What's that saying again? "In the Kingdom of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is King?" or was it something about the "Tallest Midget?" Either way, someone has to win this division, and at this point, Bedford looks like the team with the fewest holes. Sure, they lost some All Stars, but who hasn't? The team is fairly solid overall, the bullpen is fine, the lineup okay....I know, not exactly gleaming praise, but in this division, you can't be too picky. This pick is no sure thing, as Cleveland is going to be really competitive this year, and if Larsen Cain's doppelganger will let him free to spend some cash, the Sailors are right back in this thing. But as of Opening Day, the Crunch look like the best team. 

Yeah, not so hot. Lost perennial Cy Young contender Roy Oswalt and solid starter Kyle Lohse. Added Alfonso Soriano, making Jose Vidro expendable (though he was traded for a song to division rival Cleveland) and though Ichiro and Maggs Ordonez are solid, they ain't no Vladdy Guerrero. Can Jeff Weaver and the Perez twins benefit from the cool climes of Brooklyn? GM Richard Gin better hope so.

Offense:

It's your usual paper tiger offense; they look really good in theory, but generally under perform on the field. Truthfully, there are no glaring holes in the lineup, which can't be said for most other teams in the league. Bedford can really benefit from having solid bats at historically weak "up the middle" positions, as Hernandez, Soriano, Cintron and Bradley can all bring it with the stick. Ortiz and Chavez need to be the power here, as Magglio Ordonez has perennially underachieved in this league, and Ichiro has no pop for a corner outfielder. Again, in theory, this lineup looks to be able to score enough runs, it's just a matter of whether or not guys like Big Papi decide to hit .290 or .210.

Pitching:

Ace? We don't need no steenkin' Ace. Okay, you probably do, but since you don't have one, it's up to a rotation of 3rd starters to eat up innings and keep the team's head above water. Jeff Weaver could thrive here (a la Joe Nathan), and we'll see what happens when Odalis and Oliver bring their lefty stuff to New Ebbet's. You hate to have to count on park factors to improve your pitchers, especially when Odalis gave up 41 HR last year, but what choice is there at this point? This bullpen has always performed well, and as long as Ankiel doesn't get too many bizarre late inning appearances, shouldn't disappoint. 

Man on the Spot:

Jeff Weaver was 11-15 in Knoxville last season, but gave up just 24 dingers, which means he could keep it under 20 this year. A 1.24 WHIP isn't tremendous, but could be worse.  

I’d probably have an easy time picking this team to win the North if they hadn’t swapped Roy Oswalt for Odalis Perez and Vladimir Guerrero for Ichiro.  But, still, with Halifax going into “rebuild mode” and Bedford having an uncanny ability to turn middling 4^th starters into aces, it’s possible.  However, if Jeff Weaver is your opening day starter, you aren’t going to be kicking more ass than Stone Cold Steve Austin after a burnt pork chop, are you?  And with the bullpen including such questionable arms as Rick “hit the hot dog vendor in the stands” Ankiel and Ben “Can’t retire on this salary” Weber—I’m just not buying this team.

Off Season Analysis:

Not so hot.  Oswalt and Lohse got some salary upgrades on other teams—so there goes 30 wins.  Richard Gin picked up Odalis Perez, career 4.80 ERA, who may benefit in a big way from the deadening effects of Bedford ’s park, but he’s no ace.  Picking up Alfonso Soriano allowed them to trade Vidro, but they unloaded him without shopping him around—not the brightest move there.  And they made good on the collusion-inviting deal from last year, swapping Ichiro and Vladdy for each other again—which probably wasn’t the best for Bedford who could use the big bat more.  More bad than good.

Offense:

They’ve never needed to be the best in the league, which is good, because they aren’t.  You can understand why the Crunch want to value speed and contact over power hitting like Ellas and Paris are built around, still, do you like having Maggs Ordonez and Milton Bradly your 4-5 hitters?  Uh, no-that’s less RBI combined than Rockwell or Glaus had alone last year.  Ortiz is probably their best “banger” but he’s batting all the way down at 6^th.  The Crunch do have a good table setter trio of Cintron, Suzuki and Chavez, but you wonder, “Who’ll drive them in?”

Pitching:

Thanks to a park that makes for a lot of long outs, the Crunch have long been able to make aces out of guys like Joe Nathan that can’t even stay on the roster elsewhere.  It certainly wouldn’t shock me if this can be the story for 2010—Weaver and Odalis combine for 30 wins.  But, then again, you still have to play half your games on the road and you’ve still got William Bray in the rotation and Rick Ankiel in the pen—now how do ya feel?  Really, outside of Nathan, who has been pretty consistent on Bedford , everybody on this staff is either bad or has been bad in the past.  How much faith do you really have in the magic of a ballpark?

Man on the Spot:

No, I didn't accidentally predict this division in alphabetical order. I actually think the Dawgs are for real this season. After taking some serious losses for the franchise last year, GM Mike McAvoy arrived at the Winter Meetings with his checkbook blazing, landing some big free agents and turning this team around in a hurry. If the younger guys in the rotation can gain confidence from the new additions, who knows how far this team can go. Reality says that a porous bullpen and a few offensive low spots means a .500 record, but hey, that's a huge improvement over past years. Plus Cleveland is in line to land a big fish in the Amateur Draft. Things are looking up in Cleveland (who ever though anyone would say that...ever...) 

They wanted the big guy, they got the big guy. All 270 lbs. of him. Former Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia was convinced to leave the potatoes and stout in Ireland to venture to Lake Erie, where he'll anchor what looks to be a pretty good rotation. The team really got bolstered up the middle with Tejada and Vidro, and the outfield has more depth as well. The team ran out of cash before it could shore up the pen, which could prove costly as the season wears on. Still, mission accomplished for this season.

Offense:

Don't get me wrong, this lineup isn't going to break any offensive records. In fact, this offense strongly resembles what we've been seeing from Savannah the last several years. Good all around players, but no superstar, and certainly no 40+ HR threat. But if the team can get 80-90 RBI from Vidro, Tejada, Morneau, and Nixon, they may be alright. Montana is the strongest hitter, but he's batting 8th? I know his average is bad, but what a waste of power. Can rookie Freddy Sandoval do anything at leadoff? How many third basemen hit 1st in their lineups? He won the job in Spring Training, but we'll see how long it lasts.

Pitching:

As we said earlier, the starting rotation has the potential to be really good. C.C. Sabathia was damn near unhittable in Edinburgh, but can that translate to success in the States? You salivate at a career 1.09 WHIP and just 99 HR allowed in 1050 IP. He's worth every cent. His presence allows youngsters Verlander and Sowers to slot down, and late addition Mark Mulder, who was up and down throughout his career in Philly, is an above average 4th starter. Rookie James Brauer looks mighty suspect as the choice to round out the rotation, as Kozlowski, had a much better spring. Don't expect him to last long there.

Man on the Spot:

I'll go with Trot Nixon. McAvoy thinks he got an absolute steal when the gritty outfielder slid through the auction, and his monster spring just adds to the GM's excitement. Can he really produce the numbers you expect from a #3 hitter?

Last year I wrote, “I’m not sure I fully understand what Mike McAvoy is up to”—well, now I do. Maybe I’m giving in to my instinct to root for the underdog in picking this team to win, but with HAL and BED both noticeably worse than in 2009 and CLE capable of fixing their holes (cough, Sandoval, cough) easier than the other teams, they just could do it.  And you have to figure if McAvoy has a shot, he’ll make any trade that it takes to get across the finish line winning after so long in the Dawg House, pun intended.

Off Season Analysis:

Pretty spiffy, huh?  Used their fat wad of cash wisely in picking up one of the top 5 arms in the league in Sabathia and the #2 SS in Tejada.  Picked up Jose Vidro by trading a couple guys they were probably glad to get rid of and added some cheap offense with Nady and Nixon.  They probably overpaid for Sabathia and Kotsay, but what the hell, right?  Money don’t do ya no good sittin’ in the bank.

Offense:

Made major improvements up the middle with Tejada and Vidro, which should get them into the middle of the pack for the league.  Still have major holes at 3B with Sandoval, unless he has a heckuva rookie year, and the outfield of Kotsay, Nixon and Nady isn’t the tops in the league by a long shot, but this is a pitching team—they just need to be adequate.  Vidro should probably be leading off and will move up in the lineup if Sandoval isn’t off to a hot start.  I’ll predict a trade for a bigger bat at one of the corner OF slots somewhere in the season—if the Dawgs are in the hunt, they’ll need one more 40+ HR guy from somewhere.

Pitching:

It’s really hard to know with Verlander and Sowers so unpredictable.  If the Sophomore slump explains their erratic careers and they can settle in this year, you’ve got the first 4 in the rotation (Sabathia, Verlander, Sowers and Mulder) being as good as anybody’s.  James Brauer is a wild card for the 5^th starter role, but given the success that the Dawgs have had with rookie pitching, why expect him to be any different?  The pen is suspect with Pedro Liriano, career 4.98 ERA, being asked to close.  The best arm in the pen is probably on Drysden, but he’s never managed to live up to his potential.  Fuentes and Betancourt are pretty much journeymen and could either gel in this group or make the whole pen stink.  If anything stands out as a possible Achilles’ on this team, it’s the relief staff.

Man on the Spot:

Um, okay...uh, so. What the hell is going on in Canada, eh? The perennial "pencil them in" division champs have suddenly gotten stingy, and the result is a sub par team. Why the sudden frugality? Some sources say that GM Lars Cain is "worried about the cap". Well when you leave nearly $30 million unspent, what's the worry? It's not like you can take that money with you next year, so why not invest? I'm sure someone in the Sailors front office has some convoluted 3 year plan, but 2010 looks lost already unless some of that cash is released and some trades are made. I know it could be foolish to pick against the five year reigning division champs, but this team just doesn't do it for me.

The Sailors had a lot of players to add, but they also had nearly $50 million to do it. But management didn't pull the trigger on some big bids, and the result is a team that will likely play to it's $56 million price tag. Beltre and Crosby are the only key additions? Dotel, Pavano and Lopez are traded for a handful of pitching prospects? Something is amiss. Unless Cain is just trying to challenge himself with an artificial rebuild project, I really don't know what's going on.

Offense:

More or less the same squad we saw last year, though without Tejada at short. This means a bunch of guys hitting .275/25/80, unless Fielder or Young really come to play. There isn't a ton of speed, as Cain has opted with TJ Mackey at leadoff, preferring good hitting over pure speed. Josh Barfield has really proven to be a valuable guy, with good run production from 3 different positions. Rule V pickup Jon Poterson is replacing the retired Pudge Rodriguez, and could be a nice addition if his Spring numbers are any indication. Rumor has it that Andruw Jones is on the block, though I'm not sure who would replace him.

Pitching:

Colon retired, Dotel and Pavano were traded away, and so you are left with Matt Morris and four question marks. Adam Wainwright and Jon Garland were pretty awful last year, but those are your #2 and #3 starters. Good luck Sailor fans! Rookie Jered Weaver, who was acquired in the big 3-team deal at the Winter Meetings, gets thrown right into it. Is he ready? I've seen worse bullpens, and the back of this one is especially good with Looper and Gagne. Just 6 relievers seems thin, especially with former ROY but recently maligned lefty Jon Switzer heading up middle relief.

Man on the Spot:

Ah, why not just heap the pressure on the rookie? Jered Weaver, your time has come. Deliver this team unto the promised land, or forever live in the disfavor of your peoples.

Thanks, Lars, for blowing up your team and making this an impossible pick.  It seems just wrong to be picking the Sailors for last place after so many years of whoopin’ on the North, but look who they lost— Colon , Pudge, Dotel, Pavano, Tejada—can any team recover from that?  If the plan is to totally rebuild Morris, Gagne and Looper could follow and it wouldn’t be too much of a shock to see this team in last place.  But you can see what the plan is here—Barfield, Young and Fielder are the guys they are building around while they try to pick up some of the choicest arms off the rest of the teams in the league.  I don’t even think this team wants to win this year as they might prefer a draft pick to finishing 3^rd.  We’ll have to wait and see, but don’t be shocked if Cain just tanks it this year and looks out to 2011.

Off Season Analysis:

Got hit hard by the retirements of Pudge and Colon and, after that, seemed to see the writing was on the wall for the Halifax dynasty which discouraged them from fighting to keep aging vets.  Most of the action in the Sailors off season was a big three team deal that may have brought them their future rotation all in one nice package—Jered Weaver, Ron Mexico and Paul Phillips all for the relatively cheap price of Dotel and Pavano.

Offense:

To be honest, it looks a little shaky.  Mackey, Davie and Poterson are hardly the guys you think will carry this team to another championship.  In the middle it looks a little more convincing with Andruw Jones now the old man at 32 and Fielder, Barfield and Delmon Young some of the best at their positions.  Young really came alive last year hitting .336 and could be the main attraction here this season if he stays healthy.

Pitching:

Matt Morris is going to be baby-sitting a very young staff.  You might think Adam Wainwright’s 4-12 6.64 ERA season in 2009 would have ended his career, but you’d be wrong—he’s the #2 man here, which doesn’t make you feel too good about this team.  John Garland had a worse year, ERA-wise, so he’s the 3^rd starter and then you get the more optimistic youthful 4/5 starters Weaver, who may be spectacular and Ridener, who has shown spots of brilliance despite a career mostly mired in loss and mid 4s ERAs.  If Mexico and Phillips were in there, it’d be impossible to predict, but signs are they’ll be given another year in the minors no matter how bad the team is.  The pen is good for now with closers Gagne and Looper joined by Ayala, Riske and Switzer, who won’t blow too many games for you.  That’s if this holds, which I really doubt given the team’s direction.

Man on the Spot:

As we stated last year, the new 4-team format for the North Division allows very little margin for error. Only a "planned" last place finish by Cleveland saved Philly from losing cash in 2009, and now, with the Dawgs making a bigger splash in the off season, the Phynatics look like a team on the brink of cellar-dom. Which is not to say they are terrible, or even just bad, but without that fifth team to count on to bring up the rear in the standings, another 85 loss season could mean last place. Not enough was done to improve this team this year (despite good financial resources), so expect a disappointing year in the City of Brotherly Love.

GM Brian B wasn't really too active, aside from resigning Kerry Wood to a big 3-year contract and swapping Mulder for Brad Penny. Carl Crawford was a nice signing, especially if he can comeback after an injury plagued 2009 campaign. How good would 100 steals look in front of this lineup? Can't say there were any bad moves made, but there simply weren't enough moves made overall.

Offense:

Crawford is the only addition to a lineup that was near the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive category last year. Phynatics fans are going to have to count on speed this season, with Crawford and Giles running themselves into scoring position, as the rest of the lineup is full of underachieving stars and role players. Preston Wilson was the only regular to hit over .300 last year, and that amounted to just 87 RBI. Wilson also lead the team with 21 HR (ouch) and a .895 OPS. Scott Rolen seems to be done, and Hank Blalock, who was added via trade from Scotland last season, didn't exactly light up the scoreboard. The team's best hope is to get on base early and have good hitters like Huff and Phelps get the doubles to drive them in. A dubious task considering the power packed lineups throughout the league. 

Pitching:

Again, very few changes from last year. Kerry Wood was really outstanding, so keeping him on board was very important. He could easily win a Cy Young on a team with better run support. Garcia and Mays were both okay, posting mid 4.00 ERA's, as did Mulder, who was traded this winter for Brad Penny. Can Penny be the brilliant pitcher we've seen a few seasons, or the miserable failure we've seen the others? Stay tuned. Barry Zito either needs a change of scenery or a change of pitching assignments, because he hasn't' impressed the last few years. The bullpen is among the league's best, which means if these so-so pitchers can get them the lead, the team is in good shape.

Man on the Spot:

Brad Penny was miserable this spring. Bad omen for the coming year?

There weren’t a lot of changes in Philly, which doesn’t bode so well for  a 3^rd place, sub .500 team.  However, if Penny works out here (a big if, to be sure), they probably got better, which you can’t say for two of their division rivals.  Philly really is the picture of mediocrity—last year they hit .266 and had a 4.05 team ERA, neither particularly good or bad.  This year, they look OK, but weaknesses at 2B, C and the back end of the rotation make it seem unlikely this team is going to be much more than a .500 team, if that.  I suppose if Penny and Freddy Garcia can ante up 15 wins apiece this could be a playoff year, but who’s buying that story?  Not me.

Off Season Analysis:

They let Mark Mulder go—not a hard choice for a guy whose stock has fallen so low he gets about half his previous salary.  But they picked up Brad Penny who you could say the same thing about.  If there was a big addition it was speed demon Carl Crawford who is arguably the best lead off man in SLB.  What he can do to amp up an average offense, I don’t know, but at least they’ll have a shot at leading the league in steals with Crawford and Furcal in the lineup.

Offense:

Carl Crawford may be the best lead off guy in the league and Preston Wilson is probably close to the best CF, but outside of that, there’s plenty of “average” to go around.  Let’s go into the numbers: you’ve got Aubrey Huff (.284/17/94), Hank Blalock (.291/17/55), Scott Rolen (.236/21/56) and Josh Phelps (.262/15/51)—pretty much says .500 ballclub to me.  Not that it’s London-bad, just not much to start predicting any MVPs off of.  The Garcia/Hudson 2B platoon doesn’t do much for me and Pierzynski is pretty much a defensive catcher.  Yeppers, extra average.

Pitching:

Wood and Zito make for a good righty/lefty 1-2 combo, though they combined to go only 25-23 last year.  With Crawford on board maybe they can win 30 games.  Penny was 12-11 with a 4.07 ERA last year, better than we’ve seen from him in a while.  Mays and Garcia are, you guessed it, pretty much .500 pitchers.  The end of the game is the safest for the Phynatics where they have Donnelly, Inferno and Lidge (who didn’t give up a HR in 59 appearances) to shut it down for the last couple innings if they have a lead.  Rodney and Affeldt in middle relief are far less reliable.

Man on the Spot:

Now this is the team that Jim Masters envisioned from the start. Unfortunately, his initial draft didn't produce the results, and it's been a slow road ever since. But now, after years of grooming top amateur prospects into capable major leaguers, the Flyers are truly built on the foundation of speed, fundamentals, and defense. Where Beltran, Pierre and Castillo failed, Lemming, Hunting and Dennis will succeed. Atlanta was probably a .500 team last year before a rash of injuries crippled their chances down the stretch, and depth is still an issue, but I'm confident that the Flyers are finally back. Plus, another year out of last place means a lot more money next year, where the team can just keep getting better. 

With a lineup based almost entirely on homegrown talent, Masters was able to put his money into the bench and bullpen, two sore spots from a year ago. Though he didn't land a big fish like Benitez or Urbina to close, the additions of Martin and Stewart will definitely help what is still a very young pen. Jimmy Rollins was the big addition, bringing legitimate speed and OBP to the leadoff role. If he can set the table like he did in Paris, this team should score a lot more runs. Jerry Hairston was brought aboard to backup the infield (but made the starting lineup), while Fullmer and Edmonds are veterans who can fill in should injuries strike. Should Jim have bought out Byung-Hyun Kim and used that extra $8.8 million to upgrade at second base or in the rotation? Perhaps, but nice job overall.

Offense:

While the other "youth movement" teams seem to be concentrating on adding power rookies to the lineup, Masters has assembled a team of guys who make contact, take walks, hit extra base hits, and keep long innings alive. Don't expect anyone on this team to reach 35 homers or 100 RBI (though Kolkhorst did hit triple digits a year ago), but it's not unthinkable to see 6 or 7 guys with .300/20/90 stat lines by season's end. Will Hunting and Dennis Dennis Jr. have shown that they are legit, and now the outfield is completed by highly touted rookie Darren Lemming. Last year's AAA MVP moves into the #3 hole, a spot that is tailor made to maximize his potential (hitting behind Kolkhorst and ahead of Dennis). A full year from Troy Paris could provide some of the power the team lacks. Hairston and Weeks are clearly the weak links here, but if they can at least hit in the .265 range, the team should be alright. Plus, Dallas McPherson is on the market next year.... 

Pitching:

While many are disappointed that David Bailey didn't make the cut this year, the pitching overall looks solid. Bailey started off slow in Spring Training, prompting the demotion (after which he pitched much better). Zambrano, Willis, Kim and Cotts were all pretty good last year; Cotts was especially surprising, and it's no wonder that his long term injury started the team's decline. Runelvys Hernandez lands the 5th starter role (despite not playing this spring). If he fails, he could easily be replaced by Greinke (who rocked this spring) or Bailey. Hughes, Townsand and Jackson were all above average relievers last year, and with the help of the new veterans, should improve what has been an Achilles Heel for this squad. 

Man on the Spot:

Cotts. He teased us with a 6-5, 3.63 record last year, which should improve with a full year of starts and a better offense behind him. If he regresses into the 5.00 ERA range, the team could be in trouble.

OK, I have to give this team one more kick on their way out of the basement.  Last season’s moves of dumping Delgado and Mondesi were a disgrace to the fans that have stuck by this team and deserved better than an owner shooting for 4^th place.  Could they have competed all year long without the usual Flyer salary concerns and a willingness to make trades?  We’ll never know.  This season, only Havana starts out with a clear advantage as all but David Bailey from the years of top draft picks have made it to the majors.  In other words, Jim Masters has run out of excuses—this team should win, it’s not a matter of hoping for a miracle.  But, winning takes a winning mindset—will the Flyers shoot for  1^st place or be happy with 3^rd or 4^th while other teams make trades to go for it all?

Off Season Analysis:

Jimmy Rollins was the impact pick up, a solid lead off man who fills one of the 3 weak spots for the Flyers-3B and 2B being the other two.  Added some non-disaster relievers, which was needed in a big way.  Picked up Jim Edmonds as insurance on Lemming.  Pretty good.  Now, if they’d just trade one of their C for a 2B or 3B with some action, we’re looking at a pretty mean team—but that wasn’t part of the offseason plan, I guess.

Offense:

1-6 they might be about as good as anybody.  A lot rides on Darren Lemming, who has had “franchise player” hung around his neck since he was drafted and now has to live up to the hype in the most important spot in the order.  Chris Kolkhorst, only expected to be an “average” major league talent surprised everybody by whacking 30 HR and driving in over 100 runs and would be a big part of moving this team into the playoffs if he can repeat those numbers.  Dennis Dennis, Jr. had a shot to challenge Chest Rockwell for rookie of the year had he put in a full season, now he’s asked to bat cleanup, where his power hitting abilities will be put to the test.  Hairston and Weeks are pretty much just outs, so if the Flyers hang around until the All-Star game, it might be wise to part with some of the farm talent to improve there.

Pitching:

You could say much the same about this staff this year as last, save that they’ve done something (about 3 years too late) about the bullpen.  Zambrano is a legit ace and Dontrelle Willis is as good as you can expect out of a #3 starter.  Kim continues to struggle and if I ran the Flyers, I’d have bought out his contract and let David Bailey have that spot in the rotation.  Neil Cotts exceeded expectations last year, but his career numbers don’t give you confidence he can repeat a 3.63 ERA.  They guy who has the least job security is Runelvys Hernandez, who is capable of winning ball or some very bad outings—if he’s posting lots of loses, the Flyers might be forced to call up Bailey.  Tom Martin and Scott Stewart are hardly the best bullpen in the world, but anything is an improvement in Atlanta where I think all bullpen guys had a losing record last year and as a whole they blew over 40 games.

Man on the Spot:

What happens when you take a 100 loss team and throw some All Stars at it? In my opinion, you have a 90 loss team. Let's not diminish what was a very active off season for the young GM Jose Gutierrez, but this team was in way too bad a shape to get it fixed in one year. Is the team on the right track? Well, if the plan is to rebuild via free agency instead of the farm system, they certainly could have done worse. But there is no good cheap talent in the system anymore, and if the big ticket guys fail, it's going to be a debacle for the Panthers. Gutierrez thinks he made enough moves to compete for the division this year. I disagree. Does Jose have the patience (or baseball wisdom) to see this rebuild through, or is he just another "Jalani-come-lately"?*

Made enough moves to get the fans in Baltimore excited (after they suffered through a 100 loss affair in the team's first year in Maryland). Pujols, Guerrero, Dotel, Hudson...All Stars each and every one. But at this point, these guys are just a band aid on a gushing wound, and while their presence will ease the hemorrhaging, there is still plenty of work to be done. "A" for effort.

Offense:

Vladdy and Albert can't do it all alone, but they may have to in order to get enough runs to win. David Wright had a promising rookie season in 2009, and could contribute as the third run producer this season, but there are so many other holes in this lineup. Easy outs at 2B and C, an average bat in CF, and a speedy-but-strikeout-prone SS make this lineup too easy to pitch to. Good luck guys. 

Pitching:

Lots of turnover here from a staff that posted a league worst 5.37 team ERA a year ago. Four new starters include Hudson, Sheets, Pavano and Dotel. Hudson should be good, but the others you just don't know about. Granted, throwing in the pitcher-friendly Panther Dome should help (we shudder to think how much worse the team would have been in a smaller park last year), but it's too many question marks. Dotel especially will really tax the bullpen with his 5 inning starts, and this isn't a relief corps that you want to get tired mid-June. Marte and Hendrickson are about the best you can hope for, as Mota, despite 53 career saves, also has a 5.35 lifetime ERA. Eep. 

Man on the Spot:

Ben Sheets, who has had one of the more up and down careers in SLB. If he couldn't cut it with Ellas or Havana's offense supporting him, what chance does he have here?

*if you don't get the joke, you haven't been in my leagues long enough.

This team was a lot worse than I expected them to be last year—Darin was much more accurate in his assessment—so I’m leery about expecting too much.  Still, I think they needed to improve the pitching and they did, so at least owner Jose Gutierrez is aware of what needs fixing.  A lot might ride on whether their table setting slap hitters are .250 hitters or .280 hitters.  I really doubt this team, even if Matthew and Castro are great, or can be a contender, but they may stay out of last.  At least that’s my prediction.  If I’m wrong, they get last place while having traded away a couple of good prospects to do it.  Not good.

Off Season Analysis:

With a league worst 5.37 ERA, the Panthers needed pitching and that’s what they went after.  They got Ben Sheets and Damaso Marte in the auction and then traded for Hudson, Pavano and Dotel.  Sure, some of them have question marks behind them, but they can’t be worse than what this team had before, can they?  Also added Albert Pujols, so not too shabby.  If there’s a downside, it’s that the team mortgaged the future to do it and the farm system is pretty dry if this year is a bust.

Offense:

They’ll need to get by with a lot of small ball.  Bernie Castro and Paul Matthew are two of the fastest guys in the league, so if they get on, they can run all day.  But that’s an if, for sure.  Eric Valent hit 29 HR and had 92 RBI last year, but he hit only .243—the Panthers need him to kick that up a notch.  Vlad and Pujols, well, not much to say there although Pujols may be a bit overrated in SLB.  We’ll see how he does on a team trying to climb out of last place.  Wright had a fine rookie year hitting .290 with 28 dingers and Brazell finally got a shot at the bigs and made the most of it.  Lieberthal is mostly an out.

Pitching:

You have to give GM Jose Gutierrez credit on this one: he went from a rotation of Dewon Brazelton, Sean Burnett, Buddy Corcoran and Jason Davis to Sheets, Hudson, Dotel, Pavano and Brazelton—that’s getting it done.  Now, can that rotation get to the playoffs?  Um, I’m not so sure.  But they shouldn’t lose 100 games again.  What really concerns me is stamina.  Dotel is a converted reliever and some of the other guys are old or suspect in a few starts and that gets you to a bullpen that, outside of new addition Damaso Marte, is pretty suspect.  How many games will the pen blow?  Could be a lot if Angel Guzman and this Fernandez guy they added at the last minute are getting lots of innings.

Man on the Spot:

Havana won yet another division title in 2009, and then predictably went on to lose in the playoffs. So what do they do in the off season? Go get more All Stars, that's what. With the hits to Tennessee and Paris, Havana now boasts arguably the best offense in the league, and with a pitching staff that's above average at worst, should be in good shape to cake walk their way to yet another South Division crown. But GM Darin Keesing should keep an eye over his shoulder, as the rest of the division is catching up.

After adding Derrek Lee at first base, the team didn't have a ton of money to spend. Ben Sheets and Vernon Wells became too expensive to retain, and Keesing had to sweat it out until the end of the Winter Meetings to land Kyle Lohse. The bullpen saw it's usual parade of new faces, and the bench has a new face or two. 

Offense:

Pretty damn good. Let's face it, Nomar, Abreu, Lee, Lane? Yowzers! Abreu's low RBI numbers were the only thing that kept him out of serious MVP consideration last year, as he had a great average and a ton of extra base hits. The biggest question mark this season will be Marlon Byrd in center, who fills in for the still ailing Darin Erstad. Erstad fractured his skull last year, and doctors are saying he won't likely be back until sometime in June. With Vernon Wells now in Scotland, it's up to Byrd to hold down the fort in center. Everyone else is ready to roll.

Pitching:

Like Tennessee and Paris, Havana doesn't need a rotation of aces to get wins. That said, this rotation is pretty good, especially when you can slot Brownlie and Harden into the #4 and #5 roles. The bullpen has never been great in Cuba, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker either. Management would like to see fewer decisions from the pen (they racked up 54 in 2009), and hope that Landers can emerge as the everyday closer (7 players had saves a year ago, with Hawkins' 9 leading the team). There are some worries about Danny Haren's bad spring, but it's best not to invest too much in Cactus League stats.

Man on the Spot:

Bobby Abreu. Why? When you hit .342 and amass 220 hits, you really ought to have more than 103 RBI. I know, I know, it's a tough problem to have.

Darin’s been trying to lowball his team by moaning about the pitching, but who’s buying that?  This is still the best offense in the division and the only bullpen of any respect in the South.  They aren’t about to give up the title easily.  The Diablos have gone crazy for offense with their extra cash adding Derrek Lee to go along with Abreu and Nomar, which means they can slug their way to victory with anybody now.  The only thing standing in their way is a much improved division.   Atlanta got better though the farm system while all three other teams did a good job picking off talent from the other divisions.  Still, I’m picking Havana to win again—be a fool not to.

Off Season Analysis:

They look to be, sadly, better.  Ben Sheets is probably underrated in this league, but Kyle Lohse should do fine replacing him with the Havana offense behind him—much like his early days in Las Vegas .  Derrek Lee is an MVP quality guy and it was a big deal that Havana was able to pry him off the Pimpernels.  He should go apeshit with Abreu and Nomar to knock in all year.  They lost a little in bullpen, so we’ll see if that costs them more than they planned.

Offense:

Honestly, might be tops in the league after Paris ’s dismantling.  In 2009 they came in 2^nd in team runs to Paris (a distant 2^nd), though they were just a few ahead of Ellas who added Dave Peppers to the mix.  Only Marlon Byrd is in anyway a “weak” hitter and he’s at least darn fast.  Either Abreu, who’s overdue, or Lee, who’s deserved it before, could be your MVP.  Esteban German surprised me by scoring 114 runs in 126 games and he’s a great lead off man if he can still hit .293.   Jason Lane really kicked it up hitting .307 with 40 HR.  If they see a drop-off expect it from one of those two.

Pitching:

Havana has the best bullpen in the league, so I’m starting with that.  Landers is now the closer and he’s been pretty amazing since getting called up, with a 3.21 ERA.  Then you’ve got two guys who could close elsewhere, LaTroy Hawkins and Joey Eischen setting up, plus well above average middle inning guys in Wickman, Cordero and Strickland, though the latter had pretty lousy 2009 numbers.  OK, so that’s a big part of the team’s success, not blowing leads.  The heart of the rotation is Johan Santana, who is consistent, though often not the team leader in wins.  Last year that honor went to Danny Haren, who had a spectacular year coming off of Tennessee .  Bobby Brownlie cooled off a lot from his CY runner up year, so there are some big question marks there.  Also unknown is how Kyle Lohse will do outside of Bedford, but Darin Keesing already poached Rich Harden off Bedford, so why not try that move again?

Man on the Spot:

Savannah made a statement last season, winning an impressive 88 games. This team is legit, and could be your wildcard winner in 2010 if the Euro teams break even with eachother. The emergence of Phillip Humber, coupled with a great trade for Roy Halladay and Hee-Seop Choi, propelled the Sabers from annual mediocrity to a legitimate threat in the South. With some good acquisitions this winter, Savannah looks poised to make a run at the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Were the moves enough to catch Havana? Most likely not, but as we know, you don't need to win the division to win it all.

The bad news was the retirement of Jason Schmidt, who had arguably his best season, going 15-5. The good news was the signing of Roy Oswalt, who could be even better. Mark Kotsay was a tough guy to lose, but overall, a nice winter.

Offense:

Finally, Adam Dunn came to play. 40 HR and 100 RBI, coupled with an impressive .956 OPS made him the star hitter this team needed. A full year from Choi gives the team two big power bats, and if Berkman hits .343 again, look out! Kotsay's departure is clearly felt in the 2 slot, where perennially craptacular Carlos Beltran splits time with rookie Todd Linden. The leadoff spot could also be a concern, as this team has traditionally not had a lot of speed, and Polanco/Barmes isn't going to help in that regard. Richard Vohs hits us with more of his crazy platooning, meaning a lot of at-bats for a lot of players.

Pitching:

The addition of Oswalt gives the Sabers arguably the best 1-3 pitchers in the league. There is clearly a drop off when you hit Buehrle and Chacon, but if the team makes the playoffs, three good starters is all you need. Buehrle was pretty decent last year, thanks to good run support, but Chacon is an unknown. He had a good spring, so I guess you run him out there and see if he can cut it. An iffy pen needs to be shored up in order to really have a shot at this, though second year closer Chad Cordero is definitely the real deal. 

Man on the Spot:

Adam Dunn. How many years of substandard run production did this guy have before finally breaking out? Was last year him taking it to the next level, or a career year that won't be matched again?

I said some interesting stuff about this team last year, but can’t figure out what to quote—so onto this year’s mistaken prediction.  During the auction, while Savannah was adding Oswalt and getting Halladay re-signed to go with Humber , who nearly won a Cy Young Award, I was thinking this team might take 1^st place, but after looking at the lineup, I’m not so sure.  Yeah, Oswalt was a nice pick up, but Shawn Chacon is the 5^th starter?  Wha-huh?  Ramirez, Phillips and Barrett?  Nah, don’t jump the gun, this is still a 3^rd place team at best.  It, honestly, wouldn’t shock me if they end up in last given the fact Tennessee is never as bad as I predict them to be.  Tough break, Sabers, the division isn’t full of patsies anymore; two years ago, this team might have been a contender (I coulda been a contenda!)…now, just another .500 ballclub, most likely.

Off Season Analysis:

You have to give them a “B” at least for adding Oswalt, but he really just replaces Schmidt, right?  Then you swap Beltran for Kotsay.  Pick ups are Livan Hernandez, Polanco and Travis Hafner.  Big change?  Probably not.  Still, not too bad for a team with a limited budget.

Offense:

Sort of like a Twinkie™ everybody likes what’s in the middle, but you’re not really sure about what’s around it.  Specifically, Choi is a perennial (if oft injured) MVP candidate, Dunn is usually good for 40 HR and Berkman is probably the best LF in the game—though this year the Sabers have him playing CF when they take on lefties, which outta be ugly.  Then you have guys like Todd Linden, who posted a .629 Slg. in short use last year and Clint Barmes who hit .333 in likewise limited ABs.  Are these guys for real?  3B, SS and C look like holes, which is 3 positions.  So if all 5 of those turn out to be sub-average spots, this could be just a teensy problem.  Of course if Linden and Barmes really are that good, this team can pitch, so…

Pitching:

They have 3 guys who would be the ace on another team in Oswalt, Halladay and Humber .   Humber really had a phenomenal rookie year last season going 20-8 with a 3.89 ERA.  He should have a chance to repeat as he’s the #3 starter facing some lesser opponents.  Halladay had a better ERA.  Mark Buehrle was 13-12 last year and the Sabers will gladly take that again from him again.  Shawn Chacon could be the comeback player of the year or the Goat pretty easily.  The bullpen is about average, though you hate to have Sid Ponson or Chris Carpenter anywhere near a safe a lead they can blow.

Man on the Spot:

I know, it's always a dumb move to bet against the Thunder, as they always manage to pull wins out of their butts every year. This year the additions balance the losses, but with the rest of the division improving, it's hard to just write these guys in for second place again. Savannah proved that last year, and since I think Atlanta will be improved, I'm bumping Tennessee down to 4th place. I'm sure I'll look all the dumber for it in the end. 

Once again, more quality pitching left than returned, as the team lost Weaver and Jennings and replaced them with Marquis, Radke and Westbrook. Urbina and Williamson were brought in to bolster the bullpen, but overall, the staff isn't much better than a year ago. The big offensive loss was Pujols, and Paul Konerko isn't going to replace his numbers.

Offense:

Despite losing Albert, this team can still field three 100 RBI guys in A-Rod, Cabrera and Hamilton (assuming they stay healthy). Scott Podsednik and Jeremy Reed are a pretty good combo at the top of the order, but things fall apart in the lower third. Renteria has never done squat in SLB, Joe Mauer has yet to tap his potential, and Paul Konerko will be lucky to get 80 RBI. Clearly the team needs to score a lot of runs to win.

Pitching:

Seriously, is Ron Guidry the best pitching coach in the league? Who else does so much with so little? Thompson, Peavy, Ramirez? They all excel on this team (and would probably suck to high heaven on London or Baltimore). 21 victories walked out the door via free agency, so we'll see if Guidry can make a winner out of Westbrook. The pen could be pretty good, assuming Redding and Bush don't fall apart in middle relief.

Man on the Spot:

Jake Peavy. He was by far the league's best bargain last year, going 11-1, 2.00 for just $200,000. His season ending injury effectively put the team into 3rd place. Can he come anywhere close to those numbers this year?

I really do hate picking this team for last, and I’m probably wrong about it, but it seems like Atlanta and Baltimore have  improved so much and the pitching in Tennessee always seems so bad and…oh, well, I’ll just have to come up with another excuse when I’m wrong in the Midseason Reports.  This team lost a lot in the off season—two of their best arms in Jeff Weaver and Jason Jennings, their best reliever Marte and, of course, Pujols and I don’t think they got it back.  They won 87 games last year, so it would take quite a fall for them to end up in last, but unless they can work magic with guys like Horacio Ramirez and Jake Westbrook, this could be among the worst pitching staffs in the league.  Do they really have the bats with Pujols gone to counter that?

Off Season Analysis:

It looks like they took some hits.  They bid goodbye to inning-eaters Jeff Weaver and Jason Jennings and added Jake Westbrook, 1-5, 5.90 in 2009 and Jason Marquis, career 4.68 ERA, to replace them.  Pujols is gone and nobody can replace him.  Swapping Marte for Urbina is probably a push.  Shame on any team that picks up Brad Radke—won’t you people learn?!

Offense:

Full of big names, though, in writing this I was surprised to see that Savannah had the better offense and Tennessee the better pitching last year.  I figured it was the other way around.  771 team runs scored isn’t bad and you can’t go wrong with former MVP A-Rod, last year’s batting champ Miguel Cabrera and emerging superstar Josh Hamilton who had a .300/44/109 season last year about as quietly as you can do that.  I mean, he’s a CF after all and we hype the shit out of Preston Wilson—who’s really better?  Podsednik had his best SLB season yet hitting .286 and scoring 110 runs—the Thunder needs another year of that.  The weakness is the back end of the line up where you’ve got Konerko and Renteria, who are pretty average and Mauer, who’s never really found his groove in this league. 

Pitching:

Who woulda thunk this team had 4.12 ERA last year—not me.  The thunder have two pretty respectable arms in Derek Thompson who had a surprising 16-5 3.79 season last year and Jake Peavy who was unreal when healthy going 11-1 with a 2.00 ERA.  I’m not sure they can expect that from Peavy again, but he’s at least won the title of Tennessee ’s “ace” for now.  Probably the make or break of the season is what Marquis, Ramirez and Westbrook can contribute.   Tennessee has had a knack for finding usefulness out of pitchers nobody else believed in, so maybe Westbrook is their next Jeff Weaver or Horacio Ramirez can go 13-8 again.  Then again, I wouldn’t feel too good about those 3. Urbina is the only big name in the pen as Tennessee has slowly lost interest in paying for a big time stable of relievers.  That could come back to bite them.

Man on the Spot:

Alright, so the big question is this: Can Ellas start well enough to make the playoffs? The last few years, the Evzones have had a terrible first half, only to redeem themselves post All Star Break, but then run out of time and come up short. But the short-term rebuild is nearing completion in Athens, and with most of the pieces pretty much set, this seems to be the year for the team to put it all together. The offense keeps getting younger (and better), and could make up for some question marks in the pitching staff. If the team can play up to it's abilities for 6 months, they will definitely be in the thick of the playoff hunt all year. Should be interesting to see how the Malakadome (which now actually has a dome) will alter the team stats. The right field wall is still short, so don't fear that all those lefty sluggers will get cheated out of homers.

It looks pretty ugly when you compare the gains to the losses, but in- house fixes have helped ease the pain. You wouldn't think that a team could recover from losing Martinez and Sasaki in one year, but truth be told, neither was that effective last year, and Sasaki was really taxing the bullpen. Can Jason Jennings excel in the new Malakadome?

Offense:

The Law Firm of Rockwell, Peppers and Coon is ready to serve all of your long ball needs. What a trio of youngsters! The Byzantine Bash Brothers are the future of the league.  Rockwell had the best rookie season ever last year (and got his share of MVP votes as well), while Coon "quietly" racked up a .303/32/82 season. Now Peppers arrives on the scene, the Jose Canseco to Rockwell's Mark McGwire,  and is likely to give Ellas back-to-back 50 HR rookie seasons. Unbelievable. It's all set up by Alex Sanchez's speed and Sean Burrough's career .361 OBP. When you can put Chase Utley down at 6th in the order, you're in pretty good shape. Can Derek Jeter finally be useful? 

Pitching:

It's a wait and see game with this pitching staff. We know Mike Hampton is good, and Wade Miller had some great years in Athens. Javier Vazquez got hammered in Havana, but seemed to regain his confidence after a trade across the big pond. Rookie southpaw Glen Perkins is iffy, though his spring numbers certainly warranted a try, and he could win 13 games with a 5.00 ERA on this team. More youth in the pen, though there is legitimate worry after Trest, Baez and Werth all posted super-sized ERA's this March. Could be the undoing of this team. 

Man on the Spot:

Vazquez is the new ace, and deserves it if he can pitch like he did in Halifax. If he repeats his Havana numbers, big problems.

If you look at what this team lost—Pedro, Sasaki, Tankersly and Mondesi, you can understand why I’m picking them 3^rd place, but on the other hand the 2009 Evzones were pathetic underachievers whose Cy Young quality vets let them down.  This team may be too young to know they can’t win it all and they have a sort of Rat Pack swagger with Coon, Rockwell and Peppers all swinging from the heels and thinking they’ll park it each time they do.  It’s definitely Pete Incaviglia’s team—expect lots of homers, lots of strikeouts and some ugly defense.  They may lose some ugly games and wins some laughers, but it’s likely to be fun in the Malakadome—now with closed roof goodness!

Off Season Analysis:

Probably the biggest thing they did was close the roof and move the fences in the Malakadome, which they blamed for some miserable pitching.  We’ll see about that.  Otherwise, they lost two great pitchers, who didn’t do much for them—Pedro and Sasaki and added junk baller Jason Jennings.  Not much of a busy off season.

Offense:

If Dave Peppers is the real deal—and he sure looked it in Spring Training—then this offense has no real weak spots.  They are one of the top 3 along with Havana and Paris .  The Greeks really started scorching people last year when they added Alex Sanchez, their first real lead off hitter since Kenny Lofton.  He could score 130-140 runs if he’s healthy all year.  Chest Rockwell is now the star here and he came close to winning both the Rookie of the Year Award and the MVP last season with a rude .297/54/140 debut.  Now he’s got Peppers, a legit threat to hit 60 HR backing him up.  Should be fun.  Rich Aurilia took a while to get up to speed last year while the Evzones toyed with Angel Berroa as their starter.  This year he platoons with Jeter, so that should help clear up the SS problem.

Pitching:

It was an accomplishment for the Evzones to get their team ERA down to 4.30 last year and if they can get under that this year, they should make the playoffs; they don’t need a sub 4.00 ERA with this offense.  The team believes that Javier Vasquez did best in Halifax when he was told he was the ace, so they are giving him the ball on Opening Day.  Mike Hampton worked out really well for the Evzones, going 16-4 with a  3.00 ERA, so he may be their best pitcher.  Miller is usually effective and Jason Jennings is somebody they hope has proven he can win with a good offense behind him.  The pen is always a problem in Athens and there’s little reason, outside of having Baez on board for a full season, to think otherwise this year.   But to be fair to the Evzones, they’ve tried some of the best relievers in SLB to fix their pen woes and they all have sucked—what would you do?

Man on the Spot:

So, so close last year. 101 wins (which gets you the wildcard), but no ring. Then the team lost 17 players and had to get really creative with the finances. Though the team had some rough losses, are they really out of it? Not by a stretch. It won't be easy, and Ireland won't win 100 games, but this division is there for the taking, and another good trade could put the Invaders right back at the top. Can Blake broker the big deal?

Considering the team had $17.2 million to fill 17 roster spots, it's amazing how the off season turned out. Rather than spread the money thin, GM Tony Blake put $11 million on Troy Glaus, luring the MVP away from Paris and filling the void left by Manny Ramirez. Mondesi comes back to the team where he had his best years, and Derek Lowe could benefit from the rainy conditions in the Land of Leprechauns. 

Offense:

Still pretty good all things considered. Delgado, Glaus, Mondesi, Murman? That's some power, boy. Scott Hodges garnered some MVP votes, and no surprise, as he's easily the best #2 hitter in baseball. Franklin Gutierrez really stepped it up in CF, though he's fallen into a platoon situation (as has Delgado???) with guys like Dye and Kelton also getting PT in the outfield. Can Angel Berroa resurrect his career here? You figure he would have done it by now, right? I think these platoons need to sort themselves out here soon; it's like Michael Taylor platooning Glaus and Lee to start last year. 

Pitching:

Sabathia's departure hurts, but 3-time Cy Young winner Mark Prior remains (with his record $18.5 million salary in tow). Jeff Niemann and Brandon Webb were both really good last year, as was Brian Anderson, who is now in AAA in favor of rookie Bobby Jenks. Can Derek Lowe keep up his hot pitching? Good bullpen full of no-names, with F-Rod closing and Hodges/Wunsch setting him up. Can Mort Hughson slide in and keep up? 

Man on the Spot:

Derek Lowe. He has a career 4.67 ERA, which should go down in the cold of Northern UK. If he is a solid 4th starter, you feel much better about this team's chances.

The Invaders finally made it back to the playoffs last year behind a no-name offense and this year, they’ve got a name, alrighty, Troy Glaus the 2009 MVP.  So with Mark Prior, now on his quest for a 4^th Cy Young and a former MVP, what’s not to like?  Well, Bobby Jenks and Derek Lowe, for starters, but the Invaders seem less worse for the wear in the off season than Ellas or Paris, so I’m giving them the nod.  Not that it’s a sure thing, though.  This team lacks a real lead off man, has some issues in the bullpen and could have problems with their 4-5 starters.  Anything that goes wrong could take them out of the playoffs fast.

Off Season Analysis:

They weren’t willing to shell out the cash to keep CC Sabathia, who went for $14mil so they let him go and, distressingly, replaced him with Derek Lowe.  That’s not good.  But they made up for it in offense.  Manny Ramirez retired, but they replaced him with Raul Mondesi who they got for free, basically.  And then the big cherry on top was Troy Glaus who Tony Blake shelled out $11mil for, but what price can you put on those MVP numbers and best of all taking them off of Paris?

Offense:

Last year I called them “scrubs.”  Nice work.  They only helped win 101 games.  Still, Gutierrez and Hodges leading off?  Eh.  Angel Berroa at SS?  Hmm.  Not so sure about those spots, but I am sure about Troy Glaus.  At least they got 50 HR locked up in the middle of the line up, that’s always nice.  Mondesi and Dye are what interests me in terms of how the season goes here.  Mondesi has been on a decline the last couple of years, but getting a $200K contract might motivate him.   Likewise, Dye has never had his breakthrough year, but he’s getting a chance to play every day.

Pitching:

Mark Prior makes more than some whole staffs, but he’s worth every penny.  He’s 20 wins in the bank.  Brandon Webb and Jeff Niemann were both impressive last year winning 17 and 16, respectively.  Niemann is still young, so he may not be a 15 win guarantee, but the real questions linger around the 4 and 5 starters.  Derek Lowe has had a year or two of good baseball, but has mostly been a bust.  Can Ireland turn him into a winner?  And Bobby Jenks, whoa, gutsy call there. Bullpen is pretty run-of-the-mill.  I think Rodriguez could get a lot of saves in close games, but the middle relievers stand to blow a lot of games, too.

Man on the Spot:

As parity seems to be taking hold in the league, there is but one team that is seriously screwed no matter what. Friends, I give you your London Knights. Once again, management was tardy to the Winter Meetings, and money was left unspent on a team that desperately needs a superstar. So what should be the plan from here on out? Keep racking up the top amateurs and build slowly a la Atlanta? Or spend the cash now and try a quick rebuild like Baltimore and Scotland? Ownership better figure it out and soon. 

Too late to get Halladay or Wood, so GM Sean O'Hallaran chose to sit on his hands and leave money in the bank. Saw their closer and best hitter (1st ballot Hall of Famer Brian Giles) retire, but replaced them with chaff. Then, due to poor roster management, the team was forced to select their own guy in the Rule 5, preventing them from improving themselves there (an altogether simple thing to have avoided). Really, not good at all.

Offense:

Will the new stadium improvements help this offense? I mean, a lineup featuring Kearns, Teixeira, Reyes and Rowand should do pretty well, but up until this year, this offense has really underachieved. It's short to the corners but long to center field now, so anyone who can pull the ball has a shot. Jose Reyes needs to be the spark at the top for this team to score anything. Kendry Morales needs to show some serious talent...ah, who am I kidding? He could hit 100 HR with 300 RBI and this team still wouldn't win.

Pitching:

The good news is that Kyle Newby isn't the Opening Day starter. He has somehow stuck on the big league roster, however, despite his 5-19, 5.93 drubbing in 2009 (I really thought he wouldn't win a game there for awhile). It's a different rookie who gets the ball in Game 1 this year; Lance Broadway was the #1 overall pick in the 2009 Amateur Draft, and has just 6 Rookie League starts on his professional resume. It has to go better though, right? Never mind that he faces Carlos Zambrano in his major league debut. Now, to give credit where it's due, the #2 and #3 starters had really good years in 2009 (W-L records not withstanding). Brett Myers and Matt Clement had perhaps the best year's of their careers, and yet this team still lost over 100 games. Wolf was pretty good as well. All three of those guys would have won a lot more games on Paris. They can only do so much if the offense isn't scoring runs. The team's best reliever retired, leaving O'Hallaran to piece together a bullpen of decent arms, not so good arms, and a promising rookie (Buckner). If Franky Rodriguez can find the magic again, fans will forget that Izzy is gone. Buckner had a pretty good spring, so maybe things are looking better than I think.

Man on the Spot:

I'll leave Broadway alone. How about Kendry Morales for this one? Not that it's his fault that he wasn't promoted in time to avoid the Rule V draft, but since that's what happened, he needs to prove his worth. Scouts love his tools, but he never really blew up in AAA. 

Maybe you should cover your eyes if you are a London fan or owner, this won’t be pretty.  But if you aren’t, you can look at London of an example of how not to run your team.  Unspent cash, overspending on average players, wasted drafts.  Going back and re-signing the same losers who got you last place the year before…it’s all there.  Unless you think Kris Benson is going to turn this team around, there’s about zero hope for this team this year.  Is it impossible for this franchise to get competitive?  I don’t think so, but this is a team in need of some new direction, maybe a move out of the Euro in a couple of seasons and a major, Cleveland-like dumping of the team this year coupled with another #1 draft pick might do it.  But even then, the Knights may be on a hopeless crusade. 

Off Season Analysis:

Totally wasted.  Isringhausen, who should have been traded last year while he still had value, and Giles both had had enough of losing and retired then ownership failed to spend a wad of cash.  Does anybody here even care?

Offense:

All eyes will be on Kendry Morales, who had a bizarre road to the majors having been left to rot in the Low minors and then picked up by his own team in the Rule V draft (hey, thanks for noticing me, jerks).  He could be the start of something at least in London .  Otherwise, these are the same scrubs that hit .236 and only could take some small comfort in the fact the Scotland , in their cavern of a park, scored less runs.

Pitching:

Just threw up a little in my mouth, excuse me there.  Yeah, these guys will make you nauseous.  Myers and Wolf keep sticking around despite losing about 2/3rds of their starts.  Matt Clement actually pitched better here than he has elsewhere, with a 3.38 ERA, but that’s still not enough for a winning record.  Maybe he’ll get some run support, but maybe he’ll revert to a bad ERA.  Excitement buzzes around Lance Broadway, who could be the ace for years to come if he can handle the pressure of being the ace on a losing team, something Kyle Newby couldn’t deal with.  William Buckner is also a guy to watch in the pen as he came with a high draft pick and could be the closer soon.

Man on the Spot:

Can Paris be the Timex of SLB? They've taken a licking in free agency, but they may just keep on ticking, as GM Michael Taylor has the financial resources to make up for the losses. Overall, the team lost way more than it gained, but with the amount of depth this team had in prior years, don't expect a huge drop off in production. Sure, ancient manager Yogi Berra can't implement silly platoons of Lee/Koonce or Glaus/McPherson anymore, but there are no shortages of All Star quality bats on this roster. The pitching always looks suspect, but another year of high scoring games looks to be in the making.

Lost Lee, Glaus, Rollins, Floyd and Urbina. That's rough. But salary was cleared, and Taylor garnered Orlando Cabrera, Todd Helton and Geoff Jenkins. So boo hoo, the offense goes from "Ungodly" to "Really Frickin' Good." Urbina is the only significant loss to the pen.

Offense:

While the league managed to pick some Hall of Fame caliber hitters off this team, they couldn't get them all, and Berra returns a lineup that still features Damon, Green, Gerut, Koonce, McPherson, Hillenbrand and Kelly. Orlando Cabrera, arguably one of the top 3 shortstops in the league, was added to hit doubles all over the place, and Geoff Jenkins adds another veteran lefty bat to a fierce lineup. Second base is a hole with Jiminez, but that's really it. 

Pitching:

I thought that all the offensive losses would expose this staff and it's mediocrity, but now I doubt it. They still aren't great, but they will have phenomenal run support, so what does it matter? I know I wouldn't want Graves and Waechter pitching 2 out of every 5 days in my rotation, but they seem to do alright for Paris. The bullpen is an actual concern, however, as Urbina, Eischen and Takatsu have been replaced with Choate, Eurely and Jiminez. Downgrade to be sure. Billy Wagner keeps coming back to add to his record setting save totals, and as long as he stays healthy, he's the best around.

Man on the Spot:

Just for fun, I'll put Jody Gerut on the block. This guy went from perennial Free Agent Pool dweller to All Star. A fluke, or will he do it again?

Give them a nice golf clap for being the first franchise to win two world titles (clap, clap) and now, realize, success does come at a price—people will pick your talent clean.  It’s not like this team is shorn of talent—you can’t not have talent with a gasp enducing $88million payroll, but with Glaus, Lee, Rollins and Floyd gone, can this team do it all over again?  This will be the most challenging year yet for GM Michael Taylor and while I certainly don’t want to underestimate this team again, I also can’t see them running away from Ireland and Ellas again this year.

Off Season Analysis:

Got ravaged worse than a $2 whore in a Navy port this time.  Gone are a huge chunk of the bullpen in Eischen, Takatsu and Urbina plus about half the offense.  Wow.  I don’t doubt that Todd Helton, Orlando Cabrera and Geoff Jenkins will tear it up here—who doesn’t—but it’s going to be a lot harder this year.  Maybe you can find a little fault that Taylor didn’t go spending his World Series money a little earlier, but we’ll see if there’s any room for second guessing soon enough.

Offense:

The usual Pimpernel offense characterized by lots of platoons, lots of depth and plenty of speed.  Damon leads off every day, and that should mean 120-140 runs if he’s healthy.  Orlando Cabrera set a league record with 79 doubles last year and should be a mean part of the Pimp offense.  With Glaus gone, RBI duty is going to Dallas McPherson and the platoons of Helton/Koonce and Gerut/Green.  They’ll probably be up to the task.  The catcher/2B positions are actually a little on the weak side, which is not usual for the Pimps, but losing Glaus has forced them to go with D’Angelo Jimenez at 2B instead of McPherson, which was just unfair.

Pitching:

Mostly the same guys who posted an unspectacular 4.55 ERA last year minus some important bullpen arms.  Escobar and Jerome Williams are good enough to win anywhere and either could cough up a 20 win season this year.  The rest just try to hold it to 5 runs and let the offense take over.  You really have to resent that guys like Zach Day and Danny Graves can be winners here, but then, you don’t have the offense Paris does, do you?

Man on the Spot:

What to make of the Scotland Rebels? Though it's clear that the team really improved itself this off season, it's hard to measure how much. First, the former owner was a complete putz, driving the team into the ground with his utter laziness. This was a guy who left Darnell McDonald, who hit .195/.222/.277, with 3 HR and 7 RBI in 575 AB's, in the #2 spot ALL SEASON.  Second, the move to Scotland (from Vegas) didn't include stadium renovations, meaning the 2009 season was played in a park that might as well have been 500 feet to center field. So while I'm sure the team will be better, how much can be attributed to the quick rebuild by GM Carmelo Guarneri, and how much credit can go to the cozier stadium dimensions? Either way, expect a more competitive Rebels team in 2010.

I'm sure Tom will disagree with me here, but I think Carmelo did a really good job this off season. He was thrown into the middle of the auction with no prep time (after the old owner basically gave Alfonso Soriano away), and yet managed to sign and trade his way to a competitive team in a short amount of time. Sure, he had to trade away top prospect Jered Weaver, but the additions to the team easily balance out the subtractions. The sagging offense got a kick in the pants, the bullpen was improved....nice job.

Offense:

Not only did the old ballpark suck the life out of this lineup, there just weren't that many good players to begin with. B.B. Boo-Ya saw a huge slump in his second year, but again, blame the park. It was a huge turn around from the Vegas days, where balls flew out of the park left and right (but no one could pitch). Hopefully there is a better balance of climate to ballpark to help things out. Richie Sexson, Marcus Giles and JD Drew ought to help out as well. Hideki Matsui may have a Comeback Player type season now that he's sandwiched between Vernon Wells and Sexson, and if Boo-Ya has a big year, this team could really score some runs. The C and 3B platoons aren't terribly impressive, but the progress made here is impressive.

Pitching:

They were really happy to get out of the desert heat, that's for sure. But the W-L records sucked because of losing so many low scoring games. Tim Hudson was deemed expendable to get pitching, and that may be a great move, as Beckett, Burnett, Brush and Beltre can all get it done. Plus, Dennis Tankersly was inked to a 3-year deal, giving the team a solid 1-5 rotation. And now, with the promotion of De La Cruz and Mungitt, the Rebels have by far the hardest throwing bullpen in the league. With Farnsworth and Benitez, you're talking about four guys who can hit the upper 90's with regularity (and the rookies can hit triple digits). We'll see if all those fastballs are enough to compensate for average second pitches. I'm not sure Farnsworth is the guy you want at the end of the game, but that will all be sorted out.

Man on the Spot:

I'll pick J.D. Drew. He hasn't exactly distinguished himself as a great hitter in his career (.263/.307/.473 career), and the cold weather won't likely help.

New GM Carmelo Guarneri takes over the Scotland Rebels having to pick up a team run into the ground by Bill Norris.  The only good thing you can say there is at least he didn’t run them into last place so new ownership at least has a pretty hefty payroll to work with.  The team is not waiting on any sort of long term planning, trading a valuable farm prospect for some veteran hitting and calling up the top relief prospects, so there’s a possibility they will hang with the big boys this year, at least for a while.  Not a bad strategy and as players contracts come up, the new team will emerge.  For now, it will be interesting to see how a less spacious park will combine with the godforsaken Scottish weather to affect the team’s run production.

Off Season Analysis:

GM Guarneri had the distinctly unusual experience of taking over the team in the middle of the auction, so any mistakes can be forgiven, but all things considered he did about as well as you could hope for.  Yeah, Soriano got away thanks to Norris’s petulant tantrum, but that can be overcome.  The Scots added some much need relief pitching and Dennis Tankersly who has been pretty good save for last season.  The big move was the three team deal with Halifax and Baltimore which added JD Drew and Richie Sexson, who aren’t MVP candidates but who should add up to 60 HRs, which is also exactly what they needed.

Offense:

The new park took a huge toll on this offense last year and moving into a less monstrous new stadium should help guys like Sexson, Matsui and Drew do something productive.  Much will rest on whether Boo Ya, who I had as my #2 pick for Comeback of the Year can get back up to hitting .300 again.  If so, they should be in the middle of the pack, not the worst in the league in runs scored.  This team could really use an upgrade at 3B or catcher, so we’ll see if Guarneri pulls the trigger on another trade to get some run production there. 

Pitching:

They had the 2^nd best ERA in the league at 3.92, but that’s with the mammoth park behind them.  Still, some real aces here in Burnett and Beckett.  Tank should do pretty well even in a smaller park in dead ball weather, 15 wins from him wouldn’t surprise me, making him a real bargain.  Beltre and Brush are pretty iffy in the 4/5 slots, so there may be a need to upgrade or root around in the FA pile there. If Mungitt and De La Cruz, who both have guns for arms can do to major league pitching what they did to the AAA bums, this pen will be lights out, with Aquilino Lopez, Armando Benitez and Kyle Farnsworth also serving duty.  Man, can this pen bring some heat or what? 

Man on the Spot: