After a disappointing 81-81 season last year, the Gamblers are ready to bounce back into the playoffs. This team looks pretty solid, and the addition of Thome could spell the difference. The pitching was awesome in spring training, and if that carries through the team will be in great shape. You figure this division might be won with just 90 wins, so with good hitting and a consistent pitching staff, Atlantic City could win the division again. Of course they could finish in fourth again, but I'm putting my chips on AC this year. 

Offense:

Jim Thome was a much needed power bat in the middle of a speedy lineup. It was a long season of needing to string together 2-3 hits in an inning to score, but Thome could be the one swing difference maker now. If Crawford and Erstad get on ahead of him consistently, look out. He also protects Vladimir Guerrero, which could help Vladdy reach his full potential offensively. A lot will be expected of Josh Barfield, who stunned the league with his 120 RBI last year (especially from a young second baseman). Another year like that and the division is a cinch. I really like this lineup...they could be a major pain. 

Pitching:

The Gamblers had some hard luck pitchers last year who threw well but lost low scoring games. Expect Schmidt and Morris to improve in that regard this season. Freddy Garcia had a great spring, but I don't trust him. He regular season winning pct. has been just .333 (14-28), but hey, maybe he's turned a new leaf. Byrd was really good in the spring too, leaving Piniero as the only real headache. The team may have to move Shuey back to the starting rotation if Piniero gets shelled early. You would like Orber Moreno to not get 18 decisions out of the pen.

Man on the Spot:

Freddy Garcia needs to be a .500 pitcher at the very least to give this team a shot. 

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

After spending a pile of cash to retain Guerrero and Posada, the Gamblers had very little cash to play with. Jim Thome garnered $10 mil/year, but is a big addition to the lineup. Paul Byrd got the rest of the cash, meaning the team only added one new player. 

The Gamblers looked ready to defend their initial division title going into last season, but stood around gawking as Halifax and Philly wheeled and dealt their way to the playoffs.  AC now looks like a team in decline.  Roy Shelley has been noticeably quiet as of late, which is not what we’ve come to expect.  If this team isn’t on top early on, I imagine some shaking up will be in order.  You can still make the case this is the best starting rotation in the division 1-5 and the offense is good enough to get by.  We’ll see what the plan is soon enough.  They could come in first as easily as 4^th, so that prediction is based more on the offseason quietude than anything else. 

Offense:

With Josh Barfield racking up 120 RBI out of the 2B position and Jorge Posada a .300 hitting C, this team can get production out of everybody.  The big bats look to be Thome and Vladdy, which means Barfield’s output is just icing on the cake.  Damon and Jimenez were impossible to get out in ST, and if that holds these guys will score scary amounts of runs, but Damon never seems to be the same guy when the regular season starts.  AC has tried and failed many times to fill the hole at 3B, so maybe they’ll come asking about Mike Lowell or Dallas McPherson.   

Pitching:

Based on ST, they are the best 1-5 in SLB.  Morris and Schmidt chewed up 100 innings and gave up a grand total of 2 HRs.  Garcia seems to have settled in and will be a reliable 3-4 starter.  The only guy you don’t trust is Piniero, who is fine for a 5^th starter given what some other teams trot out there (cough, Maroth).  If Shuey is back in the pen, he and Karsay should be fine, but other than that, not having seen the final lineup, the bullpen looks pretty much like a minefield.  Well, that’s hardly unusual is it?  

Man on the Spot:

Um, hard to say without a lineup.  I’ll have to pick Damon.  He seems ready to score 140 runs based on every ST then something happens.  He’s got 3 mooses to drive him in with Barfield, Vladdy and Thome behind him.  If he really does hit .330 look out.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Had to open the wallet to keep the FAs around.  Also paid a mint for Jim Thome, but he seems determined to make that pay off.  Probably smart moves, given the status of the rotation, this team didn’t need to get in on the Mulder/Sasaki/Zito games. 

The Crunch had another good year in 2005, but fans want to know when the team can step it up from 3rd place to the playoffs. It seems that all this team needs is consistency and good health and it can win the division, but those are two tough things to come by. The offense is good, the pitching the same, but it's a real tough division, so 84 wins just won't be enough. I wouldn't be surprised if they won the division, I wouldn't be surprised if they finished fourth. There is a lot of parity in the North, so anything is possible.

Offense:

A lot of high averages, high OBP's, and high HR numbers last year, but still no one had more than 100 RBI. Strange but true, and that needs to change this year. A full year from Griffey would go far for this team's confidence, and some more speed at the top would also help. The team has plenty of power, though most of it is left-handed (while the short wall in Bedford is in left field). No new names in the lineup this year, so you pretty much know what you're going to get. 

Pitching:

Baseball is such an interesting game. Case in point, Rich Harden, who was 2-7 with a 9.19 ERA last year, has been penciled in as this year's opening day starter. He didn't even have the best spring. Loaiza is also slotted ahead of 16 game winner Joe Mays. GM Richard Gin has had to do some shuffling, of course, as Curt Schilling and Wade Miller are no longer with the team, but these are curious decisions. The bullpen definitely got a boost from Tom Martin, and if Braden Looper can return to form, the middle relief is rock solid. Soriano and Bradford need to improve.

Man on the Spot:

Harden had a good 2004, horrible 2005, and now gets to face Mark Prior on opening day. Good luck kid.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Concentrated on the bullpen in early rounds, snagging Scott Strickland and Tom Martin. Added some cheap options late as well, landing Braden Looper, Chad Bradford and Scott Sullivan, plus starters Mark Buerhle and Vicente Padilla. Lots of retread projects, but some of these guys made the team in the spring, so overall, a good auction.

The first season of SLB, the Crunch had primo young pitchers, but couldn’t score any runs for them, then last year the young guns looked much less the staff of the future and Gin goosed the offense up to where they tied Paris for top team BA.  Now what?  I’m not convinced this team has the pitching to win the division unless Josh Beckett decides to live up to his potential and wins 20 games.  The hitting is as good as anybody, really, especially with a healthy year out of Griffey, Jr.  Third place again unless this is the team that does all the trading in the North this season.

Offense:

For reasons absolutely nobody understands, New Ebbets Field seems to kill balls at the warning track.  Wisely, GM Gin has started to build the team around this fact, focusing on potential batting champs like Chavez and Vidro while not worrying about home runs.  This team could hit .290 as a team this year.  They might be advised to shop Juan Gone around for an OF that better fits the team mold.  A lot depends on whether Cintron can stay healthy and around .300 as that will help Chavez and Vidro play station to station ball.  Credit Gin with the best off season bargain of 2005 with Ramon Hernandez ridiculously underpriced  at a mil a year for a catcher with .298/30/95 numbers.

Pitching:

Went from wow 2 years ago to “ow.”  Yes, Beckett, Harden, Lowe and Mays have all pitched well, but they’ve all pitched badly as well.  This year, you just don’t know.  All right handed isn’t so hot either, though perhaps that’s a strategy for dealing with the “Blue Monster” in left field.  Pressure is big on Lowe and Mays to prove last year’s 16 win seasons were for real, especially Mays who won despite giving up 5 runs a game.  The bullpen are basically no names, but capable.  Tom Martin had a great year last season on Havana and could be a major asset.  Late innings with Bradford, Soriano and Strickland are anything but automatic especially if Strickland has a season more like 2004.  

Man on the Spot:

Esteban Loaiza has always sucked in this league and he’ll have plenty to prove with his career .312 OAvg earning him 4^th starter honors.  Expect Gin to call down to Hong Kong for some help.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Mostly tried to sneak a couple more wins in one run games by bolstering the pen.  Tom Martin has been a reliable middle reliever.  Nothing really to call an “impact” move, though.  Expect more next year.

Cleveland took a step backwards last year, watching the likes of Philly and Halifax pass them by and into the post season. This team has always had a good offense, but it was keeping the other team from leaving the yard that was a problem for the '05 Dawgs. Not a ton of player turnover since last year, but GM Mike McAvoy is hoping that shoring up the starting staff will at the very least keep the team out of the basement. No easy task, as this is a pretty talented division, and on paper it looks like the other 4 teams have better pitching. Time to turn one of these bats into an arm in a trade? Don't think the team isn't trying...

Offense:

Even without Manny Ramirez, this is a pretty formidable lineup. The team is built a bit more around speed now, with the combo of Sanchez and Terrero at the top. Maggs, Giambi and Chipper can just rake in the middle of the order, and now Rafael Furcal gets a chance to hit in an RBI slot in the lineup. Interesting move, and could prove useful not only for driving in runs, but for "leading off" the bottom half of the order as well. It's nice to have a .300 hitter batting 8th. Keep an eye on Billy Rader, a rookie who tore up spring training and starts the year on the bench. He could be this year's Jason Lane if given the opportunity to play every day, and he could make pending free agent Magglio Ordonez expendable in the right trade. 

Pitching:

Steadily improving. The team put up the cash to sign Kevin Millwood away from division rival Halifax, and if he can keep up his hot pitching from last year's second half, the Dawgs finally have an ace to build around. Roy Oswalt needs to step it up this year, as a guy with his talent has no excuse to put up a losing record, especially with this run support. Josh Fogg was a scrap heap pickup who did pretty well in the spring and gets to see some action at the #4 spot in the rotation. Brian Lawrence owned the spring, and yet is in the long relief role. Don't be surprised to see him and Ishii flip roles here soon. The back end of the pen is going to do pretty well, with ex-Philly Francisco Cordero and Scott Eyre setting up Eric Gagne. Middle relief, however, could be a real problem.

Man on the Spot:

Roy Oswalt needs to get his head out of his ass and start pitching to his ability. If he's pitching well, the team has two quality starters at the front of the rotation. If he continues to dick around, this rotation looks real hittable 2 thru 5.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Nabbed Kevin Millwood for only $7 million a year, which is way under the market price for a guy of his talent. Cordero came at a high price, but getting him off of rival Philly probably makes him worth the money. Eyre came fairly cheap at only $1.5 mil. Overall, a good job, though the team needed more than 3 new players to really compete this year.

This is starting to look like a scrub team.  Fogg?  Terrero?  Kirk “Gopher Ball” Rueter?  Maybe they’ll all find motivation in being disrespected, but on paper, this is a last place squad.  It’s particularly demoralizing to lose a guy like Manny Ramirez and we’ll have to see if the offense can get over that.  Still, if Millwood and Oswalt can win 15 games each, well within their ability, and the Dawgs can squeeze another good year out of Chipper Jones, anything could happen.  Weakest hitting is in the OF and there are plenty of tradeable OF around…  

Offense:

Luis Terrero won’t make anybody forget Manny Ramirez, let’s get that out of the way.  The Dawgs are going to be more in the Bedford mold this year, hoping to raise the team Avg. and run more.  We’ll know if that’s working if Sanchez and Terrero score 110 Runs and if Giambi and/or Chipper drives in 110.  Rafael Furcal got hurt and then sulked following his trade from Ellas and moving him into an RBI slot may help his attitude.  Pair him up with Orlando Hudson, who hit .302 last year and who’d be an All Star on a better team, and you have a second-to-none middle infield.  Victor Martinez is a defensive catcher, a real liability in this league.

Pitching:

Millwood and Oswalt are both capable of 15 win seasons, but that’s not to say either will do that.  Millwood seems as good as the team he’s on, which meant he was horrid for half the year on Atlanta then unhittable for half the year on Halifax.  What mood will he be in?  Oswalt has great stuff, but toyed with winning a Goat award last year by losing 15 games after coming over in a deal that sent away Cy Young winner Mark Prior.  Cleveland fans were not pleased.  Much, though rides on Fogg and Ishii.  Neither is somebody you feel certain can avoid a 6.00 ERA and if that’s the deal, this team will lose a ton of games before sorting things out.  The bullpen should be very reliable in the late innings with Gagne, Eyre and expensive FA pickup Cordero to take over leads.  Middle relief is much less certain and Kirk Rueter has been unceremoniously dumped from two teams in two seasons; three strikes and he’s out. 

Man on the Spot:

I’ll go with Ishii.  He came over in the Prior deal and had a couple of good starts then fell apart.  He had a miserable spring and may be getting his last chance to prove he can play at this level.  A couple of bad outings and Brian Lawrence will take his job away.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Decided to spend on pitching which is usually a wise move.  Millwood was probably undervalued at $7mil.  Furcal’s mediocre season allowed Cleveland to re-sign him on the cheap.  Success might be judged on scavenging for Fogg and Rueter.  If those guys work out, then McAvoy has a keen eye for talent.  If they don’t, he’ll be criticized for dicking around with cash to spend. 

Youth was served in 2005. A team that looked lost and disjointed in '04 looked sleek and dangerous in '05, winning the division and making the World Series. A late season trade for Kevin Millwood was the key, as he put up a second half not seen since Sutcliffe on the '84 Cubs. Millwood is in Cleveland now, but most of the team returns, a year older and that much more experienced in big games. The division is wide open, so why shouldn't the Sailors make it two in a row?

Offense:

Young, fast and strong....what more could you ask for? Hee Seop Choi was the breakout star, parlaying his 2004 AAA MVP award into big numbers at the big league level. How unlikely is it that a 6'6" Korean is the biggest star in Nova Scotia? Andruw Jones nearly matched him statistically, adding 30 steals to the mix. Jones had a 30/30 season with HR and stolen bases; one of four players with 20+ swipes. A key to this team's success is it's big production from those hard to fill defensive positions: Soriano at 2B, Cabrera at SS, and now Javy Lopez behind the dish. No reason to believe this offense won't be just as good, if not better, than last year.

Pitching:

Millwood's departure is disappointing for Sailor fans, but I think this staff will still be alright. Burnett and Milton are a great 1-2 punch, and my gut tells me that Javier Vazquez, who had 2 injury plagued years in Paris, will rebound and have a comeback season in '06. Ben Sheets moves from the closer role back to the rotation after a fine spring, but Randy Wolf's inclusion is a bit iffy. The bullpen is filled with former starting pitchers, so who knows if that's a good or bad thing. Urbina at closer should be good enough, especially if Wunsch earns his new fat paycheck.

Man on the Spot:

So far in his career, Randy Wolf has not been associated with winning ball clubs. Another 5+ ERA will assure him that he will no longer be associated with this one either.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Saw Millwood walk for only $7 mil/year, which hurts. Walked away with Javy Lopez, who is a marked upgrade from Jason Varitek. Probably overpaid for Wunsch and Vazquez, but on the field performance will tell us if the money was well spent. Snagged a bunch of veteran hitters late for real cheap deals, which is a good insurance policy against injury.

Larsen Cain came up a close second in Owner of the Year, turning the Sailors around from worst to first WAY ahead of schedule.  I thought I was being optimistic picking this team to be 3^rd place in the North, but that turned out to be a dis.  THIS season was when we expected Halifax to be ready to compete and given last year’s division title, anything less than first place will come as a disappointment.  They’ll have to prove me wrong to do it, though, as I think Philly has the edge with 3 superstar arms. 

Offense:

Last Heaters I wrote: “If anybody is going to shock the league, though, it’s Halifax and this offense will have to do the shocking,” and that turned out to be right on.  Only Paris put more runs across the plate and that could have been closer had Korea’s answer to Godzilla, Hee Seop Choi, not been out for a chunk of the season.  The main changes are that Javy Lopez takes over for Jason Varitek, which is likely an improvement and Halifax is implementing some platoons in the OF.  If Prince Fielder, who set records unlikely to be broken at AAA, and JJ Davis, a Rule V goof Ellas forgot to give a contract to, pan out, this team will be the best offense in the division.  Update: Looks as though Fielder won the full time job, but Davis could be a factor anyway.  Look out for Soriano, who is in the final year of his contract and could earn himself an 8 figure salary if he puts up a 30/30 season.  Motivation enough for me.

Pitching:

If things don’t go well, we’ll be looking back on 2005 to see which starters had a fluke season, and here’s where the tough spot comes in making predictions.  I’ll happily pat myself on the back for making the toughest prediction (outside of WS winner) right in calling Eric Milton for Comeback Player, but that means he could be headed back to a losing record, right?  And what about AJ Burnett?  Was the “Ex-Diablo factor” a one season deal, or is he for real?  What about Ben Sheets?  Can he take his 3.19 ERA and do that as a starter?  And the biggest question of all, what the hell has been wrong with Javier Vasquez, who was a 2^nd rounder in the initial draft and was eventually told to pack his bags in Paris.  Randy Wolf is probably your crappy league average 5^th starter and the man has the best agent in the league as he’s been overpaid in 2 straight auctions.  The bullpen is likely to do well enough, though it’s loaded with lefties and relies on converting the Hernandez brothers from starters to relievers.  Antonio Osuna was added in a late trade which helps deal with the lefty heavy pen problem. 

Man on the Spot:

Javier Vasquez got used to hearing the boo-birds in Paris.  Cain probably overspent for him by a couple mil a year.  That might have been psychological to tell him Halifax believes he’s the ace Paris drafted him to be.  If he’s as bad as he was for the Pimps, he’ll be booed out of the league.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Didn’t have the cash to play with the big boys, but made some smart moves.  Lopez could be the best pick up.  Wunsch could turn out to be a bust, but owners are selling their grandma’s jewels for a reliable reliever.  Overbidding for Vasquez puts a ton of pressure on him to prove his career still has something left in it.

Well I'll be the first to say that I was wrong about this team, so I'll eat crow. I had no faith in this team to play above it's '04 level, but a late surge and a win in a one game playoff with Havana sent this team to the playoffs and ultimately a World Series Trophy. Though they lost Cy Young winner Kaz Sasaki to Ireland, GM Eric Etrain has brought in Barry Zito in a spring trade, giving the Phynatics a solid looking staff. Without a clear cut favorite in the North, Philly may be able to translate that rotation into enough victories for another playoff spot. And who wants to face Pedro, Zito and Colon in a 3-man rotation in October? 

Offense:

Last year's Phynatics scored a lot of runs, as five players drove in 90+ runs. Palmeiro has retired, but Todd Helton was inked to a big contract in the off season to take his place, so there has been no downgrade in the lineup at all. Adrian Beltre's great spring has given him the shortstop role over Jerry Hairston, a tradeoff of power for speed. This team is mighty old, with Walker, Piazza and Castilla all near the end of their careers. Can they stay healthy? Do they have the drive to win after already landing the ring last year? All good questions, as the trade for Barry Zito took away all of the depth on this roster. A long term injury or two will be devastating. 

Pitching:

Arguably one of the top rotations in the league (Wakefield not withstanding), and if Zito can step it up, the loss of Sasaki won't be that bad. In truth, letting Sasaki go was a smart move, as he is 38 years old and Ireland paid him a ton of cash. That money was better spent elsewhere (Helton), and the staff really isn't in bad shape despite his departure. Oscar Villareal won the Rookie Pitcher trophy as the closer, and retains that role this year. Getting him the ball may be tricky depending on how Rincon holds up as the lone setup man.

Man on the Spot:

Zito was underwhelming in Tennessee last year, and anything less than 16 or so wins will be considered a disappointment.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Smartly held onto Bartolo Colon, especially after Sasaki got bid up to such a high price. Made a huge upgrade at 1B with Todd Helton. The late pickups weren't of much note.

I’ll be the second to say I was wrong about this team and I said they’d come in LAST.  Make my crow a double, please.  I’ll give myself an excuse though, that I had no way of knowing Eric Etrain was going to just rob Ireland for the league’s best catcher and Bartolo Colon, who carried this team in October.   That all ads up to me predicting this team to win this time, which is probably the ultimate jinx.  Etrain may make me look bad again by having a fire sale if the first 40 games don’t work out, but for now, the Pedro clock is ticking, so it’s win while he’s there.  I agree with Darin, if this team makes it to the playoffs, anybody who faces them is screwed.  

Offense:

As long as the geritol and the Viagra holds up, they should be top shelf, right?  Seriously, Walker, Vinny and Piazza are all superstars, but age does catch up with ya.  If they hold on for another year (healthy) and thus far underachieving Todd Helton enjoys his new digs, this is no doubt a playoff team.  Middle IF is where the outs are.  Castillo finally got his OBA and steals up, so he could be in for a productive season.  Beltre is just an out.

Pitching:

Nobody can argue with Pedro, Zito and Colon, any of whom could take home the Cy Young, it’s going to be after that where playoffs or golfing is decided, though.  Zito, for reasons unknown, got hit pretty hard last year in Tennessee, so they decided to trade his ass.  That might give him something to prove.  He’s also taking over CY winner Sasaki’s slot, so that’s double the pressure.  Mike Hampton continues to mystify; if he’s got his control, he’s terrific, if not, it’s 8 runs by the 4^th inning.  How patient will Etrain be there?  And Tim Wakefield, well, another try with the old knuckleballer, eh?  Bullpen is pretty solid if Koch can keep the ball in the park and Villareal, last year’s pitching ROY doesn’t go in for the Sophomore Slump.  Rincon is gonna be hella busy. 

Man on the Spot:

Tim Wakefield gets this call more often than anybody.  But as usual, it’s going to be win immediately or back to the minors for the league’s only knuckleballer.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Decided that Sasaki’s best days are behind him and let him go.  Ran up the price on Mulder but couldn’t pry him from Ellas (payback for Pedro? Some front office bad blood?).  Helton could be a fine pick up if he plays to his ratings, which is a big if.  What looked like late round chaff—Wakefield, Rincon, Biddle, and Hammond—actually ends up being about half the pitching staff.  That’s going to make Etrain look like a bargain hunting genius or a cheap bastard depending on how they do. 

The Flyers have come in last place two years running, and its time for the team to turn the corner. Not because they've gotten a whole lot better, but another cap hit might put this team in a financial hole that's too deep to ever dig out of. GM Jim Masters put his best foot forward in the auction, but came away with relatively few players. Those he did land are vast improvement over their 2005 counterparts, so things are moving in the right direction. The team has a very long way to go to be serious contenders, however, and have to hope that the Sabers are just that much worse than they are to avoid another hit to the pocketbook. 

Offense:

The big news this year was that Alex Rodriguez followed the money trail to the lowly Flyers, but will the fans get to enjoy him on Opening Day? No, as insider sources tell us that he's being kept in Charleston to avoid injury. Why? A rumored trade has him rejoining his London teammates in a multi-player deal involving Andy Pettitte. If that's true, then what are we left with here? More or less the same lineup as last year, which did show a lot of improvement from 2004. Veteran Roberto Alomar now leads off in front of the young and improving Beltran, Kearns and Morneau. Kearns broke 100 RBI last year, which was really big news in Atlanta. Halifax castoff Mark Texeira joins the team as well, adding a useful switch-hitting stick to the middle of the lineup. Though A-Rod would have made this whole lineup look a lot better, it's still capable of doing some nice things.

Pitching:

Take away Mike Fetters, and the remaining 10 pitchers on this staff have just 16 combined years of major league experience. That includes 5 rookies, four of whom are in the bullpen. A lot of on the field training could mean some ugly scores early in the year. Miguel Ascencio had a whale of a spring and earns the Opening Day start. We don't know who he is either, so don't feel bad. Such is the life of the fan of what has quickly turned into a small market team. Joe Nathan has a lot to live up to with that new contract, and Jake Westbrook has to recapture some of last year's early magic. Jon Switzer is a rookie who had a fine spring as well, and could be a good lefty in the rotation. Two rookies setting up another rookie in the late innings? Hope every seat at Quo Vadimus Stadium is equipped with barf bags.

Man on the Spot:

Joe Nathan leveraged Atlanta's utter lack of pitching into a $9 million/year deal. An 8-15 season may see him get strung up outside the stadium.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

You've got to hand it to Masters, he tried like hell this year to get just about every big name you can think of. He had the winning bid on 7 of the first 15 players in the auction, all of which were matched except 1 (A-Rod). Paid a lot for Joe Nathan, probably out of frustration of losing all those other bids. Roberto Alomar comes over from the Diablos and is a big upgrade at leadoff. Varitek was another good addition, though he is starting on the bench.

Like a gambler who’s just bet the kids’ college fund on the next blackjack hand, GM Jim Masters goes into this year sweating and twitchy as it’s really make or break time.  The Flyers don’t have to win the division, but if they come in last again, they may come in last forever as they are on the verge of losing the salary cap room to bid for anything but guys other teams don’t want.  I think, maybe hope, that Atlanta can beat Savannah this year and I believe if it’s close, Masters is going to treat it like he’s playing for the World Series.  Then, again, maybe this team CAN win the division, since who though Halifax was going to be playing for a title last year? 

Offense:

The Flyers were just below average in runs, homers, and BA.  Nothing awful, nothing good enough to compensate for shitty pitching.  Also, nobody who was a real seat-packing star.  That was supposed to change with the $12mil signing of arguably the best Shortstop ever, A-Rod, but, much to the fans chagrin, he’s starting the season in Charleston as he seems bound to return to Europe as soon as his salary can be converted to Euros or used to buy Luxembourg.  So now it’s back to Fick, Kearns and Beltran, eh?  Well, at least Robbie Alomar is going to be leading off, which is better than the Pierre/Castillo duo of disappointment.  Some of these guys like Fick and Morneau are a lot better than you’d think they are and there’s no reason they can’t play winning ball if this team’s ERA is above average this year (which it ain’t gonna be, but, hey, in theory…).  Mark Teixeira really needs a good year for this offense to gel.

Pitching:

A delicate topic, to say the least.  The Flyers had the worst ERA in the league last year by a third of a run, which in this league is substantial (the BEST ERA was only about a run and third less).  Are they better this year?  Umm, maybe--and that might depend on if Andy Pettitte is about to join the staff.  Even if he does, there’s still some big problems.  Like, oh, Miguel Asencio starting opening day.  Not exactly Pedro Martinez, we know.  Nor are 3 more of the staff—Westbrook, Journell and Switzer who went a combined 1-14 against bush leaguers in Spring Training.  If you think the bullpen is better, try 4 rookies being baby sat by Mike Fetters.  Yeah, did I mention the GM is sweating bullets?  Then, on top of that, you’ve got the $27million you chucked at Joe Nathan who went 0-3 in Spring Training.  Got your Xanax handy?

Man on the Spot:

Yeah, it’s Joe Nathan, alright.  A deceptive guy with a good moving fastball, Nathan has managed to put up good ERAs and keep the ball out of the stands in two years between Bedford and Ellas, though Cy Young type win totals have eluded him.  Now, he’s getting Barry Zito money and it’s time to put up better than 13-12.  He had such an awful spring, though, the Flyers gave opening day to Asencio to take the pressure off.  Not a good sign.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Masters did everything he could to free up cash to make the big moves but had a frustrating off season as he couldn’t throw enough cash at big stars to lure them to a basement dwelling team.  Except A-Rod and his money obsessed agent Scott Boras, that is.  A-Rod may turn out to be the trade bait that Masters uses to help the team more than one guy can do, however.  Give props for picking up well above league average C and 2B at reasonable prices.  Joe Nathan won’t be renting in Atlanta as that contract should guarantee he’s a Flyer for a long time.

After a slow start, the Diablos surged to a tie for the wildcard at season's end last year. They lost the one game playoff to the eventual champs, but walked away with a lot of confidence going into 2006. Unlike the '04 season, today's Havana squad is built around a core of extremely talented young hitters (with more waiting in the wings), and with the right mix of veterans to fill out the roster, could be considered by some to be the favorite to win the division. The team lost some key players, however, so it will be interesting to see if the young superstars can carry this team to their first post season berth. 

Offense:

The Diablo's lineup is now built around last year's Rookie of the Year and his runner up, Jason Lane and Jeremy Reed. These corner outfielders could be the cheapest pair of run producers in the league this year, making just $1.5 million combined (a big step up from the $400k they made last year). Jose Reyes struggled at the leadoff spot last year, but flourished lower in the order. But with Roberto Alomar now playing in Georgia, the young shortstop will have to adapt to the role of table setter in order for this team to go. A healthy year from Lowell and typical production from Edmonds and Pudge Rodriguez should be plenty to put this team near the top of the league in runs scored. Alomar and Floyd will be missed, but the question is how much?

Pitching:

The starting staff last year were consistently okay. No one was great, but no one was bad either. What Havana needs is for one of these guys to take a few steps forward and be the ace of the staff, as five guys winning 12-14 games isn't likely to be enough to get to the World Series. Mike Mussina is now pitching overseas, leaving a spot in the rotation open for whoever could step it up in spring training and take it. Some scouts put their money on rookie Bobby Brownlie, but in the end, it was Danny Haren who was the clear winner. Will he keep these numbers up, or will he cool off to his career 5.25 ERA? This bullpen just couldn't recapture their '04 magic, and could be quite an adventure in late innings.

Man on the Spot:

Jim Edmonds has great career numbers, but he takes the place of last year's batting champion. He ain't gonna hit .347, but anything less than around .285 will be a disappointment.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Did what they had to to keep Rodriguez and Santana in the fold, leaving them with a modest amount of cash to further upgrade the team. Jim Edmonds came at a bargain price, as did Ray Durham and Milton Bradley. Spring numbers point to Danny Patterson as being money poorly spent, but the regular season could be another story. Klesko and Anderson were good but cheap backup players.

Apparently I’m not doing this team any favors by picking them to make the playoffs as they’ve done nothing but give me and their GM disappointment and frustration.  So, I’m not putting much faith in this team this year, despite what are undeniably some promising young stars.  It would shock me none to see this division wind up with 3 or 4 teams within 3 games of each other for first place so every game counts.  That means Johan Santana and Danny Haren have to win right from the start and the bullpen can’t piss away games Wood, Kim, and Maddux are leading in.  I just don’t have faith both those things are going to happen.  I’d be happy to be proven wrong, though, as this team is “due” to make a trip to the postseason.

Offense:

Havana cashed in the farm system last year and produced dueling ROY candidates in the OF with Reed and Lane going down to the wire until Reed got injured at the end of the season.  Along with woefully underpaid Erubiel Durazo, they are a cheap and productive offense.  There are some questions about whether they are good enough to compete with more expensive rosters.  Jose Reyes looks ready to take on the role of leadoff man after a spring with a .345 OBP, but he’s never been more than a slap hitter.  Pudge is starting to show some rust and he’s never hit for a high average.  Ray Durham?  The guy has endless comeback seasons, but does he have one more left in him?  Most of all, can Mike Lowell (subject of constant trade rumors) cut it hitting 3^rd or 4^th every day with his career .507 slugging percentage?  One very nice move was adding Jim Edmonds who adds pop and superior defense in CF where Reed and Lane aren’t going to win any gold gloves.

Pitching:

All that bargain shopping on offense allows this team a gold plated front four in the starting rotation.  Wood, Maddux, Kim and Santana are pushing $30million, a pretty hefty sum.  While they had similar win totals, by ERA Wood was clearly the ace.  However, money and politics put Kim up on opening day.  Wood’s contract is up this year and unless Keesing is cool with a $40mil starting rotation, he may be in his last year as a Diablo.  The bullpen was a tragedy last year, so Patterson was brought in at just under $4mil in cost.  He and Percival are expected to hold the fort down as Eischen, Lopez and Mantei all had ERAs in the 5.50 and above range last year.  All are capable of better, however.  Danny Haren is on a short leash as the 5^th starter. 

Man on the Spot:

While Haren risks losing a job if he doesn’t win out of the gate, Johan Santana’s fat contract makes him more the man to watch in terms of deciding what went right/wrong on this team.  If Santana can’t win more than half his games or put up an ERA under 5.00 that’s a lot of money pissed away on a dime a dozen lefty.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Keesing’s best moves may again be the little ones.  Klesko has been terrific off the bench and Edmonds is worth way more than $4.5mil.  That may all be moot if Johan Santana turns out to be $8.5mil down the drain for a sub .500 guy who won’t retire and can’t be traded.

In a bizarre missing persons case that remains unsolved, owner And McDonald has vanished into thin air this off season, leaving the team powerless to make roster moves. Luckily the commissioner found a new GM during spring training, as the team is too good to be left unattended. Doug Hoepker inherits a solid roster that's only key loss was the retirement of Kevin Brown. The team finished in third place a year ago, so does it have the players to make a run at the division title in '06? There is no dominant team in the division, so with a good lineup and some stud pitchers, the Rounders should at least compete for a playoff spot.

Offense:

The real Albert Pujols showed up last year, and probably should have gotten more MVP votes than he did. 53 HR and 131 RBI is nothing to sneeze at. Hank Blalock and Garret Anderson provided tremendous offense from two tricky positions, and Adam Everett was fantastic at leadoff. They are all back, though the fragile Mike Matheny is still out 2-4 weeks mending his broken hip. The team would like more production from Tejada and Drew, and is Sean Casey worth benching Matsui?  

Pitching:

It hurts to lose your top win man, and now the rotation is only decent out west. Tim Hudson is now the man in Vegas, and you could certainly do worse. Roy Halladay, well, sucked hard last year, so he needs to step it up to justify being the #2 guy in the rotation. As a matter of fact, Lohse, Appier and Lidle were all bad as well. Hope pitching coach Bob Gibson has been putting in extra work this spring. Lidle and Halladay appeared on the right track, but Appier was 0-6. Oops. The pen is real good, with basically 3 closers to choose from to shut the door at the end of the game.

Man on the Spot:

Roy Halladay needs a comeback of the year caliber season to keep this team in contention. Anything like last year's numbers could spell doom for the Rounders.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

As we said before, there was no one to run the team, so nothing came from the auction. The team only had 3 roster spots to fill, however, so a few pickups from the free agent pool in spring training shored up the roster nicely. The team really didn't need much this off season.

It seemed hard to believe the defending champs wouldn’t take their division last year with a fat payroll and loads of talent.  But, apparently bored with day to day baseball operations, ownership decamped and let things run into the ground.  So the payroll and the talent is back, but the ownership is new as Doug Hoepker takes over and tries to get the team back on top.  The only reason to think he can’t is some iffy starting pitching which of course didn’t stop the team from winning a WS in 2004.  Still, losing Kevin Brown and Felix Rodriguez could be more painful than first glance makes you think as that means Kevin Appier and Jake Peavey can’t be sent to purgatory as they should be. 

Offense:

They seem as potent as ever with Hank Blalock ready to bust out and JD Drew aiming to redeem himself.  Pujols played like, well Pujols, last year with 53 HRs and 131 RBI.  Matsui hit .334 again and Adam Everett racked up 718 AB as the lead off man.  I’m not sold on Sean Casey at 1B and John Buck is pretty much a sub par C, but those aren’t huge holes.  The key to the offense might be whether JD Drew can bounce back or not.  If he can score 100 runs, they should be in business.  I expect a trade at 1B sooner or later. 

Pitching:

Here’s where the team seemed to fall off the top shelf, especially when ownership was content to let Jake Peavey and Roy Halladay keep racking up losses.  The pen was also full of holes with Appier, Lidle and Remlinger getting beaten on pretty regularly.  Unfortunately, they are all pretty much still there, with Peavey moved out of the rotation and Appier and Lidle in.  That’s not reassuring.  Especially Lidle who has gotten some severe thumpings in this league.  Set up and closer are solid with Nen, Izzy, and Smoltz—last year’s Rolaids man—all capable of being closers on most teams.

Man on the Spot:

Nobody has believed enough in Kevin Appier to let him start a game in 2 seasons of SLB.  That’s probably good judgment, but Kevin gets his shot at proving us all wrong.  If that doesn’t work—back to Jake Peavey?  Aargh.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Blew so much cash the previous offseason, there wasn’t much to do busy owner or not.  Didn’t do anything to replace retiring Kevin Brown, though, which stands to hurt pretty bad. 

In what was one of the most interesting off seasons I've ever been a part of, the biggest disappointment had to be how little the Sabers improved themselves. Savannah had nearly $30 million to spend this off season, but was very sheepish in the auction, unwilling to pay big bucks for the big names. The end result was just a few new faces and a pile of unused money. Saber fans have to wonder what management is doing, especially after seeing how quickly Ireland improved themselves. The only thing between this team and a salary cap hit is Atlanta.

Offense:

Not terrible, but probably not good enough to outscore the starting pitching. Jeter and Berkman are legit, and Nevin and Kotsay can contribute as well. Burroughs was very good in limited at-bats a year ago. Probably one too many 15 HR, 50 RBI guys in the middle of the lineup...a big bopper from the auction would have really helped. With all this money, management should be open to any and all offers to bolster the lineup. 

Pitching:

This staff is very strange. On the one hand, you have a terrific bullpen, with guys like Farnsworth and Mota in middle relief (when they might be setup or closers on other teams). On the other hand, you have a mighty suspect starting rotation, so the bullpen might not matter. Horacio Ramirez needs to have a break out season while Meche, Hernandez and Benson all need to improve on career numbers. That's too much to ask I'm afraid.

Man on the Spot:

If Sean Burroughs is great in the #2 slot in the lineup, the offense runs much smoother. He hit over .300 both last season and in spring training, so his success could be a good bet.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Seemed timid about spending money despite going into the auction with $27 million. Basically swapped Lance Berkman for Aubrey Huff in the offense. Kris Benson was the only other auction pick up, leaving a lot of money on the table at the end of it all. Though they ended up spending the money filling out their roster from the pool, the team could have done much better in the auction considering their resources.

Maybe I’m just rooting too much for Atlanta by picking this team last, but the Sabres starting rotation sure looks like they could lose 100 games.  Lance Berkman was the only addition of note on the offensive side and that hardly puts the fear of god in you either.  Rich Vohs got spooked at any big contract in the offseason and probably left this team outgunned.  That may mean a year of suffering and an attempt to get “Ireland money” stashed away after a last place finish.  

Offense:

Always a sore spot, the Sabres traded Mulder to pick up Thome and Kent off Ellas last year, which worked pretty well (at least it kept them out of the basement) but Thome was let go and Kent retired, so now it’s back to Nevin and Loretta.  Yeah, Berkman is here and Burroughs may be the most talented 3B in the league (sans the power of Glaus), but that all doesn’t add up to much more than 725 runs, I think.  And that, with this staff, won’t cut it.

Pitching:

By far the goofiest collection of arms in the league.  How’s the best bullpen to go with the worst starting rotation strike you for back-asswards?  Start with the rotation, which just reeks of last place: Gil Meche, 5.31 ERA last year in limited starts is the new “ace” (remember Mulder, Miller and Escobar?  Try not to).  He’s joined by Horacio Ramirez, Livan Hernandez, Kris Benson, and Mike Maroth—career ERAs of 5.04, 5.44, 5.34, and 7.22 (oof), collectively.  Can you say, “long season?”  Yeah.   On the bright side, Farnsworth, Mota, Marte and K-Rod are as good a bullpen as it gets should Savannah manage to have any quality starts. 

Man on the Spot:

Kris Benson does have quality stuff and there’s no reason he can’t rise to being the “ace” of this staff.  Maybe he’s in for a comeback type year where he has an ERA around 4.05 and wins 13 or 15 games.  Otherwise, you could pick Maroth whose odds of being in the majors past the All Star break are slim and none.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

A gaping yawn.  Berkman was a nice pick up had they not lost Huff, which cancels it out.  Not keeping Thome seems to waste both the Mulder trade and the cash that was left on hand.  Maybe they felt Nevin was as good for less.  

One prediction we got right last year was that if the Thunder stayed healthy, they would be the team to beat in the South. Well they avoided the DL, and ended up with the best record in the SLB as a result. Great hitting, solid pitching, and a good enough bullpen did the trick, though the team bowed out early in the playoffs. Now under new management, Tennessee has a new look for its fans for 2006. 11 new faces on the 25 man roster is a big turnover, so who knows where this team will end up by year's end. On paper, however, the team doesn't quite look as strong. Good enough to win the wildcard? Of course, but knowing GM Ben Royer, there is still dealing to be done. 

Offense:

The free agent auction was not kind to the Thunder, and the offense is where it hit hardest. Fans can't be happy about seeing Edmonds, Lopez and Garciaparra replaced with Patterson, Pierzynski and Renteria, all of which are statistical downgrades. Corey Patterson has never really been given the chance as a full time starter, so he could very well be a great fit for this ball club, but only time will tell. Rolen and Giles will still be your big bashers, but it wouldn't hurt to see Bobby Abreu's RBI total a little higher than 75. 

Pitching:

This is where there could be big problems. New management brings a new vision of the rotation, and with Zito traded to Philly, only Carlos Zambrano and Joe Kennedy return from last year's rotation. Jason Jennings is now in long relief, while second year pitcher Joel Hanrahan finds himself in Moscow with the AAA club. Brad Radke (who has the best agent in baseball) gets yet another shot at a starting rotation spot despite two years of, well, badness, and Jon Garland is a second reclamation project in the starting five. Oliver Perez was 6-13 last year, but he's the #3 starter. The rotation needs some help, and it may not be long before Pat Hentgen slots in or we see Jennings back in the rotation. The bullpen is in much better shape, though Danny Patterson will be missed.

Man on the Spot:

So many to choose from. We'll give you two: Corey Patterson could be a difference maker at leadoff if he can hit .280+ and steal bases. Brad Radke is pitching on borrowed time at this point in his career. So flip a coin.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Paid to keep their restricted FA's, but lost some good unrestricted guys for low bids. Reeled off a string of cheap signings late, but losing Edmonds, Lopez and Nomar is going to hurt regardless. 

I’m not so comfortable picking this team for first, save for the fact some players here had off years last season and could be back in form this year and I have some faith in new owner Ben Royer to be able to diddle with things to make up for the losses of some big FAs.  The biggest question is how much work will need to be done to sort out the starting rotation and make trades if necessary.  Tennessee could suffer the same fate as the Evzones last year who played cattle call for 80 games before trading their way to a competitive staff.  Likewise, too much screwing around here and it’ll be too late.  But, I’m still going with this team as the favorite so long as Abreu and Zambrano have breakout years and the Giles brothers have comeback years, I’ll be proven right.

Offense:

Any team with Abreu, Rolen and the Giles brothers is going to score.  Whether this is a top 5 offense or not probably depends on whether C-Pat and Renteria hit around .300 (in which case, yes) or .250.  Renteria/Polanco may be about a wash with Nomar who never really was as good as you expect him to be.    Patterson won’t make you miss Edmonds since that’s 34 HRs out the door, but he could score a buttload of runs if he hits .300.  Pierzynski is no Javy Lopez, we know that.  However, both Gileses are capable of better seasons and Abreu went buckwild in Spring Training, so you never know if this offense will be worse or better.

Pitching:

Here’s where the rubber is going to meet the road.  Zambrano is practically unhittable when healthy, so he’s the ace, no disputes there.  The other 4 have all had their ups and downs.  Radke can shut a team out, but he’s also been prone to giving up 4 HRs a game.  He could easily be the Comeback man if he pulls it together behind a sharp offense.  Oliver Perez has also shown moments of brilliance.  If they don’t work out, Abreu or Brian Giles can be floated for trade bait, but Tennessee would just as soon keep those guys.  Osuna was dealt in a late trade leaving LaTroy Hawkins as the only rock solid reliever as Matt Anderson has been inconsistent.  We know what those bad bullpens catch up with you even though you hate to dwell on relievers as major parts of the team.

Man on the Spot:

Corey Patterson was supposed to be the CF of the future for Ellas but they threw him off in a deal to Philly after Preston Wilson was signed.  C-Pat never got a chance to prove he could play.  If he can put up 20 HRs and 60 steals, this team could have a heck of a leadoff man.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Not being around to bid on Nomar, Edmonds and Lopez hurt.  How much we’ll only know later. 

No Bonds? No Problem! That's the marketing campaign of the 2006 Ellas Evzones, as management feels that the team is even stronger than a year ago despite the retirement of the two time MVP. The money freed up by Bonds' departure meant GM Tom Hey could focus on bolstering a mediocre pitching staff and filling in around the established stars, and with the team reloaded, expect them to fly by the 80-82 record of a year ago. A division title is not out of the question, especially if the Invaders can't live up to the hype. The pitching suddenly looks good and the lineup is full of all stars, so buckle up for another high scoring Evzones squad. 

Offense:

Somehow, Pete Incaviglia gets the most out of his hitters, despite their skill level. How else can you explain the success of youngsters Chase Utley and Al Pepper; two guys who haven't gotten high grades from scouts, but still tear it up at the plate? Sandwiched around all stars like Everett, Bagwell and Nomar, these two young infielders could do a lot of damage without superstar skills. Mike Rivera continues to be an under appreciated catcher in this league, especially considering that he could end up with 30 HR and 85 RBI from the #8 spot in the order. 

Pitching:

This was truly the achilles heel of the the Evzones in 2005, but great strides have been made to upgrade. Mark Prior should rebound from a sloppy second half, and a full season of Mark Mulder and newcomer Wade Miller bodes well for the front of this rotation. Kurt Ainsworth is a serviceable fifth starter, but rookie Chris Bootcheck may have a rough go of it. He did well in rookie ball last year, but has gotten roughed up against major league hitting. Could be a sore spot this year, as the backups (Nomo, Weaver) aren't any better. A healthy year from Mariano Rivera would got a long way towards shoring up this pen (and keeping Ed Yarnall out of the closer's role). The team needs Weber and Ramirez to hold down the fort, especially when the #4 and #5 starters are on the mound.

Man on the Spot:

Wade Miller has not had a winning season yet in SLB, but that always seemed due to bad run support. Well this team is gonna score runs for you big boy, so it's time to earn that contract.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

With all that Bonds money to spend, the team took a "no holds barred" attitude into the auction. They ended up paying through the nose to keep Mulder, but 18 wins from him makes it all worth it in the end. Hey also added Wade Miller for a moderate sum, plus Bagwell and Garciaparra on the cheap. Overall, the team upgraded nicely.

I’m loathe to jinx my own team by picking them to win, but 1-3 in the rotation Ellas is as good as anybody save Philly and this offense has no easy outs.  Bootcheck’s tryout as 5^th starter could get ugly and the pen is unimproved from last season, so they could end up blowing extra inning and 1 run games again, but compared to the losses Paris and London took, Ellas seems more prepared to build on last year.  They probably can weather injuries so long as they don’t befall the top 3 starters, too.

Offense:

Basically, Bonds is replaced with Sosa, which means, if last year’s Sosa shows up, you lose maybe 30 HRs and 30 RBI.  If 2004 Sosa shows up, you may be in last.  But that’s not a huge hit if that’s all that Bonds retiring gives up.  Then you add Nomar, who has more power than Bernie Castro and the question marks are Utley and Pepper who both hit the cover off the ball in Spring Training.  Potentially, everybody in the lineup could hit 25 HRs, which is impressive indeed.  Bagwell and Sosa are both getting a little long in the tooth, but they seem like good bets for 40 HRs if not .300 averages.  If Pepper can really hit .310, he’ll make a huge difference as Tony Batista had a pretty lackadaisical year and is better suited as a backup.

Pitching:

Losing Woody Williams, Kenny Rogers and Moyer hurt more than GM Hey expected.  The ensuing tryouts to find a replacement only found that Ainsworth was a capable 5^th starter while John Webb, John Lackey and Kirk Rueter caused some Greeks to go back to soccer.  Give Hey his due, though, from a 2004 starting 5 of Schilling, Oswalt, Williams, Moyer and Rogers he dealt and spent to having Prior, Mulder, Miller, Bootcheck, and Ainsworth who are all under 30 and potentially as good as any team in the division as soon as Pettitte is off of London.  Quite a turnover.  The bullpen is solid in middle relief where Erasmo and Ben Weber seem to rarely end up with an L, and in the closer role if fragile Mariano Rivera can go a whole season.  Short relief is the nightmare waiting to happen with Ed Yarnall (Evzones can’t seem to shake him) and Scott Williamson who is big league underachiever.  

Man on the Spot:

When asked in the offseason who was replacing Bonds in the order, Milt Pappas responded, “I guess Chase Utley.”  That drew a round of laughs.  Nobody’s laughing after the kid went positively batshit in Spring Training with a 1.059 OPS. And he’s a 2B.  If that’s for real, he could keep the MVP trophy in Athens, if not, it’s one cruel ST joke.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Hey unloaded salary during the year and set up his FA rotation to allow him to protect 2 good pitchers.  It didn’t really work out as Mulder was no bargain and Nathan’s salary got beyond what seemed reasonable.  Miller is probably getting what he’s worth and Bagwell and Nomar were steals.  Don’t be surprised to see Scott Speizio or Rob Bell turn out to be nice bargain deals. 

It's a lot to ask your fan base to suffer a year of terrible baseball and to trust that you'll reward them a year later. Ireland management did just that, and they've delivered on their promise. But can all this new talent mesh into a cohesive team that can compete in a tough division? Can a team go from first to worst to first again in just 3 seasons? I'm predicting them to do just that, if for no other reason than I would be extremely impressed if the plan worked. Because if GM Tony Blake can do it, that leaves no excuses for any other teams in the league to be bad long term, right? If they do, it sets the bar pretty high for off season expectations for everyone.

Offense:

Improved? Sure. But far from perfect. Boone, Helton and Sheffield are gone, so management had to dig out from that hole to begin with. You're probably not going to find a better outfield anywhere in SLB, with Ramirez, Floyd and Mondesi left to right, but outside of Delgado at first, the infield is pretty suspect. With platoons at C and SS, plus a rookie at 2B, this lineup certainly has its holes, and Koskie leading off? Less than ideal. But hey, how much can we ask in one off season? 

Pitching:

Pretty darn good. Cy Young winner Kaz Sasaki joins a rotation that was already pretty good when healthy last year. Sabathia is solid, Clement is seemingly enjoying the cool climes of Dublin, and El Duque continues to be an underrated hurler. Derek Thompson has had a great spring and could be invaluable as a second lefty in the rotation. Some nice upgrades to the back of the bullpen put this team in great shape pitching wise.

Man on the Spot:

Matt Clement was terrible in Havana in '04, but pretty good in Ireland in '05. So which one will show up this year? The answer could turn this team in two very different directions.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

A+. Carrying around $50 million of cash into the auction, GM Tony Blake was like a kid in a candy store. In the end, he walked away with basically a whole new lineup. Last year's batting champ, two former division MVP's and last year's Cy Young winner all move to Dublin this summer, marking what may end up being the greatest rebuild in the history of simulated baseball. Bravo!

We both thought that Tony Blake had done a masterful job dealing with the fallout of having a team built to win the first season no matter the consequences.  We were wrong as the bottom fell out and Blake quickly went into fire sale mode, probably crowning Philly league champs in the process.  So it goes.  Now SLB’s own H. Wayne Huizenga is trying to just buy a new roster of world champion FAs.  I don’t think this team is going to be in last again, but when a team shakes it up this much, who can really predict anything?  One thing is for sure, have some name tags around because that opening day roster is full of colored names.  

Offense:

On the one hand, you marvel at the new OF of ManRam, Floyd and Mondesi, which is probably going to be the starting OF for the All Star game.  On the other, Corey Koskie is not a ideal lead off hitter and Juan Uribe is this league’s Mario Mendoza.  I do not think this is the top offense in this division, but they are certainly going to be able to score enough runs to win for the top 3 starters, it would seem.  Still C and SS are almost automatic outs, which, in comparison to Paris and Ellas is why I’ve got this team pegged 3^rd.

Pitching:

The odd journey of Kaz Sasaki continues; from reliever to starter to Cy Young to one of the highest paid players in the league.  He’s now the ace with sub 4.00 ERA Clement and Sabathia behind him.   Then you have reliable El Duque and the ubiquitous iffy 5^th starter: Derek Thompson.  Overall, a staff on par with the rest of the division if Thompson can do anything useful.  Felix Rodriguez and Arthur Rhodes spruce up the pen, which, with Tim Worrell also back in the dugout, is probably better than the Evzones and maybe better than the Pimps.  If it comes down to that, IRE could have an advantage.  Blackley in long relief is an eyesore and Blake has to hope that he doesn’t see much action.

Man on the Spot:

I’m going with 2B Scott Hodges.  He hit .412 last year in a short call up, and while he won’t do that, he could be the X factor if he can hit, say, .280 with some pop.  He’s going to have plenty of RBI opportunities with Mondesi, Ramirez and Delgado in front of him.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

What more can you really say?  It was a spending orgy.  While the OFs came cheaper than most people think they should have, Blake got them since few other teams felt a need to bag a big OF bat.  He also had the cast to land Sasaki and pick up some relief help.  The only downside is all these long term contracts could make next offseason a mess if some players win awards or have general salary increases.  Ireland’s hands may be tied for a couple of years.

The '05 Knights had the best pitching in the league last year. Well that got them an 80-82 record, as they lost a lot of 3-2 ball games. The starters actually kept the team in first place through July, but eventually the lack of run support caught up to the team, and Paris blew by for an easy division title win. The cash strapped GM couldn't hold onto the good bats the team had, as A-Rod, Delgado and Berkman all sought bigger paychecks elsewhere. Rumors have A-Rod coming back, and a deal with the Pimpernels landed the team Richie Sexson, but the offense could still be iffy. Have O'Hallaran's moves put the team in a better position to win, or is the division just too competitive to hope for a playoff spot? 

Offense:

Not terrible, but definitely lacking pop. Sexson is the only legitimate 40 HR threat in the lineup, so unless the team can manufacture a lot of runs, the team could be in trouble. Ichiro slots up to the leadoff spot, which is probably a better fit for him and the team. If the proposed A-Rod deal goes down, Izturis could shift over to second base, leaving Rule V rookie Esteban German on the bench. Huff, Kendall and the third base platoon have a lot of pressure on them to drive in runs. Failure there and the team is sunk. 

Pitching:

You would think that nothing needed to be done to the league's best pitching staff, but there are new faces none the less. Second guessing the $13 million contract they gave Brad Penny, management sent him across the Channel in the Sexson deal. Mike Mussina was a good free agent pickup, and Carl Pavano could be useful. Bret Myers gives us no hope, however, and Pettitte's imminent departure leaves Jason Davis in the rotation. Davis had a good spring, so all isn't lost there, but this isn't the same staff. The bullpen should be very good, unless Foulke falls apart.

Man on the Spot:

Aubrey Huff replaces Lance Berkman in the outfield, and he needs to be on base a lot if he's going to bat near the top of the order. A good OBP and 100 runs scored will make him invaluable.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Paid a ton to keep Brad Penny, who they ended up trading anyways. Added Mussina, which helps, and eased the loss of Lance Berkman with the addition of Aubrey Huff. Tight finances forced the team to bid adieu to A-Rod and Carlos Delgado, which hurt real bad. 

Alright, I was sure this team was last place last year and they damn near won the division as they spent a good chunk of the season in first.  Now I pick them last again.  Well, look at the offense—do you think they match up with the other three in this division?  Thought so.  Even with A-Rod.  How can London prove me wrong?  Well if Sexson and A-Rod add up to 90 HRs, that’s a good start.  Then you’d have to prove that Jason Davis and Bret Myers are winning pitchers.  It’s not impossible, but I’m still saying last place.

Offense:

You have to consider it improved.  Sexson gives them their first shot at 50 HRs and getting beloved A-Rod back means a potentially great IF with Izturis a potential .300 hitter and Kendall capable of production at C.  But, as god is my witness, as long as Rocco Baldelli is still drawing a paycheck, I won’t call this a GOOD offense.  Hinske and Boone aren’t anything to get thrilled about at 3B either.

Pitching:

Last year, they were the best in the entire league.  Don’t count on that again.  Mussina is a nice addition but losing Penny and Pettitte is hard to fathom.  Especially Pettitte who was a menace to the Euro teams lefty loaded lineups.  Ponson and Pavano now have to really step it up and Myers and Davis are just as likely to post 6.00 ERAs.  Not the same team at all.  Bullpen is still above average even without Brad Lidge.  Jon Lieber is now a part of the pen, which may not last but does seem to offer some good middle inning grunt.  

Man on the Spot:

Opponents crushed Sidney Ponson last year, with his OSlg. .529.  If he can’t turn it around, that’s trouble.  With Zach Day in the wings, there’s little reason to let him or Myers go too long before waivers time comes for a visit.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Showed a fetish for pitching by getting Mussina and resigning Penny despite all the offensive troubles.  Then went manic and traded Penny and Pettitte.  Doesn’t look like smart management from the outside looking in.  Could have gotten an equivalent to Sexson a lot cheaper than what the trade seemed to cost if they’d spent more wisely in the auction. 

Last year's division champs are going to have a tough time repeating, as the roster looks depleted and the division is stronger over all. Is it impossible? Of course not, but simply losing Sexson and Mondesi puts you in a bit of a hole. Granted, the team scored a billion runs last year, so maybe now they are simply above average. The pitching staff sees some new faces as well, so only time will tell if the 'Pimps have what it takes to defend their division title. 

Offense:

Not as mighty as the '05 version, that's for sure. When Tim Raines Jr. and Michael Restovich comprise 2/3 of your outfield, you may have problems. Restovich did really well last year, but can he repeat? If so, the team should be fine, as that would give you 3 legit 100+ RBI guys. Raines needs to start strong or he'll lose that leadoff spot to Rollins real quick. Is Johnny Estrada good enough at catcher? Does anyone trust Rich Aurilia at SS? Important questions. 

Pitching:

For some reason I'm having real trouble evaluating this rotation. On paper, the names don't really impress you, but the stats say otherwise. Jerome Williams is a vastly underrated starter, Dreifort won 14 games last year, and Penny comes over from London (along with his $13 million/year contract) as the ace. Odalis Perez is good enough for a 5th starter you'd think, and the late inning relief is solid. The middle innings could be tricky, and who knows if Dontrelle Willis will ever pitch up to expectations? This was one of the worst pitching teams in the league last year, so any improvement helps the team towards it's goals again this year.

Man on the Spot:

Brad Penny thrived on the Knights, garnering him a huge contract. Can he continue that success this year? The price was Sexson, so he better.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Added Odalis Perez from HAL early, plus paid to retain Lieber and Pavano (who went to LON for Penny). Late additions are of little significance.

GM Michael Taylor has been talking confidently about this team despite the fact that Sexson and Mondesi are playing on division rivals.  He does have a pitching staff he can have some faith in finally and no doubt the bullpen is much improved.  So it’s up to the farm system to fill the holes in the offense and Taylor is known for keeping a more than adequate supply of farm hands squirreled away to allow trades and pitching upgrades.  This season we find out if all the runs scored last year in Paris have anything to do with who wears the uniforms or whether this is just an offense happy park.  Still, I’m picking them second by a hair as Ellas has fewer obvious holes.  I’m also picking them to be world champs since I haven’t been in a league with Taylor where he hasn’t won a title by the third season… 

Offense:

Were in a league of their own last season scoring 966 runs, where 882 was the next best.  Frightening really.  Pretty much no way this team can repeat that, but if you can score 80 less runs and still be in the top 5, you should be OK.  How do they do it?  Flood the zone with extra base hits.  In addition to a whopping 321 HRs, the Pimpernels also led the league in 3Bs and collected more than their share of 2Bs.  Much rides on whether Tim Raines, Jr. and Rich Aurillia blend into the system or start to drag the offense down.  Taylor seems to think Restovich will be as good as Mondesi, which is a heck of an expectation.

Pitching:

Should be much improved unless this is one of those teams nobody can get a good ERA pitching on.  Penny is an ace anywhere and takes a load off Jerome Williams who can go back to dueling with the league’s 3rd starters.  Escobar and Dreifort have also had some fantastic seasons ERA wise and could win a ton of games, which so far they haven’t been able to do on mediocre teams. Odalis Perez had a nasty spring but also carries a respectable career ERA of 4.65.   After screwing around needlessly by putting Billy Wagner in the rotation, Taylor has regained his senses and also added Brad Lidge making the pen formidable so long as Timlin and Stewart don’t have frequent 7^th inning meltdowns.

Man on the Spot:

Darren Driefort can be next to unhittable if he has his control.  A big if.  If he can’t get it together, expect Dontrelle Willis (yeah, number one draft pick Dontrelle Willis) to get back in the rotation.

Free Agent Auction Analysis:

Having not made the World Series, the salary bonus wasn’t enough to allow Paris to really go nuts.  Nor did they think Mondesi was worth the cost.  Paid quite a bit for Odalis Perez, who has hardly proven he’s worth it.  There’s room to criticize, we’ll see if the choices were right soon enough.