Tom and I both predicted this team to finish dead last in the North a season ago, but Atlantic City and it's youthful GM surprised us both, finishing at an even .500 after toying with the thought of a wildcard spot for much of the second half. The confidence seems to be spilling over into '08, as management has bolstered the roster for a serious run at the division crown. Some surprise performances in spring training give the New Jersey faithful hope that this might just be their year, but we all know that March stats are often misleading. Still, this is a solid squad with something to prove, and you can never discount any team with a chip on their shoulder.

After watching the team's top superstar Jim Thome retire, a move had to be made quickly to make up for his run production. GM Jose Guttierez took it a step further, but adding both ex-Sailor Manny Ramirez (cut by Halifax for financial reasons) and Richie Sexson. The team has a legit closer in Eric Gagne, and Brad Penny was seen as a worthwhile gamble to compete for a rotation spot. Even the bench was bolstered with a late trade that picked up Adrian Beltre and Alex Cintron (only giving up Ichiro, who was picked off the FA scrap heap). 

Offense:

The strength of this lineup is clearly in it's 3-4-5 trio of Manny, Richie and Vladdy. Whether the rest of the lineup can help carry the load is the big question this year. Josh Barfield showed some flashes of brilliance early in his career, but has struggled as of late (hit just .250 last year). With Luis Castillo gone, the team turns to Bernie Castro to lead off. Castro had just 14 AB's last year but did lead the league in steals for the Evzones a few years back. Comeback Player candidate? A bunch of platoon situations at the predictably weak positions of C, SS and CF. Perhaps those positions will solidify themselves after 40 games. Not a ton of depth on the team, so everyone has to keep their fingers crossed that one of the superstars doesn't go down for any length of time.

Pitching:

A pretty solid rotation 1-5, though not as good as division rivals Halifax or Philly. Dontrelle Willis earned the opening day start with his 15-9 mark a year ago, as well as a fine spring. Dennis Tankersly really stepped it up this March, pitching 42 solid innings and giving up no homers. The big surprise of the spring was Brad Penny, who went 5-1 in his bid to regain respectability in the league. We know what he did in London several years back, but his career has been on the fast track to nowhere ever since. Is this the team where he lands on his feet? Paul Shuey can be downright nasty, but his endurance is such that you'll be lucky to squeeze 6 innings out of him at a time. The bullpen has the potential to be pretty reliable, but you might see a lot of decisions there if Shuey or Fossum fail to go deep into ballgames. Gagne has had mixed success in his career. Is this an on year or an off? 

Man on the Spot:

Is Dennis Tankersly the #2 starter on a championship team? We'll find out pretty quick, as he must now live up to the expectations of a great spring and a solid 2007 season. The team doesn't have many options to fall back on if he fails, so the pressure is really on. 

Well, last year Darin and I both screwed the pooch on this one.  We thought AC had too much turnover and too little pitching and picked them last only to see them hang with Halifax most of the year.  In fact, the Gamblers seemed a lock for the playoffs in 2007 until the wheels came off all at once, culminating in Jorge Posada retiring to become a Cuban revolutionary.  The team never seemed to recover from that bizarre episode.  So, this season I’m tempted to pick them first, but for now, the Halifax dynasty gets the benefit of the doubt.  GM Jose Gutierrez has established himself as the busiest of SLB owners trading with aplomb and so far his strategy seems to be working.  If the Gamblers can get their middle infielders on base and don’t have too many blown games from the middle relievers, they should be in the playoffs for the first time since the initial season.

Off Season Analysis:

The Gamblers were big players in the off season with a lot of cash and not much hesitation in spending it.  They made a nice move picking up Richie Sexson to take over for Thome and added one of the most feared bats in the league with Manny Ramirez.  Pitching was less eventful as they re-inked Paul Shuey at an exorbitant cost for a guy who can rarely put more than 5 innings up and gambled, no pun intended, on Brad Penny.  Nice late round pick up in Mark Hendrickson.

Offense:

The heart of the offense is Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and Richie Sexson—three of the most fearsome right-handed hitters in SLB.  They should crush below average lefties.  Vladdy should really get a boost from having Ramirez in the lineup.  The question marks center around whether there will be men on base or whether we’ll just see a bunch of solo trips around the bases.  Castro is getting another chance to lead off and if he can do what Crawford did here last year, this team will be in business.  Josh Barfield has become an enigma going from a year where he drove in 120 runs to last year’s miserable .250 performance.  If he goes back to 30 HR and 100 RBI, this could be a top level offense.  Catching is weak, again a legacy of the Posada fiasco.  If Beltre and Garrett Anderson can add value, that’s gravy.

Pitching:

I’m not really convinced this is a championship staff, are you?  Not awful, but Dontrelle Willis has yet to prove he’s an ace.  Likewise, Paul Shuey can be dominating but his endurance is low and going to the pen isn’t going to be a good option for this team.  Tankersley and Fossum put up 4.52 and 4.89 ERAs last year, respectively.  Good enough for winning records, but not overly impressive.  Then there’s Brad Penny who turned one good year in London into an endless saga of hope and frustration for SLB GMs.  Last year he was 10-14 with opponents hitting .302 off him.  Can he find the old magic?  The pen is pretty good late with Hendrickson and Gagne, but middle relief could be this team’s Achilles’ heel, especially if low EN starters mean Hughes and Lawrence get lots of work. 

Man on the Spot:

What happens when you take a .500 ballclub and subtract two of it's best starting pitchers? Very bad things. With the other teams improving around them, the Bedford Crunch are in danger of being left behind. Sure, some decent players were added to attempt to make up for the losses, but overall, this team is worse than a year ago, which doesn't bode well in a competitive North Division. There is work to do here, and with some savvy deals, the team could turn it's fortunes for the better, but as it stands right now, this roster just isn't cut out to compete over a 6 month season. 

Both Josh Beckett and Tim Hudson bolted Brooklyn for the warmer weather (and bigger paychecks) in Las Vegas, leaving GM Richard Gin with a daunting task. He brought back Joe Nathan, who had his greatest successes here in Bedford, and added Ichiro at the last minute to bat leadoff. Otherwise, not much was done to improve the team. Someone in the Crunch front office has to get creative, and quick.

Offense:

If Ichiro can put together a quality season at leadoff, this offense should do okay. We know that Eric Chavez and David Ortiz are going to hit their 35 HR and 95+ RBI, but then what? Geoff Jenkins needs to step it up a bit to give the team three legitimate power threats in the middle of the lineup. Milton Bradley is versatile but not a superstar, while Crosby has good speed, but strikes out too much to bat 2nd. Vidro hit .333 last year and can't make it above 7th in the batting order? It's tough going when Ken Griffey Jr. can't crack your lineup.

Pitching:

Roy Oswalt had a very good season in 2007, and needs to at least match his 17 wins in order to give his team hope for success in '08. Lohse and Harden combined to finish just a game above .500, while Nathan had a rough go (5.01 ERA) in Paris' bullpen. Still, Nathan was very successful in his first go around in Bedford (13-11, 3.68 in 2004). William Bray came out of nowhere to land the 5th starter spot, but he's shaky at best, going just 1-3 this spring. Perhaps his 5-0, 2.57 Rookie League stats were enough to give him the nod for a spot in the rotation. The bullpen isn't terrible, but don't expect miracles here. At least Scott Strickland isn't closing anymore. 

Man on the Spot:

Joe Nathan has to be decent to keep this team from having two holes in the rotation. Expectations for Bray are low, meaning Nathan has to keep teams from having two easy games in a row.

This team really should be better shouldn’t they?  I mean, what gives?  Last year I thought this team could ride Oswalt and Beckett to a division title but the Crunch seem content to be a third place, .500 team, good enough to avoid a cap hit, but not ambitious enough to make the post season.  With Beckett gone and the bullpen distressingly unimproved from the off season, I think this team is destined for a 4^th place finish—or worse.  Maybe the unfriendly air in the NEFAC will help Joe Nathan turn his career around and make William Bray a ROY contender, but I’m not betting on that or this team—not again. 

Off Season Analysis:

Unless Ben Weber, Kris Benson and Torii Hunter get you fired up, this wasn’t much of an exciting off year.  Big money went to get Eric Chavez back and they plunked down $3mil to get Joe Nathan to return to Bedford, but no real impact moves.  The Crunch let Josh Beckett go, which, financially, might have been the only choice, but it’s gonna hurt.  A ray of sunshine came at the end as Ichiro ended up here after his contract was bought out in Cleveland.   He’s ideal for Bedford’s style of play and could be good for 120 runs or more.

Offense:

Give Richard Gin credit, after the first couple seasons had Bedford unable to get runs across, he built an offense that, if they didn’t play half their games in the NEFAC, might be one of the league’s best.  There are three guys who could hit .320 or better in Chavez, Vidro and Ichiro plus real power from Chavez, Ortiz and Jenkins.  Even Crosby, Bradley and Ramon Hernandez can add some power from the difficult up the middle positions.  I’m not really sure why you have Crosby hitting 2^nd and Vidro, a perennial batting title competitor, stuck down in 7^th. 

Pitching:

They don’t seem to be headed in the right direction.  Granted, homer unfriendly Bedford can make any pitcher look better, but the Crunch had a legit ace in Josh Beckett who followed the FA money to Las Vegas and now they are hoping Joe Nathan will fill his shoes?  And William Bray for Derek Lowe?  Those look like downgrades to me.  And the bullpen—oh man, where to start?  You take Felix Rodriguez and Braden Looper out and add Luis Vizcaino (ERA 7.03 2007) and Ben Weber (ERA 6.97 2007)?  Uh-oh.  And Rhodes as closer is hardly automatic.  No sir, I don’t like the looks of this. 

Man on the Spot:

Cleveland is suffering a major crisis, having finished last in the North Division for three years in a row. 2007 was a tough finish, as the Dawgs ended up just a game in back of Philly for fourth place. The team salary cap is down to just $63 million, making it very tough to compete on the free agent market with teams able to spend upwards of $20 million more on their roster. Still, GM Mike McAvoy made some solid moves this off season, luring some pretty big names to help turn this thing around.  

Ex-Diablo Oliver Perez (13-10, 4.44) was a nice addition to a pitching rotation that desperately needs a veteran presence. On the offensive side, the team landed three top notch hitters to bolster a young lineup. Scott Rolen, Preston Wilson and JD Drew are all upgrades at their positions, and could help this team slug it's way to victories. The young rotation is going to need every run it can muster this season. 

Offense:

Suddenly looking pretty formidable now that guys like Sizemore, Hafner and Estrada aren't expected to produce the lion's share of the runs. Half of the lineup is turned over from a year ago, but for the better, as Rolen and Wilson are both 100+ RBI guys and JD Drew is a pretty good #2 hitter. Rafael Furcal needs to get on base a lot at the leadoff spot to give these guys someone to drive in. Now that the younger players are moved down in the lineup, expect them to perform better as the pressure is off. Hafner was a few RBI short of 100 last season, and another year like that gives this team a chance to be in the top half of the league in runs scored. 

Pitching:

Really tough to predict how this rotation will do, as they are very young. Freddy Garcia, as we all know, will blow goats and be paid well to do it, but the other four could go good or bad. Sowers won the Rookie Pitcher of the Year award in 2007, but can't afford a sophomore slump as the ace of this staff. The aforementioned Perez anchors down the #2 spot, but he is followed by a pair of rookies. When you have three pitchers in your rotation with one year of experience between them, you could be in trouble. Both Verlander and Ridener had good springs, with Ridener holding opposing hitters to just a .214 average. Verlander was 4-1, 2.22 in Rookie League last season, and management figures now is as good a time as any to give him his big shot. The team was very encouraged by their bullpen this spring, as they were completely unhittable all camp (Baez and Neugebauer combined for 14 1/2 scoreless innings, as Ayala and Eyre posted 1.50 and 1.86 ERA's respectively.)

Man on the Spot:

Oliver Perez is the only veteran with any success in this rotation. Failure to eat up innings and win games could spell disaster for this fragile pitching staff.

This team’s really an effin’ mess, aren’t they?  [buries head in hands for a second]  Okay, forced to say something positive, the additions of JD Drew and Preston Wilson are potentially big improvements and the pitching staff is, eventually, going to be good.  But, if I had to give out a “Worst Run Team Award” this would be it.  They bought out the contract of last year’s big signee Ichiro and also that of Jim Edmonds, both of whom look to do damage on their new clubs.  This means about 5mil in salary out of a little over 60mil total is just wasted.  What’s that all about?  They add Oliver Perez and Freddy Garcia as pitching FAs, neither of whom inspires much confidence.  I’ve been wrong before, but this team looks like 90 losses—if they’re lucky.

Off Season Analysis:

As mentioned above they got Preston Wilson, one of the most productive players in the league, and JD Drew, though they replace Ichiro and Edmonds, so not necessarily a big change.  Scott Rolen at 3B is a big improvement over Garret Atkins.  Oliver Perez has to be better than say, Kaz Ishii, but is he worth $7mil?  We’ll see.  Not much in the way of bargain bin shopping, probably not wise for a team with a low rent payroll.

Offense:

They finished about 10^th in SLB in runs scored but last in HRs, so they need some pop.  Rolen and Wilson should help there.  Much rides on whether Rafael Furcal, injured and down to .264 last year, can push it up around .300 again and score 100+ runs.  With the league full of stacked line ups, what the Dawgs can squeeze out of Estrada, Sizemore and Berroa at the back end could swing 10 games either way in the standings.  If they hit in the .290 range, this team has a shot at .500, if they are in the .250 range, we’re talking ugly.

Pitching:

Not exactly household names are they?  Well, Jeremy Sowers, the 2007 ROY pitcher is the real deal, he had a 3.57 ERA and should be the ace here for the rest of the decade.  Justin Verlander has similar stuff but hasn’t learned how to pitch yet and may struggle.  Eric Ridener is also a promising, if less touted, rookie arm.  If Oliver Perez can win like he did in Havana—a big if—this starts to look like a solid rotation.  I don’t know why anybody still bothers with Freddy Garcia.  The pen is tragic, let’s just leave it at that.

Man on the Spot:

Although the Sailors are weakened compared to a year ago, it's tough not to pick them for first place. The team has won three straight division titles, and you just have to give them the benefit of the doubt until they prove they can't repeat again. That said, this looks more like an 88 win team than a 95+ win team, and that could mean either another division crown or third place this season, it's just too tough to tell. Losing a good starting pitcher, a closer, and a high-powered outfielder in one off season is tough to overcome, but this team has always been deep, and now that depth will be put to the test.

Some financial worries saw Manny Ramirez's contract bought out, leaving him to sign with division rival Atlantic City. The team also chose to let Billy Wagner go, as the roster already had Mariano Rivera on it, plus Octavio Dotel was signed to set up. Mike Lieberthal replaces Javy Lopez, which is a downgrade offensively. 

Offense:

It's pretty much the same lineup as a year ago, minus Manny. Those are big shoes to fill, but rookie Delmon Young finally gets a chance to try. He's platooned with Jay Gibbons in right field, but should be given the chance to play everyday soon. The pressure to score runs now falls on Miguel Cabrera, Hee-Seop Choi and Andruw Jones, who have all shown the ability to produce in the past. Prince Fielder will also have to show his worth now that his rookie year is behind him. Not a ton to say about this lineup that hasn't been said in past seasons. They get the job done, they stay healthy, and they give the pitchers a chance to win every day. 

Pitching:

A.J. Burnett turned his 16-6 season into gold as he fled to Las Vegas and the big contract. That leaves the team with Morris, Halladay and Vazquez, who all had double digit win totals in 2007, along with Brandon Webb (6-4 in relief) and Jason Marquis (8-11 with a high ERA). Solid, especially if Marquis improves. The back end of the bullpen could be rude if Dotel, Wunsch and Rivera all repeat last year's numbers. Middle and Long Relief might be dodgy, but name me a team that that isn't true for... 

Man on the Spot:

Prince Fielder's time is now. He hit 30 HR last year, but drove in just 74. Were hopes too high for this kid after he put up huge numbers in the thin air of Mexico City? It's time to put up or shut up.

Defying the conventional wisdom, the Sailors made it back to the World Series only to fail to stop the Parisians.  Again, the rest of the league has picked talent off the edges of this team, but by now, I’m a believer that the Lars Cain system works so, until proven otherwise, this is the team to beat in the North.  They’ve lost a good C and AJ Burnett, who was under appreciated—well at least until it came time for him to get paid—both of whom are going to be hard to replace.  I don’t think the Sailors can run away with the division this year, but there may be one more year left in the dynasty.

Off Season Analysis:

Not much doing and more going than coming this year.  Next season promises more action as Vasquez, Choi, Webb, and Miguel Cabrera are all up to get big money.  Loss of Burnett will hurt, but he got into the stratosphere salary wise.  Made Dotel the highest paid reliever in the game with about $7mil a year going to him.  We’ll see if he’s worth it.

Offense:

To be honest, they are starting to look a little second-rate.  Last year they were just middle of the pack with 789 runs scored and a .274 team BA.  Now, they lose their only 100 RBI man from last year, C Javy Lopez, and you wonder how they are going to stack up.  Still, with Choi, Andruw Jones and the Cabrera boys, this team is far from without weapons and much will hinge on what the young bucks, Delmon Young and Prince Fielder can make happen.  The Sailors need these two to move from promise to production now. 

Pitching:

They were the best in SLB last year, the only team with an ERA under 4.00 for the year, partly helped by the cold air in Canada keeping balls in the park.  Sans Burnett, they don’t seem likely to keep that ERA that low again, but the front 4 of Morris, Vasquez, Webb, and Halladay are still as good as anybody’s.  Much rides on whether Jason Marquis, who had a 5.47 ERA last year, can step it up and be a winner.  The bullpen is one of the best with Wunsch, Dotel and Rivera as close to a lock as you can have for the last 3 innings.

Man on the Spot:

GM Brian B inherited a Philly team that had everything going for it except for wins. After just avoiding a disastrous last place finish, Phynatics management hopes for a big rebound in 2008. The players on this team are just too good to flop like that again, and after a good spring, fans are hopeful that this team can climb back into the pack in the North Division. 

It was a fairly quiet off season for the team's new GM, mostly due to an unfortunately timed vacation in the middle of the free agent auction. The truth is, the good players were already on this team, it was just a matter of getting them to play to their potential. Some small additions were made to try to tweak the roster into a winning team, but the jury is still out on whether or not it was enough.

Offense:

Not ancient anymore now that Larry Walker and Jeff Bagwell finally retired. The team has a younger, faster look to it, starting with Pierre and Castillo at the top. Both have A+ speed, but whether either gets on base consistently enough to utilize it remains to be seen. Helton and Green are both solid run producers, but Josh Phelps hitting cleanup? It's not like he had an outstanding spring or anything. Val Pasucci surprised everyone with his run production a year ago, and he will need to drive in around 100 again for this team to get the job done. Morgan Ensberg got all the at-bats at 3rd base this spring, hit .362, and was rewarded with a spot on the bench.  

Pitching:

Too many egos on this staff? Too much salary? Something has got to be wrong here, as there is no way a rotation of Wood, Zito, Mulder and Colon should all produce .500 records. The team's ERAs were outstanding across the board this spring, so perhaps fences have been mended. Even Joe Mays pitched well, though it remains to be seen if he can be successful over the long haul. The team has options in Peavy and Westbrook should anyone in the rotation start slowly. The bullpen could be an Achilles Heel, especially Takatsu as closer. How badly will the Phynatics miss Francisco Cordero? Oscar Villareal needs to pitch like he did in 2005, not 2006 or 2007.

Man on the Spot:

Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo at the top. No one in this lineup drove in 100 runs last year, but some consistent speed on the basepaths could change that. 

What a disappointment this team is becoming.  They barely (by a game) managed to stay out of last place last year and it’s tempting to just pick them for last this year.  But, then again, last year they had an AWOL owner and they still have Wood, Colon, Mulder and Zito, don’t they?  So, I’m going to be optimistic and assume Brian B will fix the holes as they become apparent.  Like, for instance the offense which clearly is suffering from losing Larry Walker and Jeff Bagwell to retirement and Derek Jeter to FA.   

Off Season Analysis:

Thanks to the previous owner’s spendthrift ways and addiction to big name pitchers, the new brass had little to work with and just added some roleplayers like Josh Phelps and Brendan Donnely.  Still, not bad moves given what was there to work with.

Offense:

Well, to be frank, they look pretty sucky.  Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo get re-united from their Atlanta days, and I’m not so sure that’s a good thing.  If they both hit .280, they could raise hell on the bases, but there’s no reason to think they will.  Josh Phelps, who nobody else wanted, will bat clean up.  The Pasucci, Varitek, Pepper trio at the back end hardly gives you the sweats, though Pasucci did lead the Phynatics in HR and RBI last year with 37 and 97 respectively.  Shawn Green and Todd Helton are still stars, and both had almost identical years in 2007.  There’s potential here, but it could just as well be a team that hits .257 again, which was worst in the league last season. 

Pitching:

Top heavy would be the easiest description.  Nearly 60% of the organizations’ finances go to paying the top 4 starters.  Of course, if you are going to spend that much on 4 guys, Wood, Colon, Mulder and Zito would probably be that 4.  Joe Mays is an afterthought as 5^th starter.  The bullpen probably isn’t very good, though in the spring they looked great.  Takatsu as closer is scary as he gave up an appalling 22 dingers in 97 innings last year.  The rest, Villareal, Donnely, Biddle, Inferno—each could be a solid guy if not overworked, which, with this staff, might be realistic.  Still, they are hardly a strength. 

Man on the Spot:

I know, it's cruel. I hate myself for it. But despite some great off season additions and a renewed optimism for this perennial cellar dweller, I just don't think they are better than any of the other South teams yet. The gap is narrowed, believe me, but the team still seems too young, especially in the bullpen, and there are still a few too many holes. Give credit to GM Jim Masters, who put together by far his best off season, giving the shot it's first real shot to compete in several years. I hate to rain on the parade, so Jim, prove me wrong!

With ticket sales waning and Georgia baseball fans turning their allegiances to the improved team up north, the Flyers had to make some bold moves to regain some credibility. Rather than adding a token starter as they did in the past, Jim Masters opened the check book and landed three top notch free agent pitchers. The big catch was Carlos Zambrano, who gives the team their first legitimate ace ever. Byung-Hyun Kim defects from Havana, which not only strengthens Atlanta, but in turn weakens a division foe. The third signing came in the form of Zach Day, who went 15-4 for the World Champion Pimps a year ago. Derek Jeter rounds out the major acquisitions of the winter, giving the team some serious veterans to build the team around.

Offense:

Not dominating, but getting better. Masters was quick on the draw after the Free Agent Auction, beating several owners to Mark Teixeira (who was cut by Cleveland after the season). Teixeira should have a career year in the band box stadium Atlanta plays in. Good years from Patterson and Jeter at the top could pay big dividends for this young lineup, especially if Corey can steal 50+ bases. Will Hunting is finally the first of the Blue Chip prospects to break out of Charleston, batting a hefty .336 in the spring with 19 doubles. Could Dennis Dennis Jr. be following soon? The bottom portion of the order won't exactly dominate, but there has been improvement, and the farm system is packed with future hitting stars.

Pitching:

The big three free agents are the good news. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff may be the bad news. The big fear in Atlanta is that this bullpen, which is full of young and experienced arms, won't be able to hold leads for the starters. It's a legitimate concern, as Jon Switzer is the only guy in the pen with a career ERA under 5.00. That's rough, and so there's a lot of work to do to compliment the pitching. Meche and Cotts also look to take some lumps, as both are well below .500 in their careers and both sport career ERA's over 5.00. You have to start somewhere, however, and having just 2 bad starters instead of 5 is a major improvement.

Man on the Spot:

Byung-Hyun Kim, while a major upgrade for this team, is just 2 games over .500 for his career. How will he do on a team with a weaker offense than the Diablo teams he played for in the past? 

This is, by their own affirmation, the make or break year for the Flyers.  I’ve never seen Jim Masters struggle with a team so much, but nothing he’s done here seems to work the way he’s planned it from setting long term goals to building around speed and pitching.  However, this year he’s added three truly dominant starting pitchers in Day, Zambrano and Kim as well as called up some of the top draft picks he’s gotten for compensation through years of futility.  I’d said something to Darin to the effect of “If Dennis, Bailey and Paris are all playing, I’m picking this team 2^nd if not, I’m picking them 4^th or 5^th.”  And so it shall be.  I’m not sure if Jim really thinks Closser, Watson and Meche are better players or if he’s worried about his FA situation 6 years down the line.  If the latter, I don’t have much sympathy since I think you put your best players in the majors and worry about that later.  That may keep this team from ever winning a division, let alone a title.

Off Season Analysis:

I’m not sure anything could have gone much better for the Flyers, who booted everybody off the team last year who wasn’t young or cheap so as to have the ultimate war chest for this auction.  They spent like drunken sailors on pitching, plus added Derek Jeter and signed Mark Teixeira from the waiver wire.  They probably goofed in filling up the roster before spending $10mil that could have been useful in the later rounds, but that $10mil gives them some trade flexibility if they, in fact, do not totally suck this year and want to add a player somebody wants to dump.

Offense:

The Flyers have clawed their way to being a respectable, if not feared offense.  With Dennis Dennis, Jr. and Troy Paris, I think they’d be potentially a .285 hitting club, but for now I think lower middle of the league is what you can expect.  C-Pat has become an above average lead off hitter and could be ready to put a .300 season up this year.  Jeter is capable of production as well, though he’s never been the star he’s been expected to be anywhere.  Hunting is the first of the OF of the future to get the call with Dennis and Kolkhorst still waiting in AAA.  Teixiera and Morneau could both drive in 100 runs as well as never get their names spelled right.  Miles, for a 2B, is pretty solid, hitting .302 last year.  The back end is iffy, especially Closser who, one more time, probably shouldn’t be keeping Troy Paris out of uniform.  Matt Watson got 28 RBI in 476 AB—that’s pretty awful.

Pitching:

The same thing said of Philly could be said here: top heavy.  The hired guns—Zambrano, Day and Kim—are all just nails.  They keep the ball in the park, they are impossible to hit and they can win even for teams that don’t have super offenses.  They could all win 15 games, even on ATL.  Then you have Cotts, who had a 4.32 ERA last year, good enough, and Meche who is frickin’ horrible.  The bullpen is a joke.  Not just bad, but disgraceful.  I suppose the closer was to be Wade Townsand, but he got shellacked in ST so they are giving that job to Mike Crudale, who, so far as I could tell, hasn’t thrown a pitch in a professional uniform yet…   Say wha?

Man on the Spot:

Havana went nuts in 2007, winning 102 games before an early exit in the playoffs. They are still seeking their first World Championship, but it looks like a tougher road this season than last. A pile of good players has retired or left for bigger paychecks, leaving GM Darin Keesing to scramble a bit in the off season just to put together a pitching rotation. How will the new freedom and democracy in Cuba affect the team? Will the new coaching staff keep the team as disciplined as before? And how will the team chemistry be affected with Jose Canseco at the helm? These players better walk the line, or they may see their name in his next tell-all book.

Unwilling to shell out the bucks for Kim and Perez, Keesing found himself with just a three man pitching rotation (with no help in the minors). Late auction signings of Orlando Hernandez and Eric Milton got some warm bodies into the mix, but will they succeed? El Duque had a quality season for Atlanta last year (11-9) and both did well in the spring, so maybe they'll be the steals of the off season. The team was also charged with finding replacements for Troy Percival and Eric Gagne, and only half way succeeded with the signing of Steve Karsay. 

Offense:

Durazo has left for Ireland, Mike Piazza is ready to collect Social Security checks and Mike Lowell is coming off of an injury plagued year. So what does this mean? Expect fewer homeruns and more "small ball" from the Diablos this year. Rookie Esteban German surprised everyone by winning the second base job this spring, giving the lineup essentially three leadoff men (Everett and Sanchez being the other speedsters). Management is hoping the team can run the bases effectively and play some station to station baseball to score enough runs to win every day. Jason Lane is going to need another big year to make up for the loss of Durazo, and Wily Mo Pena and Ryan Klesko need to bring their big bats as well. 

Pitching:

Kaz Sasaki and Johan Santana are probably the best 1-2 combo in the division, but it gets a little dicey after that. Bobby Brownlie had a solid if not spectacular rookie season as the #5 starter in 2007, but now is expected to step up to be a #3, a task that some scouts aren't sure he's ready for yet. How Hernandez and Milton will do is anyone's guess, and the long relief spot is sure to lose a few over the course of the season. The bullpen is pretty solid, but will miss Percival in the ninth. Will Danny Patterson's success in the 8th inning translate in the ninth? Can Wickman repeat last year's solid numbers? Important questions for this coaching staff. 

Man on the Spot:

Bobby Brownlie must build on his rookie season to give this team a chance to repeat as division champs. He pitched nearly 50 innings this spring without giving up a home run, which bodes very well.

Havana may have had the best team they were going to have for a while last season.  Hoping to build on 2006’s trip to the World Series they added marquis players like Eric Gagne and a Kaz Sasaki, but it didn’t get them past Halifax.  You’d be hard pressed to say the 2008 version of the Diablos—now Castro free—is on par with last year’s team having lost Kim, Percival and Gagne.  Still, the team has 2 CY quality starters in Sasaki and Santana, plus a good offense and a top notch pen, so they stand to be somewhere in the playoff hunt.  Winning the South by 14 games seems unlikely, though.  If they get a 3^rd division title, it’ll be scraping by.

Off Season Analysis:

They paid a price for success losing two SPs—Kim and Perez—and Gagne, Durazo (the league’s best bargain for 3 years) and Brian Anderson.  They made no big spending moves, mostly re-signing their guys cheap—like Lowell for the silly cheap price of $1.5mil and Alex Sanchez for $1mil—or snagging 2^nd tier SPs like Eric Milton and El Duque.  Karsay will take the place of either Gagne or Percival, though not both.  Overall, lost more than they got back.

Offense:

They were the 3^rd best offense (distant 3^rd behind berserk Paris and Ellas) in the league last year.  They are probably still in the top 5, if healthy, despite a seeming lack of big bats.  Piazza, the league’s top catcher far and away, is a big part of that.  Jason Lane, seemingly out of nowhere, led the league in HR last year with 50.  I’m not sure he can repeat that, but he’s become the team’s biggest RBI man.  Lowell and Everett are both good for something like 30 HR and 80 RBI each.  Alex Sanchez and Esteban German are both burners who will alternate lead off and 8^th, looking to create opportunities to run.  The Pena/Klesko platoon should be interesting—one may eventually win an everyday job.  They could really use Jeremy Reed turning it up a notch.  Not that 107 runs and 30 HRs is weak, but his .261 BA last year was not progress.

Pitching:

The Diablos had the 2^nd best staff in the league last year, with a 4.11 ERA.  It doesn’t seem they will be that good again, but they won’t be terrible, either.  Much to the dismay of other teams, Sasaki decided to give it one more try and his freakish stuff will likely put him in the CY hunt again.  Johan Santana is emerging as the team’s real ace and led the team with 17 wins last season.  Brownlie went 11-7 with a 4.74 ERA, so he’s basically a “win with run support” guy.  Orlando Hernandez is a 49-38 career pitcher, but his age is diminishing his stuff pretty rapidly—he could be a steal or real eyesore.  My guess is Eric Milton will get hit hard and often in Havana.  The pen is one of the best and Patterson, Wickman and Karsay are all murder in the late innings.  If you don’t get Havana early, don’t bother.

Man on the Spot:

GM Bill Norris took over a Vegas team that was in serious disrepair. While the offense was very good, the pitching was atrocious, and overall the team was in danger of slipping farther and farther away from their championship form of 2004. Norris opened the bank vault and spent huge bucks to revitalize the rotation, giving the team hope for competition in 2008. There are still some big question marks on this team, and the pitching staff, though improved, is far from complete. The team has more veterans than Atlanta or Savannah, which is why we're giving them nod for second place, but a winning record is far from a lock for the Rounders.

Spent money like it was going out of style. Josh Beckett: $13,250,000 a year. AJ Burnett: $13,750,000 a year. Tim Hudson: $7,500,000 a year. There's your new look pitching rotation, coming in at a cool $860,000 per 2007 victory. For those not doing the math, that's just 40 wins combined for these three guys, but they bankrolled their name value into huge salaries. Can a team possibly succeed when three players earn nearly half of the payroll?

Offense:

Less fierce than a season ago, but certainly capable of scoring runs. Losing Brian Giles will hurt, and the mysterious demotion of Miguel Tejada to the bench may cost the team some runs early in the season. Still, they have Hank Blalock (.279, 41, 116) and Alfonso Soriano (114 runs, 58 steals) to make the offense go. The new faces (Bloomfield, Chavez) aren't too impressive looking, and Rule V pickup B.B. Boo-Ya has to get on base to make the offense go. He has unbelievable speed, but his OBP has never been great, even in the minor leagues. Former Division MVP Hideki Matsui finally gets back into the lineup after two seasons of bench duty.

Pitching:

The desert is a tough place for anyone to pitch, but at least there are some proven guys in there now instead of the debacle of Radke, Millwood and Clement. Plus the team expanded their new ballpark and now have the longest fences in the league. But like Atlanta, the pitching staff takes a sharp downward turn after the first three spots in the rotation. Two rookies bring up the rear of the 5-man 'ro, both earning jobs in Spring Training. Andrew Brown (5-1, 3.00) and Larry Brush (2-2, 2.22) had outstanding camps, both coming out of nowhere to win rotation spots. But does a team with hopes to compete for the division title have two rookies pitch back to back every 5 days? The team will likely sink or swim with their seasons. Two more rookies join a young bullpen that is tough to make too many predictions about. Seems like Norris looked at the spring statistics and put the 7 best ERA's in the pen. The team goes north with 15 pitchers this April, making for a lot of options in the pen (but nearly none off the bench).

Man on the Spot:

Ty Bloomfield is batting fifth. Who the hell is Ty Bloomfield?

Maybe things came too easy too early in Vegas; after winning the first SLB title, ownership went the Howard Hughes route and left the team to rot on the vine.  But, last year, Bill Norris, no absentee owner, took over and with trades and off season spending has turned this team around.  How far around, it’s hard to say.  99 losses is probably out of the question but is this a .500 team?  A division contender?  WS material?  Read on.

Off Season Analysis:

Vegas was just reaching the end of contracts for a bunch of players, so Norris had lots of cash to restructure with.  He chose, wisely, to go after pitching.  Now Beckett, Hudson (who once pitched very well in the desert), and Burnett are all Rounders along with RP Kyle Farnsworth.  Almost all flamethrowers.  If they can’t hit it, it can’t go far, right?  Probably overpaid for Blalock given what Lowell, Chavez, and Burroughs got later, but, you live, you learn.

Offense:

Offense has never been a problem in the dry air of Vegas, but it’s not clear, at least on paper, this is an elite offense anymore.  Some of the usual suspects are back—Blalock, Godzilla, Soriano and some speed is now present with Soriano, Boo-Ya (a Rule V gem that resulted from AC forgetting about him) and Endy Chavez.  Will speed really help this team?  And, for Pete’s sake, how can you put Miguel Tejada on the bench?  Andy Abad finally gets to play after a lifetime in the minors.  ROY at 32?  I don’t know.  Bloomfield, Boo-Ya, Chavez, Abad—can these guys get it done? 

Pitching:

Five new faces in the starting rotation—how’s that for cleaning house?  It was certainly called for—Vegas was, by far, the worst pitching staff in SLB last year with a 5.94 ERA.  Yeah, oof.  So, can Beckett, Hudson and Burnett all thrive in a tough park?  I think probably so.  Then you add Larry Brush and Andrew Brown (who didn’t give up a HR in 44 innings of ST ball) and you might have something.  The Rounders have two good closers in Farnsworth and Looper, but middle relief is suspect—not that that’s uncommon.  Having Millwood and Lieber in relief roles could be interesting.  If they adapt well, then Vegas just might have an all around solid pitching staff.

Man on the Spot:

The Sabers showed marked improvement in 2007, finishing a solid third in the division with 75 wins. Fans expect even more from the team this year, as more improvements have been made to the roster, and team confidence is at an all time high. Savannah has benefited from having Atlanta in the division, losing very little cap room over the years despite some poor seasons. Now the team wants to earn some of that money back with a trip to the postseason. I'm not sure the team is quite ready for October baseball yet, but a .500 record isn't out of the question, and a winning record is within reach. GM Richard Vohs needs to seek ways to improve the team all year, and maybe the team will catch lightning in a bottle.

Realizing that pitching was the strength of the team in 2007, management added more arms to further improve the pitching staff. Zimmerman helps bolster a historically bad bullpen, while Mark Buehrle can eat up some innings in the rotation. Jason Kendall is a marked improvement behind the dish. No big superstars were added this off season, but the team is improving incrementally. 

Offense:

Better than a year ago, especially if healthy. Rookie Elmer Davie won a role in the Opening Day lineup with a fine spring (.354, 6, 25). Add him in with Berkman and Dunn, and you have some potential for big run production. Jason Kendall and Joe Crede will likely upgrade the offense at catcher and third, and a good year from Uribe will really help out the bottom third of the order. Not much team speed here with Mark Kotsay leading off, but some high batting averages and good OBP could mean great success for the Saber lineup.

Pitching:

The pitching looked hot in Spring Training, giving Saber fans hope for a big season. Jason Schmidt was nearly unhittable, going three starts without giving up an earned run, and finally giving up just two earned in 28 innings. Mike Hampton looks ready to improve on his 10-12 2007 record, and Carl Pavano also looks better. Fans will be disappointed to find that rookie Phillip Humber didn't make the team despite a 4-1, 3.08 spring record. They'll have to hope that Mark Buehrle can have a comeback season or that Chris Carpenter can vastly improve on last year's 5.45 ERA. The bullpen is better, but not terrific. Jeff Zimmerman was a nice addition, but can Billy Koch really close? Was his 1.16 spring ERA fool's gold?

Man on the Spot:

Jason Schmidt looks like the second coming of Cy Young, but can he keep it up? He started hot last year as well, but finished with just a 9-13 record. He needs to win 16-20 games to give his team a chance. 

This team is sort of like the special ed. kid—they’re getting it, just a step behind everybody else.  But gradually, this team is coming along.  Adding Kendall gives this team a valuable bat at the ever confounding C spot, plus the bullpen additions make this team solid as anybody on the pitching side.  Mark Buehrle actually looked like he wants to pitch here—finally.  So maybe this is their year.  I just don’t know if the offense is up to the task yet.  Maybe a trade for a 3B or a middle IF with pop (like that Tejada guy that’s riding the pine) could put them in the 90 win territory and get them to the post season for the first time.

Off Season Analysis:

They didn’t have any big salary turnovers (last season was where they added all the expensive SPs) so they had to spend frugally.  But Rich Vohs made some nice pick ups, especially on the pen side of things, adding Jeff Zimmerman, Gabe White and Billy Koch for around $3mil total.  Kendall, Fick and Aurilia are all bargains capable of real contributions.  $3mil on Ponson was pissing money away, but that’ll be forgotten if Buehrle actually pitches well.

Offense:

Worst in SLB last year with under 700 runs scored, 124 less than in 2006, they really need to find a way to step it up for 2008.  There’s nobody joining the party who looks like a difference maker, so I don’t know where that’ll come from.  Maybe Jason Kendall who is an improvement over Lieberthal.  Maybe rookie Elmer Davie who went on a rampage in ST.  Maybe Aramis Ramirez, who’s never amounted to jack in this league.  Somebody has to step it up because Kotsay and Berkman can’t do it all, though Berkman, on a team with other hitters would be an MVP candidate.

Pitching:

Pitching looks pretty good.  The team ERA last year, with Schmidt, Hampton and Pavano leading the way, was 4.48, which is comparable to Tennessee’s.  Now they’ve tinkered with the bullpen, adding Zimmerman, White and Koch to Sauerbeck as well as giving Mark Buehrle another shot at starting which, adding it all up, looks like this could be a top 5 staff.  Schmidt keeps getting better and in ST his stuff was just filthy with opponents hitting only .134 on him.  Hampton and Schmidt both had losing records despite pitching very well, so that gives you some indication of how bad this team needs to put another run or two across the plate this year.  Chris Carpenter really didn’t take to the job of everyday starter well last year, so they also need him to trim down the ERA, if not Philip Humber may be ready to get the call to The Show; he was 4-1 in ST and seems done with learning at AAA.

Man on the Spot:

The Thunder won the wildcard last year but no one is quite sure how. The starting pitching wasn't outstanding, the offense had some holes....perhaps the bullpen bailed them out in the end with it's 33 wins. The team won't be so lucky this year, as it took some serious hits to it's roster this off season and hasn't been able to recover. Prior, Karsay, Smoltz, Dotel and Rolen are all retired or on other teams. The offense should still put up big numbers, but with a rotation of #3 starters, this could be a tough year for Thunder fans.

Just got snowplowed in the Free Agent Auction. Mark Prior got paid a king's ransom that just couldn't be matched, and though he won just 11 games last year, he was easily the best pitcher on the staff. He's replaced by Derek Lowe. Derek, I knew Mark Prior. Mark Prior was my friend. You, sir, are no Mark Prior. Replacing Scott Rolen with Ty Wiggington? Sorry, no dice. But we all know GM Ben Royer can spin trades with the best of them, so don't expect this roster to stay this way for too long, especially if the team fails early.

Offense:

Pretty dominating in 2007, but weakened a bit this year. The lineup bragged four 100+ RBI men a year ago, but one of them (Rolen) now plays in Cleveland. Still, Albert Pujols is your main man, and could be an MVP candidate with another All Star season. Vernon Wells and Josh Hamilton really stepped up their games and will have to repeat those numbers again to insure success for the team. Jose Reyes and Alex Rodriguez are a great double play combo, both defensively and at the plate. Joe Mauer is really the only weak spot in the lineup, but he plays catcher, so he gets a free pass. Right field needs to be sorted out as well.

Pitching:

The team no longer has an ace pitcher, meaning the top of the rotation may have some match up problems with other team's #1 starters. Danny Haren earns the opening day start after a 5-2 spring. He's solid, but not spectacular, and is better suited for the #3 spot in the rotation. Derek Thompson had a rough camp, while Derek Lowe and Jeff Weaver have had up and down careers in SLB. The bullpen should be interesting to watch, as there are several guys who are capable of closing who are playing "out of position" in the pen. Another 8-0 effort out of the pen by Damaso Marte certainly wouldn't hurt.

Man on the Spot:

Danny Haren is probably not the ace this team is looking for. How badly will his confidence be shaken if he gets roughed up in early starts against the likes of Oswalt and Wood twice (his first 3 scheduled opponents)?

Tennessee survived the 3-way race last year for the WC with Ellas and Atlantic City, which got them the honor of getting thumped by Paris on their way to the title.  It won’t happen again this year.  Team ace Mark Prior as well as bullpen heavies Dotel, Smoltz, and Karsay are all gone and none have been effectively replaced.  The team’s #2 starter is now Jeff Weaver and no Pujols is gonna fix that.  This team could finish anywhere from 2^nd to last in the South, however, I really don’t think another trip to the playoffs is in order here unless a big time trade comes along. 

Off Season Analysis:

Couldn’t afford to get Mark Prior back and replace him with…Derek Lowe?  Uh-oh.  Biggest money was $9mil a year on… slap hitting Carl Crawford?  Huh?  Guillermo Mota?  This was a very suspect off season.  The Crawford thing really shocks me.  The guy could barely get a chance to start and now he’s getting more money than Pujols?  WTF?  Is leading the league in steals really worth that?  Oh, and thanks to the computer lineup, he’s not even playing—a 27 million dollar pinch runner…niiiiice.  

Offense:

Somewhere above average to average depending on if Josh Hamilton goes berserk again and if Pujols has an “on” year.  I’d write more, but since the owner let the computer put the line ups in, why bother? [Darin's edit: Ben experienced serious computer problems around the deadline and missed getting his lineups in by ½ a day. New lineups will be in place for the 2^nd sim.]

Pitching:

Five #3 starters and an average bullpen.  Maybe Haren and Jennings are better than I think they are, but losing Prior takes this team out of contention.  Jeff Weaver has gotten beaten down the few chances he’s had to start and Derek Thompson is just average.  Marte is the best in the pen, but Mota, Urbina, Benitez and Foulke could all decide to play up to their potential this year.  Or not, in which case this team is doubly screwed along with the staff of #3 starters.

Man on the Spot:

I know, I know, it's always stupid to gamble against Paris, but I really think that this could be the Evzones' year. The offense is just plain mean, and a full year from Pedro Martinez could make the difference. Plus, Spring Training showed us that Ellas has something it hasn't had in a long time: depth. When a rookie like Chest Rockwell can lead the league in home runs in camp but can't make the team, you have a luxury of offense that few teams can dream of. The team isn't just a bunch of overachieving no-names any more. There is star power in Athens, and 2008 might be the year that the team finally wins it all.

Made some tough decisions with their personal, but pulled through in the end. The biggest lost will be Carlos Zambrano, but keeping him wasn't economically feasible with Pedro and Sheets already in the rotation. Matt Clement had a rough go of it in Las Vegas last year, but could fit in well now that he's escaped the desert. Preston Wilson and Carl Everett were let go, but Carlos Beltran, Jim Edmonds and Chipper Jones were added. The team got deeper and more experienced overall.

Offense:

While the Evzones were fun when Wooten, Mackowiak and Utley were the stars, but now there are some household names to throw into the mix. The guy to watch this year will be Bobby Abreu, who went absolutely nuts when he joined the team late last year. Sean Burroughs isn't your prototypical leadoff man speed wise, but he always hits for a high average and hits a ton of doubles and triples. Basically, if you have Ivan Rodriguez and his .345 average batting eighth, you're in mighty good shape.

Pitching:

Rick Ankiel was given the opening day start because he was recognized as one of the main players who helped turn the season around last year. I hope his friends and family will be in attendance, because if he continues to pitch like he did this spring, it might be his only start of the year. The rotation gets a bit better after that, with Pedro Martinez and Ben Sheets making life miserable on other teams' #2 and #3 starters. Wade Miller hopes for a comeback season after injuries limited him to just 18 starts a year ago. A healthy year from him at #4 will be huge. The bullpen is okay, but there is no true stopper in the bunch. Hawkins is given the ball as closer, but he needs to improve on last year's 5.58 ERA. K-Rod had the best spring, but he is stuck in an eighth inning role.

Man on the Spot:

Shawn Wooten. He had a great "no-name" season last year, but despite his versatility, he needs to put up big numbers cuz  Chest Rockwell is breathing down his neck for a roster spot.

2007 was a heck of a ride for the Greeks.  They were pegged to contend, maybe even win it all, but they played horribly the first month, compiling the league’s worst record, then, to add insult to injury, their top 2 starters—Mulder and Miller—plus ROY catcher Mike Rivera all went down with long term injuries within weeks.  The season looked lost and ownership was ready to throw in the towel, get a good draft pick and make some deals for the future.  But, when they called up the dregs from the Harry Baals, somebody forgot to tell them to lose.  Ankiel and Pappas shut teams down and by the end of the year, the Evzones were still in the playoff hunt.  They choked, losing a game on the last day that would have got them in the playoffs, but the miracle turnaround got GM Tom Hey the Owner of the Year Award.  So what now?  They think if they are healthy, this could be their year, but the Pimpernels are always the 800 lbs. Gorilla in the Euro. A championship goes through Paris.

Off Season Analysis:

The Evzones did some OF reshuffling, dropping All-Star Preston Wilson for cheaper and better defensive CF Jim Edmonds and letting head case Carl Everett go. They picked up Beltran and Chipper after the auction to fill holes. They couldn’t afford to keep both Pedro and Zambrano and so went with Pedro, who almost seems a bargain at $11mil, and took a gamble on Matt Clement.  Lost a lot of long time roleplayers like Jacque Jones, Christian Guzman and Eddie Yarnall, so we’ll have to see if the little things shake up the chemistry.

Offense:

This is just a rude offense.  They broke the record for team HR last year and were only .002 pts and 11 runs behind Paris despite the slew of injuries and late addition of Abreu.  With a full year of Abreu, plus Edmonds and Beltran, they should put some serious beatings on anybody who doesn’t bring their A-game to the mound.  Designed for the dimensions of the Malakadome, they are heavy with left handed bats and could struggle against the league’s few elite southpaws.  If there’s anything to worry about it’s that last year’s surprises Shawn Wooten, Rob Mackowiak and, to a lesser extent, Nomar and Pudge, will all come back to earth as .250 hitters and the team really does become 8 versions of Rob Deer. 

Pitching:

The Evzones shoot for “just enough” pitching and whether they’ve got it this year or not is hard to say.  A full season of Pedro should help as he’s got a shot at a CY with this offense behind him.  Sheets and Miller have both come in 2^nd in the CY voting, so there’s three legit “aces.”  Then it’s a question of which Rick Ankiel and which Matt Clement show up.  Ankiel’s gutsy performance last year, credited by manager Milt Pappas for turning the Greek’s season around, earned him opening day honors and the Greek fans will probably go nuts when he gets his Comeback award at the home opener.  The pen is probably pretty good with reliable guys in K-Rod, Hawkins, and Drysden.  Aquilino and Erasmo make for an interesting goofy name duo in middle relief, but over the years, they’ve generally not hurt the teams they were on.  Long relief was this team’s bane last April, so they really hope Pappas and Osuna don’t implode like Kennedy, Lyon, and Bootcheck did.

Man on the Spot:

Matt Clement was signed to be the 5^th starter when Ellas couldn’t afford to keep Zambrano and Pedro around.  He’s unlikely to replace Zambrano, but he’s had some very good years and some very bad years in the league—ERAs varying from 3.88 to over 5.00.  He seems due for a bad one, but if his ERA is below 4.50, he could win with this offense.  If it’s below 4.00 again, he could win plenty—if he wins 15 games, the Evzones are probably rolling this year.

Ireland won a very respectable 85 games last year but netted just 3rd place in the division. Ironically, GM Tony Blake was shedding big salaries left and right to set himself up for a big spending spree in the off season, but the team just kept winning. That cash came in handy, however, as the Invaders went all out in the Free Agent Auction, upgrading the team all over the roster. It's really tough to pick them to outplay either Ellas or Paris, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. There is a lot of good talent here, with an improved offense and the now very rich Mark Prior pitching second in the rotation.

Dropped $14.5 million on Mark Prior, ensuring that no one else would walk away with him. You'd think that that would be their one big move, but overall, Ireland signed 13 new players this off season. Pretty impressive work, and the team will benefit from it. If the team doesn't make the post season this year, it certainly wasn't for lack of Blake trying.

Offense:

Only a couple of new faces, but they happen to be from division rival Ellas' 2007 roster, which makes any success they have hurt twice as much. Carl Everett is ancient but he knocked in 110 runs for the Evzones last year, which is a huge addition to any lineup. Add him to Invader mainstays Carlos Delgado and Raul Mondesi, and you have some tough outs in the middle of the order. The middle infield isn't spectacular, but a regular rotation of Izturis, Polanco and Hodges won't hurt you in the long run. 

Pitching:

Much better with Prior on board (of course), as he and Sabathia are both Cy Young quality arms. Prior is one of seven new arms on the staff, including some retread projects in ex-Knight Brett Myers and ex-Diablo Brian Anderson. Myers was horrible in London over the years, but looked to have had a pitching epiphany last year (12-11, 3.56) and has had a tremendous spring. Notably absent is last year's rookie Jeff Niemann who had a terrible go at it in training camp and just couldn't find room to fit in on the major league roster. Ed Yarnall is another ex-Ellas player who now plays in Dublin, and Francisco Cordero comes over from Philly as a legitimate closer. 

Man on the Spot:

Brett Myers has had a lot of confidence built up this spring, but normally a contending team doesn't have a #3 starter with a career 34-53 mark.

This could be the year Ireland gets back to the playoffs.  They ended up only 3 games out of the WC last year and you can make a good case they might have gotten there had they not traded away Sasaki.  Now they’ve got another CY winner in Mark Prior and, if the pen holds up and they can win head to head with Ellas, this is their best chance to complete the rebuild from their first year.  An impressive accomplishment for Tony Blake given the two years in last place and the total overhaul the team has had to go through.

Off Season Analysis:

Dumping Sasaki and moving some other expensive players off the payroll gave them plenty of cash to throw around and they made good use of it.  The Invaders won the Mark Prior sweepstakes, putting him in the top tier of salaries then they added Livan Hernandez, perennial 35 HR/100 RBI man Carl Everett and then further became “Ellas East” by poaching Ed Yarnall and Jacque Jones off their division rival.  We’ll see if that strategy helps move them from 3^rd to 2^nd.

Offense:

They weren’t too impressive last year, only 6 more runs scored than the lowly Dawgs and a team BA of .266.  Certainly not in the same class as hyper offenses on division rivals Ellas and Paris.  They did snag two of Ellas’s OF, though, so we’ll see if they just played well in the Malakadome or whether they will produce in Dublin.  Mondesi and Delgado are as good as anybody in the heart of the line up, bigger questions center around C with the Montana/Cresse platoon, 3B where Koskie had an off year and whether Hodges will rebound from his Sophomore slump.  Polanco and Izturis are also key as this team lacked anybody scoring 100 runs last year.

Pitching:

Another team with high rent/low rent disparities in the rotation.  Sabathia and Prior have both won CY awards and they are the best L/R 1-2 punch in the league, hands down.  But then it’s Brett Myers 34-53 w/ a 4.72 career ERA, Anderson with a career 4.55 ERA and Piniero 26-39/4.84.  So can those last 3 get their ERAs down closer to 4.00 or win despite average stuff?  The pen has Briscoe and Affeldt in middle relief, which is not too comforting, but Villafuerte, Yarnall and Cordero for the late innings should be fine, though Yarnall has had an up and down career surviving by craft, not great stuff.

Man on the Spot:

London lost 94 games last year and could beat that by 10 games this year. Despite a payroll over $80 million, this team played like crap and attendance took a dive. Now the team enters 2008 $20 million cheaper and looks like it will play like it. I'll try not to be too rough on these guys, but really, the other three teams in the division are heads and shoulders above the Knights in terms of sheer talent. 

Scheduling confusion left the team with nothing to show for big portions of the free agent auction, leaving them with a pile of money and no one to spend it on. Giles and Kearns were certainly quality pickups, but the pitching rotation is a total mess. Hopefully Sean O'Hallaran has the patience to tackle his problems a little at a time and get the team back on its feet.

Offense:

Pretty capable overall. The outfield will be very productive with Giles, Kearns and Ordonez, and Aubrey Huff is a good hitting first baseman. Wilson Betemit was a true surprise at SS last year, and another year with double digit triples and 45 steals will be a welcome contribution. Edgar Renteria needs to get his average up, and anything you get from JR House is helpful now that Kendall is gone. 

Pitching:

Wow, this is going to be a long season. Five starters that would likely be other team's fifth guys or long relievers. I don't even know where to start without getting overly mean spirited (I'll leave that to Tom). Let's just list these starters' career ERA's: 5.10, 7.37, 5.17 and 5.55 (Robertson has no major league experience). In fact, newcomer Jason Isringhausen and second-year Luis Martinez are the only pitchers on the entire 40-man roster with ERA's under 4.00 for their careers. The less said the better.

Man on the Spot:

Mike Maroth has been put in a pretty important position here, and has to cut at least 2 1/2 runs off his career ERA to keep his spot in the rotation past May 1.

This team is screwed.  Honestly, if they lose less than 100 games, I’d consider it a huge moral victory.  Runelvys Hernandez is your opening day starter?  May this season pass quickly you poor suffering fans.  At least you still have Manchester United, right?  I think, the best way to put it is, this is just one of those years you have to take your beatings like men and hope, somehow, in the off season, you can make this right again—something like Atlanta, maybe, just pulled off.  But if this team isn’t last in the Euro this year, I doubt any of my predictions are right.

Off Season Analysis:

A couple years of cap hits have really sucked the war chest dry here, but the Knights still pulled a couple good moves.  They added 50 HR potential OF Brian Giles and picked up Isringhausen from Paris.  They also lost Sexson and Kendall as well as Zambrano who they traded earlier in the year.  So, not much improvement from last year if any, which, when you lost 94 games, isn’t good news.

Offense:

They might be better than Savannah.  Or not.  They certainly aren’t good.  And Brian Giles is, what, in AAA?  How’s that working out for you?  Did you guys know they have jousting during the 7^th inning stretch?  Beer’s cheap.  C’mon, come see a Knights game, really.  Bring the family.  It’ll be fun, honest, and maybe Charles and Camilla will show up and make out on the Jumbotron.  No, really, come back…

Pitching:

Runelvys Hernandez, Jeriome Robertson, Mike Maroth, Joel Hanrahan and Jon Rauch.  Fan—farkin’—tastic, eh?  You were expecting Mark Prior or Pedro Martinez maybe?  Well, they’re in the division so you can still see them.  Meanwhile, try some chips—that’s what we call French fries—they’re good with vinegar.  Oh, sorry.  Well, London probably has the best co-closer duo in the league with Izzy and Lidge.  But that gets you what 60 maybe 100 innings combined.  The other 1350—there’s the problem.  Well, if one of the fab five starters falls flat the Knights can put Jason Davis back in the ro’.  He went 2-18 last year, so he’s “due” for a turnaround, isn’t he?   

Man on the Spot:

Will the Pimpernels ever cool off? They finally won it all last year, and look good to defend that crown all season in 2008. Not too much player movement this off season, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Ellas and Ireland toughened up, so don't expect anyone to win this division by double digits again. While I think that the Evzones will squeak by the Pimpernels this year, Paris is a lock for the post season where they can make everyone's life a living hell.

Only a few new faces, but they have big shoes to fill. Zach Day and his 15-4, 3.74 record are gone, so in comes Andy Pettitte. Jason Isringhausen departs, so in comes Billy Wagner. That's about it. The team doesn't seem to have gotten markedly better or worse overall. Everyone in the league should count themselves lucky that Atlantic City beat Paris to Ichiro on the waiver wire. If they had him batting second, well God help us all...

Offense:

As always, Paris is the cream of the crop at the plate. The team has no holes anywhere, and young guys like Dallas McPherson just keep getting better with experience. How GM Michael Taylor manages to keep this team together with such consistency is a real trick in this financial system, but the lineup comes back unchanged from the World Series team. Glaus, Lee or McPherson could be the MVP this year, that's how good they are. Strangely, Lee is platooned to start the year, but that can't last, can it?

Pitching:

Pettitte has had an up and down career, putting up an 11-10 mark for the Phynatics last year. So why make him the #1 starter over former Cy Young winner Jerome Wiliams? Why, for that matter, is Williams pitching third? Kelvim Escobar is a great hurler who doesn't get much recognition in this league. Darrell May is a stretch for the fifth starter, but there are some good young arms hungry for their shot in the minors. Two rookies in the pen is an unusual site for this team, especially with Liriano given a setup role. He had a good spring, but even his minor league experience is very limited. Billy Wagner is the best closer in the business, so maybe it doesn't matter in the long run.

Man on the Spot:

Pettitte for sure. His career numbers are good, but which pitcher will show up this year?

The Pimps were not to be denied in 2007.  They cruised most of the year in first and made quick work of the playoffs, only getting a big test from defending champs Halifax.  There’s no real reason to think they won’t repeat as they lost Day and Izzy but replaced them with equal or better Pettitte and Wagner.  I doubt this team wins 100 games again, though.  With the bottom feeder teams like Las Vegas and Atlanta getting much better those easy sweeps will be gone and probably 5-10 more losses come of that.  Also, Ellas was injured much of last year, so if they are healthy, they might make a run at Paris or Ireland could if they get the offense cranking.  Time for Paris to play with everybody gunning for them.

Off Season Analysis:

Just really didn’t have much to do but watch.  Didn’t really care about losing Day or Isringhausen.  Picked up two time Rolaids man Wagner.  Rescued Andy Pettitte from Atlanta.  Another day at the office.

Offense:

Save for adding the Swedish Bikini Team, it just doesn’t get any better than this. Year after year, this offense pounds people, among the leaders in average, HR, 2B, 3B, steals. You name it, they bring it. Jimmy Rollins is a prototype lead-off man, he should score 120 runs minimum. Cliff Floyd could always win the batting title. Troy Glaus would have been MVP if he’d played 30 more games. As it was he went .306/41/122 in just 125 games. So 160 RBI from him isn’t out of the question. Johnny Damon, likewise, would probably break the doubles record if he played 160 games. The Pimpernels now have platoons of Lee/Koonce, McPherson/Roberts and Valent/Restovich.  So, more bench options.  Shea Hillenbrand, for whatever reason, became a superstar once he joined this offense, and along with Hal Kelley also hitting .302 (what?) made the loss of Estrada at C a non-issue.  So, is there a weakness?  Not really.  Could probably find a better day to day RF, but don’t give them any ideas.

Pitching:

Under appreciated.  Yeah, this isn’t the team strength, but Jerome Williams won a CY, Kelvim Escobar is 49-28 for his career and Pettitte on this team?  Well, 15 wins minimum.  Odalis Perez keeps winning despite being the league’s top gopher ball tosser year after year.  Just keep it close.  I’m not so sure about May, but who can’t win 12 games on this team?  The bullpen, likewise, is average with Riedling and Eischen expected to carry the middle relief load.  Harper, Tsao and Liriano are all suspect, but with this team, you’ve got margin for error.

Man on the Spot: