
Top Prospect: Austin Jackson, OF

Significant Acquisitions: P C.C. Sabathia, P A.J. Burnett, 1B Mark Teixeira, OF/1B Nick Swisher, SS Angel Berroa
Significant Losses: OF Bobby Abreu, INF Wilson Betemit, DH/1B Jason Giambi, P Mike Mussina, P Carl Pavano, C Ivan Rodriguez, 1B/DH Richie Sexson

15 years.  That's how long it had been since the Yankees were last absent from post-season baseball.  The year was 1993...the last year my Blue Jays fielded a significant contender (they won their second of back-to-back titles, of course).  I was celebrating my 9th birthday during that World Series.  Last year marked the first time since then that the Yankees missed the post-season.  In that 13-season run, the Bronx Bombers won 10 division titles (including 9 in a row from 1998-2006), 6 AL Pennants (including 4 in a row from 1998-2001), and 4 World Series crowns (including 3 in a row from 1998-2000).  Last year, the Pin-Stripes were 89-73, amazingly only good enough for 3rd in the AL East.  GM Brian Cashman was adhering to a new mantra in '08 saying youth would be the new road to Yankee-success.  In '09, we're back to the good ol' Yankees; free agency is once again Cashman's chosen avenue to bring a World Series title back to New York for the first time since 2000.  And it could very well work as the Yanks figure to be in the post-season mix once again.


Pitching
Nothing is more important in baseball than pitching.  The Yankees learned that the hard way last year when a combination of injuries and too much reliance on young, unproven talent led the team to it's worst finish in years.  This year, that all changes with the signing of C.C. Sabathia for 7-years and $161-million and the inking of former Jay and self-proclaimed "rock-star" A.J. Burnett to a 5-year, $82.5 million contract.  Sabathia and Burnett won a combined 35 games in '08.  Although, Sabathia is a sure bet to win 18-22 games, Burnett's injury-prone career suggests that he might be a liability much in the way that Carl Pavano was a few years ago, the Yankees need to be careful (I'm sure there will be a blog entry in the future addressing A.J.'s contract).  Outside of the big two signings, the Yankees actually have depth this year with the return of Chien-Ming Wang and veteran Andy Pettitte in the 3 and 4 spots.  The fifth spot will likely go to Joba Chamberlain unless the Yankees decide he's better suited for the bullpen.  If that's the case young arms Phil Hughes (23), Alfredo Aceves (26), and Ian Kennedy (24) could be options.  They could also play a role in the bullpen if some of their current options struggle.

Speaking of the bullpen, the main cogs of said unit return from the '08 season.  The problem was, the Yankees bullpen was average at best last season.  Mariano Rivera is back and he's maybe the best closer who's ever lived.  Last year he had another stellar campaign notching 39 saves with only a single blown save and a 1.40 ERA.  At the age of 39, however, one has to wonder how long he can keep it up.  Outside of Rivera, the Yanks will look to a crop of under-30's in Brian Bruney (27), who was stellar last year posting a 1.83 ERA, Jonathan Albaladejo (26), Jose Veras (28), and Edwar Ramirez (28).  Left-handers Damaso Marte and rookie Phil Coke (who was lights-out in a September audition, posting a 0.61 ERA in 14.2 innings) should round out the 'pen.  The team has also extended minor-league contracts to Sergio Mitre (who missed all of last year with an injury) and left-hander Kei Igawa (who has never lived up to expectations on this side of the Pacific).  Overall the Yankees might have some trouble getting to Rivera unless their young arms develop into more reliable options.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• C.C. Sabathia (L/28)
• A.J. Burnett (R/32)
• Chien-Ming Wang (R/29)
• Andy Pettitte (L/37)
• Joba Chamberlain (R/23)

Bullpen

• Mariano Rivera (R/39) -- CLOSER
• Damaso Marte (L/34)
• Brian Bruney (R/27)
• Jonathan Albaladejo (R/26)
• Jose Veras (R/28)
• Edwar Ramirez (R/28)
• Phil Coke (L/26)

Lineup
Like most AL East teams, the Yankees have a great lineup capable of putting up huge numbers.  There is no doubt that the Bronx Bombers will be at or near the top of the AL in many offensive categories.  Their outfield lost Bobby Abreu, (which I think will be a big loss both offensively and defensively as Abreu is a sure-bet for 20 HR, 100 RBI, 20 SB and great Right Field defense), and might be the weakest part of the team.  Johnny Damon returns in Left and Xavier Nady returns in Right after an impressive 59 game stint with New York posting 12 HR and 40 RBI.  In Center, Melky Cabrera will try and bounce back after seeing his numbers drop across the board in '08.  If he struggles, off-season signing Nick Swisher or 25 year-old Brett Gardner could challenge him for the job.  In the infield, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter will one day have statues in Monument Park, but right now they will roam the left side of the Yankee infield and will do so with some of the best numbers in baseball.  On the right side, the Yanks doled out $180-million over 8-years for the services of Mark Teixeira at First.  His offensive contribution will no doubt be monumental, but the biggest improvement over the departing Jason Giambi is his defense; Jeter and Rodriguez might have a couple gold gloves because of it.  And let's not forget Robinson Cano at Second.  I think Cano will bounce back this year to win a batting title.  Catching duties will belong to *YAWN* Jorge Posada...just like the last 150 years.  The fact of the matter is that he's one of the best catchers in baseball. Period.  Having him healthy (which he was not last year for the first time ever) is very important to the Yankees success.  Hideki Matsui's knees are shot, but he'll still provide a solid bat from DH.

On the bench, Catcher Jose Molina will back up Posada again and could get a lot of playing time if Posada struggles to stay healthy in '09.   The loss of Wilson Betemit means the Yanks will scramble for the lost diversity and solid bat that Betemit provided off the bench in '08.  They might get that from Angel Berroa; a former ROTY with the Royals, Berroa could be this year's Betemit.  INF Cody Ransom and the versatile Swisher should round out the bench.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  LF  Johnny Damon (L/35)
  SS Derek Jeter (R/35)
  3B  Alex Rodriguez (R/33)
  1B  Mark Teixeira (S/29)
  DH  Hideki Matsui (L/35)
  RF  Xavier Nady (R/30)
  2B  Robinson Cano (L/26)
  C    Jorge Posada (S/37)
  CF  Melky Cabrera (S/24)

Bench
  C   Jose Molina (R/34)
OF/1B Nick Swisher (S/28)
  SS Angel Berroa (R/31)
  INF Cody Ransom (R/33)
  OF Brett Gardner (L/25)

Outlook
Don't expect the Yankees to start a streak of missing the post-season.  Their pitching (although still nowhere near the league's best) is much improved over last year's and the offense is still the most feared in all of baseball.  Couple those things with the fact that New Yankee Stadium is set to open and the Yankees will be rejuvenated and motivated to get back to October.  Final Prediction: 95-67, 2nd AL East (Wild Card Champs, lose to Boston in ALCS)

It's no secret.  I'm not the biggest fan of Blue Jays GM J.P. Riccardi.  Sure, I went through the normal honeymoon phase when he first got here in '02.  He traded for Eric Hinske who went on to win AL Rookie of the Year, he made deals for Lyle Overbay and Troy Glaus seemingly out of nothing.  Unfortunately, none of these things panned out in the long-run and although the Jays are perennially mentioned as a team "on the cusp," the season always ends in the same way.  MEDIOCRITY. 

The fact of the matter is, J.P. has run his course with me and I'm no longer a fan.  We need fresh management with fresh ideas.  I applaud ownership for giving J.P. a real chance and having patience as he tried to execute his plan (something that has all but disappeared from sports these days), but enough is enough.  How many more years of mediocre teams will ownership take before they decide Mr. Riccardi is blowing smoke up their ***** and has run out of ideas.  No, the Jays aren't a bad team, they haven't been in a long time, but I'm sick of middle ground...I'm sick of 3rd place (or now 4th with the emergence of the Rays).  It isn't good enough anymore and it's time to move on.

One last thing before I get to the point (and there is a point): J.P.'s smooth-talking.  I'm tired of it.  We know you're plan with the Jays has failed...just admit it already.  If you listen to Mr. Riccardi it sounds like waiting until 2010 has been the plan all along...the jig is up, sir.

That isn't to say that J.P. is all bad.  He has done some good things and has managed to build a team that has some of the pieces it needs to be a true contender, but the fact is: it isn't one.  J.P., I appreciate you're services, but we need to move in a new direction.  That's right, I just fired him...I can do that...'cause no one cares what I think...nor should they.

ANYWAY...the point is:  J.P.'s first draft pick as Jays GM was a middle infielder by the name of Russ Adams (14th overall in 2002).  It appears as though the Jays have finally given up on him after they designated him for assignment today to make room for 28-year-old minor-league pitcher T.J. Beam who was claimed off waivers from the Pirates.  Although Adams did enjoy a 63-RBI output in his rookie season in '05 he is a terrible defensive player and has apparently forgotten how to hit.  By the way, players taken in the first round after Adams?

• Scott Kazmir
• Cole Hamels
• Nick Swisher
• James Loney
• Jeff Francoeur
• Joe Blanton
• Matt Cain
  
  

Knowing the Jays, they'll likely take this opportunity to ink Adams to a 6-year, $100-million contract extension.

I will say this though, if Riccardi can pull off signing Kevin Millar, I'll give him a little temporary love.  I refuse to cuddle afterwards though.

One more thing: The Yankees '09 Preview is done and will be up tomorrow. 

 

The Jays acquired lefty Brian Burres last night off waivers from the Orioles.  Burres was designated for assignment by the O's after they acquired Rich Hill from the Cubs.

Burres was 7-10 with a 6.04 ERA in 31 appearances last year with the Orioles including 22 starts.  He figures to be in the mix for a starting job this spring but will likely start the year at AAA Las Vegas...man it still feels weird saying Las Vegas and not Syracuse, that'll take some getting used to.

This acquisition is another pickup by J.P. Riccardi in an effort to find inexpensive ways to improve the Jays already decimated pitching staff.  The fact of the matter is, Burres is 28 and has never been consistent enough to stay at the major league level very long, so he's not the answer to any problem, unless by some divine miracle (and I don't believe in god...that's right, small "g") he puts up good number with the Jays.

To make room for Burres on the roster, the Jays designated catcher Curtis Thigpen for assignment.  If Thigpen gets picked up by another team it will open the door further for impressive minor-league catcher J.P. Arencibia to snag the backup job behind Rod Barajas.  Although that would likely only occur if Arencibia was to get enough playing time to make it worthwhile; look for him to start in AAA and Michael Barrett or Raul Chavez to backup Barajas.

2008 Record: 95-67 2nd AL East (AL Wildcard)
2009 Prediction: 1st, AL East

Impact Player: Dustin Pedroia
Impact Pitcher: Daisuke Matsuzaka
Top Prospect: Lars Anderson, 1B

Significant Acquisitions: P John Smoltz, P Brad Penny, P Takashi Saito, OF Rocco Baldelli, C Josh Bard, P Ramon Ramirez
Significant Loses: P David Aardsma, P Paul Byrd, 1B Sean Casey, C Kevin Cash, P Bartolo Colon, INF Alex Cora, OF Coco Crisp, P Mike Timlin

Remember the days when the Red Sox were lovable losers in a class with the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Lions and my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs?  It doesn't seem like so long ago.  Two World Series titles in five years and a real shot at making it three in six have all but put the BoSox in a bracket with the Yankees, Detroit Red Wings, and New England Patriots...a class of evil empires.   The best pitching staff in baseball (bar none), probably the best lineup in baseball, and some of the best young talent in the league have most people predicting a lot of fireworks lighting up New England's October skies once again.  I am one of those people; as much as it pains me to say it.

Pitching
How many teams in baseball can enter training camp saying they have seven Major League-caliber starters?  None...except the Red Sox.  The top of the rotation will look the same as it did at the end of the '08 season with Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett, and Jon Lester.  Those three combined for an astounding 46-19 record, a 3.37 ERA, and 7.79 K/9 in '08.  Lester had a breakout year finishing 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA and was the only BoSox pitcher to log more than 200 innings (210.1).  Outside of those three, Boston has no shortage of outstanding arms.  Ageless John Smoltz (42), who signed a one-year, $2.5-million deal to leave the only team he's ever played for in Atlanta, should be the #4 starter, but is coming off of shoulder surgery that caused him to miss almost all of last year.  The 5th spot could go to any of three pitchers depending on health and spring training performance: Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (42), who was 10-11 last year and provided some solid starts for the BoSox down the stretch; Brad Penny (31), who was acquired from the Dodgers and when healthy is still capable of 15 wins; and youngster Clay Buckholz (24) who may find it hard to crack the rotation barring injuries to other, older pitchers, but has thrown a no-hitter and has the most upside of any Boston pitcher. 

The bullpen will be one of baseball's best again with Jonathon Papelbon at its back end.  Papelbon had another outstanding season in '08 recording 41 saves in 46 attempts and posting a 2.34 ERA and 9.99 K/9.  Lefties Hideki Okajima and Javier Lopez return after each posted ERAs under 2.75 in '08, and young righties Justin Masterson and Manny Delcarmen also return having put up solid number last year.  One addition comes in veteran Takashi Saito who signed a free-agent deal in the off-season.  Saito, although 39-years-old, posted 81 saves in 91 attempts in three years with the Dodgers and has a diminutive Major League career ERA of 1.95.

Rotation (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Daisuke Matsuzaka (R/28)
• Josh Beckett (R/29)
• Jon Lester (L/25)
• John Smoltz (R/42)
• Brad Penny (R/31)

Bullpen

• Jonathon Papelbon (R/28) -- CLOSER
  
• Hideki Okajima (L/33)
• Takashi Saito (R/39)
• Javier Lopez (L/31)
• Justin Masterson (R/24)
• Manny Delcarmen (R/27)
• Tim Wakefield (R/42)
• Ramon Ramirez (R/27)
  

Lineup
Returning nearly the same lineup that ended last year, the Red Sox will once again be a force to be reckoned with offensively in '09.  The outfield of Jason Bay (LF), Jacoby Ellsbury (CF), and J.D. Drew (RF) will be one of the more talented in the American League.  On the infield, 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia comes back at Second after putting up great numbers in only his second full season posting a .326 BA, 17 HR, 83 RBI, a .376 OBP, and a .952 SBP.  Veteran Mike Lowell returns at Third but might have trouble coming back from off-season hip surgery and Kevin Youkilis is back at First after leading the team with 29 HR in '08.  The only question mark is at Shortstop where veteran Julio Lugo will battle in spring training with Jed Lowrie for the starting job.  The loser might see time at Third if Lowell has troubles with injuries.  At Catcher, Jason Varitek is back after signing a one-year, $5-million deal with an option for a second year and the team brought back former draft pick Josh Bard from San Diego after he was dealt there almost two years ago for Doug Mirabelli.  At DH will be "Big Papi" David Ortiz who is coming off an injury-riddled '08 where he still put up 23 HR and 89 RBI in 109 games.

On the bench, besides who loses the battle at Shortstop, will be Bard, veteran OF/1B Mark Kotsay, and another off-season signing, injury-prone Rocco Baldelli. Youngsters Lars Anderson, Argenis Diaz, Jeff Bailey and journeyman minor-league outfielder Jonathon Van Every will also vie for spots with the big club in the spring.

Lineup (Handedness/Age on June 30, 2009)
  CF  Jacoby Ellsbury (L/25)
  2B  Dustin Pedroia (R/25)
  1B  Kevin Youkilis (R/30)
  DH  David Ortiz (L/33)
  LF  Jason Bay (R/30)
  RF  J.D. Drew (L/33)
  3B  Mike Lowell (R/35)
  C    Jason Varitek (S/37)
  SS  Julio Lugo (R/33)

Bench
  C   Josh Bard (S/31)
  OF/1B  Mark Kotsay (L/33)
  OF Rocco Baldelli (R/27)
  INF Jed Lowrie (S/25)
  1B  Jeff Bailey (R/30)

Outlook
The Red Sox will again be in the race for October baseball in '09 in spite of being chased by both the Yankees and Rays in the tough AL East.  There are very few recognizable holes on this team (at least on paper) and barring injury should sit atop the division at season's end. Final Prediction -- 101-61, 1st AL East (AL Champs over NY Yankees)

2008 Record: 68-93 5th AL East
2009 Prediction: 5th, AL East

Impact Player: Nick Markakis
Impact Pitcher: Jeremy Guthrie
Top Prospect: Matt Wieters

Significant Acquisitions: OF Felix Pie, UTIL Ryan Freel, SS Cesar Izturis, C Gregg Zaun, P Rich Hill, P Mark Hendrickson, P Koji Uehara, 2B Ty Wigginton
Significant Loses: P Daniel Cabrera, P Garret Olson, C Ramon Hernandez, OF Jay Payton, 1B Kevin Millar, OF/P Adam Loewen

Surprisingly, the Baltimore Orioles were one of the busier teams in the '09 off-season making a number of key trades acquiring the likes of outfielder Felix Pie and some much needed starting pitching help in Rich Hill from the Cubs in two separate deals as well as some veteran role players such as Gregg Zaun, Ryan Freel and Ty Wigginton.  I'm inclined to say that the Orioles are the most-improved team in the AL East on paper.  Unfortunately that doesn't mean they'll be roaming with the likes of the Red Sox and Yankees in the toughest division in baseball in '09.

Pitching
The Orioles feature a rotation that is still young and rather inexperienced with Jeremy Guthrie likely being its ace in spite of only garnering a 10-12 record a year ago.  The addition of Hill from the Cubs is significant if he can return to his '07 form when he went 11-9 with a 3.92  ERA in 195 innings but he's coming off a year when he couldn't stay healthy long enough to make a difference for the Cubs.  The Orioles went overseas to grab Koji Uehara from Japan.  Uehara will be 34 once the season starts and has had problems with injuries in the past few years but a career 112-62 record with a 3.01 ERA in Japan makes Uehara a potentially great pickup for the O's.  The last two spots in the O's rotation are up for grabs with a mix of young pitchers and veterans like Mark Hendrickson and former closer Danys Baez vying for spots.  The bullpen was a point of contention last year for the O's but closer George Sherrill is back along with his 31 Saves and 9.79 K/9 in '08.  Righty Jim Johnson was the team's best pitcher last year once Chad Bradford was traded to Tampa and finished with a team best 2.23 ERA. Considering the lack of prominent names in the bullpen, Johnson needs to be a rock again if the O's have any chance at even approaching the .500-mark in the cut-throat AL East.  Another factor that could boost the O's 'pen in '09 is the health of Chris Ray.  Ray underwent Tommy John surgery and missed all of '08 but saved 49 games for the O's from 2006-07.  If Ray proves himself to be healthy and back in form, he could be the set-up man this bullpen drastically needs and could even step in as closer if Sherrill struggles.

Rotation (Hand/Age on June 30, 2009)

• Jeremy Guthrie (R/30)
  
• Koji Uehara (R/34)
• Rich Hill (L/29)
• Matt Albers (R/26)
• Mark Hendrickson (L/34)

Bullpen

• George Sherrill (L/32) -- CLOSER
• Jim Johnson (R/25)
• Jamie Walker (L/37)
• Dennis Sarfate (R/28)
• Chris Ray (R/27)
• Jim Miller (R/27)
• Kam Mickolio (R/25)

Lineup
The O's will have one thing to brag about for years to come: Emerging superstar Right Fielder Nick Markakis.  Markakis was locked up to a 6-year $66-million contract this offseason and figures to be a staple in the middle of this young lineup for years to come.  Outside of Markakis, the O's have one of the best young outfields in all of baseball with Adam Jones in Center and newly-acquired Felix Pie in Left.  All three have tremendous defensive and offensive ability and should be the core of the team for management to build around.  In the infield, Brian Roberts is back at Second and has been as consistent as anyone at that position in the past few years, Cesar Izturis was signed to be the team's main option at short, and run-producing veterans Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff will anchor the corners (they had 104 and 108 RBI respectively last season).  Luke Scott will be the team's DH and fourth outfielder option and Wigginton figures to give Huff some much needed DH-days at First.  The O's also acquired utility man and speedster Ryan Freel from the Reds.  At catcher, the O's have maybe the most promising prospect in the majors in Matt Wieters who should be the opening day starter behind the plate.  Former Blue Jays Gregg Zaun and Guillermo Quiroz will contend for the back-up job with Zaun having the inside track due to his ability to be a strong mentor for Wieters.

Lineup
2B Brian Roberts (S/31)
CF Adam Jones (R/23)
RF Nick Markakis (L/25)
1B Aubrey Huff (L/32)
3B Melvin Mora (R/37)
DH Luke Scott (L/31)
C   Matt Wieters (S/23)
LF Felix Pie (L/24)
SS Cesar Izturis (S/29)

Bench
UTIL Ryan Freel (R/33)
INF Ty Wigginton (R/31)
C Gregg Zaun (S/38)
INF Donnie Murphy (R/26)

Outlook
It looks like another losing season for the O's, but they should be better than last year.  Their pitching is marred by inexperience and will be the biggest obstacle for the team to overcome.  Offensively this team should not have a problem, if their younger players continue to develop as expected, they have the potential to be one of the toughest offensive teams in the AL, but it won't overcome the problems in the pitching staff.  Final Prediction -- 74-88, 5th AL East

Before I get started, I want to outline my goal in the next few weeks leading up to the 2009 season.  First, I will attempt to go through every team, one-by-one and give a fairly in-depth prediction of what I think will happen in the 2009 season.  I will start with AL East teams and work my way to NL West teams.

Next, anytime there is a significant update as far as trades, player signings, injuries, etc. are concerned, I will write about it.  Since this has been by far the most boring off-season in recent memory, a flurry of player signings is expected within the next few weeks leading up to Spring Training.

Enjoy.