MLB Season Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies


Last Season's Standings: The Philadelphia Phillies went 85-77 to finish second in the NL East last season, including 6-4 in their last 10 games.

In: C Rod Brajas (prev. team: Texas Rangers); SP Adam Eaton (prev. team: Texas Rangers); 3B Wes Helms (prev. team: Florida Marlins); SP Jamie Moyer; 1B Randall Simon; SP Brett Myers; LF Karim Garcia; RP Antonio Alfonseca (prev. team: Texas Rangers); 2B Chase Utley; CF Aaron Rowand; SP Ryan Madson; RF Jayson Werth (prev. team: LA Dodgers); SP Freddy Garcia (via trade w/ Chicago White Sox)

Out: SP Gavin Floyd (via trade w/ Chicago White Sox); LF David Dellucci (new team: Cleveland Indians); RP Aaron Fultz (new team: Cleveland Indians); 3B Alex Gonzalez (new team: Kansas City Royals); 3B Jose Hernandez (new team: Pittsburgh Pirates); C Mike Liebrathal (new team: LA Dodgers); RP Arthur Rhodes (new team: Seattle Mariners); 2B Joe Thurston (new team: Washington Nationals); RP Rick White (new team: Houston Astros); SP Randy Wolf (new team: LA Dodgers)

Starting Pitchers: Trade acquisition Freddy Garcia enters the season as the staff ace for the Phillies. He had a good season in 'o6 going 17-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 33 starts. Base runners have their way with Garcia and he struggles with command against left-handed batters. Pitching next in the rotation will be fellow rightie Brett Myers. Myers was 12-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 31 starts at season's end last year. He must control his competitive fire and be better with runners in scoring position. Cole Hamels will likely occupy the third spot in the rotation and is entering his first full season in the majors. Hamels missed 17 games last season to a shoulder injury and will be looking to remain healthy all season in '07. He was 9-8 with a 4.08 ERA in '06 in 23 starts. Hamels needs to throw first-pitch strikes more often and to build his stamina beyond 100 pitches. Adam Eaton is another pitcher looking to stay healthy this season (he missed half the '06 season to a broken finger). Eaton struggles against lefties and sometimes with his control. He went 7-4 with a 5.12 ERA in 13 starts with Texas. The aging Jamie Moyer is entering his 21st season in the majors, but should be an effective 5th starter. As he ages, he has become more prone to giving up the long ball and thrughout his career, when he struggles things go very downhil. Moyer went 11-13 in 33 starts in '06. Finally, Jon Lieber will challenge Moyer for the 5th starter's spot, but look for him to start as a long man out of the 'pen. Lieber was 9-11 with a 4.93 ERA in 27 starts last season.

Bullpen: Tom Gordon is the closer for the Phillies. He saved 34 games in 59 sppearances last season and also had a further record of 3-4. Health is a question mark for Gordon as he missed 12 games with a shoulder injury last season. He also has some wildness tendencies at points where he'll hit batters, walk batters and completely miss the catchers target. Ryan Madson is a candidate for long man duty. He may even be a set-up man for Gordon. He went 11-9 with 2 saves, 17 starts and a 5.69 ERA in 50 appearances. Endurance, pitching against lefties and holding runners are the trouble spots for Madson. Rightie Geoff Geary should be a middle reliever, coming into the ball game in the 6th or 7th inning. Geary was 7-1 with a 2.96 ERA in 81 appearances last season. The Phillies need a repeat performance to be successful this season. Free agent signing Antonio Alfonseca will attempt to be a successful 7th-8th inning reliever. He had a 5.83 ERA in 19 appearances in '06. Alfonseca must improve with the bases empty and the middle of the order hitters. Rookie Fabio Castro is battling for one of the final 2 bullpen spots. He was 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 16 games played in '06. Likely vying for a long reliever's spot is rookie Eude Brito. Brito pitched in five games last season, two of those being starts, as a September call-up. He finished with a record of 1-2 and a dysmal 7.36 ERA. Due to his lack of experience, Brito will likely start the year in AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Clay Condrey had a decent season in '06 going 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA in 21 big league appearances. He'll be looking to build on that effort, but is in tough to make this deep squad. Look for him to start in AAA ball but be available as an injury replacement. Rookie Brian Sanches will also be looking to build on last season, where he had a 5.91 ERA in 18 appearances as a September call-up. Barring an excellent spring training where he blows the coaching staff away, Sanches will be moved to the minor league camp at some point. Finally, Matt Smith stands a decent shot at the final bullpen spot, especially since he pitched so well last season, finishing 0-1 with a miniscule 0.87 ERA. He'll be looking to prove that those numbers are no fluke.

Catcher: Free agent signing Rod Barajas will get the majority of starts behind the plate (between 115 and 125) and will bat eighth in the line-up. Brajas had just an okay year at the plate in 2006 batting .256 with 11 HR and 41 RBI. He's a good defensive catcher and that's mainly why he is in the everyday line-up. Backing him up should be a battle between rookies Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste with Coste having a slight edge due to more experience. Whoever is back-up would be wise to follow Barajas's every move to gain tips from him.

First Baseman: Ryan Howard could well play every game this season and will bat clean-up. Howard is just an outstanding hitter, who can knock the ball out of the park on a very regular basis (58 times in '06), hit for average (.313 last season) and drive in buckets of runners (149 in '06). The only thing he can work on a little are striking out less (181 times in 2006) and perhaps taking a walk a bit more. Backing him up should be Wes Helms, who will serve as the every day third baseman. Coste may also get some playing time over at first base. Finally, waiver wire pick-up Greg Dobbs will be in the mix to challenge for playing time, but he'll likely start in AAA ball and be available as an injury replacement, if needed.

Second Baseman: Chase Utley will play around 160 games and bat 2nd in the line-up. Utley hit .309 with 32 HR and 102 RBI last season. Defensively, he can bea liability, but had an error free year in 2006 and will be looking to build on it. Utilitymen Abraham Nunez and Danny Sandoval will battle for back-up jobs at 2B, SS and 3B. Nunez hit .211 with 2 HR and 41 RBI last season. He can defend at any infield position, but is at best average at the plate. Sandoval is less experienced and also hit .211 and managed to knock in just 4 runs last season. He'll need a strong training camp or he'll start in AAA ball.

Shortstop: Leadoff man and speedster Jimmy Rollins will play between 155 and 160 games and he'll be expected to get on base and be a headache for the pitcher. Rollins stole 36 bases in '06, hit .277 with 25 HR and 83 RBI. He needs to be more patient and wait for his pitch; could stand to lower the strike out total (80 K's last season). Sandoval and Nunez will battle for the back-up role.

Third Baseman: At the hot corner is Wes Helms who will all but certainly bat 6th and play between 135 and 145 games, if healthy. Helms hit an impressive .329 with 10 HR and 47 RBI. He has a bad tendency to be over-aggressive at the plate and also to be a primary pull hitter, making defending him predictable, but not necessarily easy. Defensively, he is sound and he is willing to learn. Nunez, Sandoval and Dobbs will battle to back him up.

Left Fielder: Pat Burrell is an invaluable power-hitting lefty that teams knock themselves over trying to sign as a free agent. He'll bat either 3rd or 5th in the line-up and play between 140 and 150 games provided he's healthy in '07. Defensively, Burrell needs to work on reading fly balls. At the plate, he is capable of hitting 30 HR, although he hit 29 last season. Burrell batted .258 and knocked in 95 runs last season. Burrell needs to bring down the strikeout total (131 in 2006). Ex-Blue Jay Sayson Werth is likely pencilled in as the 4th outfielder. He can play any outfield position but will need to prove that he's over the serious wrist injury that kept him out all of last season, including the playoffs. also battling for a spot on the roster as a platoon outfielder is Chris Roberson, who stands a decent chance to be the platoon outfielder, but his experience, or lack of it is a question mark. Roberson batted just .195 and only managed to drive in a single run in 2006. He could start in AAA ball for more fine tuning. Shane Victorino is also in the mix, and is likely to be the starting right fielder; more on him later.

Center Fielder: Aaron Rowand tends to be a slow starter, but will still be the 3rd or 5th batter in the batting order. He hit .262 with 12 HR and 47 RBI last season. Rowand needs to prove his fractured ankle is healed. If healthy, he'll play between 135 and 145 games. Werth, Victorino and Roberson will battle for the back-up job, with Roberson and Werth likely getting the closer look.

Right Fielder: Finally, I'll discuss Shane Victorino, who is likely more suited as a 4th outfielder, but is the best of the bunch between himself, Werth and Robenson and will therefore be in the everyday line-up. Look for him to bat 7th and play 150+ games next season if healthy. He hit .287 with 6 HR and 46 RBI in the 2006 season. Werth and Roberson will battle for the back-up job.

Season Prediction: Philadelphia will be in the hunt for a while but alas, they will finsh 2007 3rd in the NL East.

MLB Season Preview: NY Mets

NY Mets

Last Season's Standings: In the '06 Season, the NY Mets went 97-65, including .500 in their last ten games to take the NL East title. They lost in seven games to the eventual WS Champ St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS.

In: C Sandy Alomar Jr. (prev. team: Chicago White Sox); LF Moises Alou (prev. team: San Francisco Giants); C Mike DeFelice; SS Damion Easley (prev. team: Arizona Diamondbacks); SP Tom Glavine; SP Orlando Hernandez; RP Guillermo Mota; LF David Newhan (prev. team: Baltimore Orioles); SP Chan Ho Park (prev. team: San Diego Padres); RP Scot Schoeweneweiss (prev. team: Cincinatti Reds); SP Aaron Sele (prev. team: LA Dodgers); RP Jorge Sosa (prev. team: St. Louis Cardinals); 2B Jose Valentin; C Ramon Castro; CF Endy Chavez; RP Duaner Sanchez; SP Dave Williams; SP Jason Vargas (via trade w/ Florida Marlins); SP Adam Bostick (via trade w/ Florida Marlins); RP John Adkins (via trade w/ San Diego Padres); LF Ben Johnson (via trade w/ San Diego Padres)

Out: RP Chad Bradford (new team: Baltimore Orioles); LF Cliff Floyd (new team: Chicago Cubs); RP Roberto Hernandez (new team: Cleveland Indians); LF Ricky Ledee (new team: Oakland A's); RF Eli Marrero (new team: St. Louis Cardinals); RP Darren Oliver (new team: LA Angels); RP Jason Standridge (new team: Kansas City Royals); C Kelly Stinnett (new team: LA Dodgers); SS Chris Woodward (new team: Atlanta Braves); SP Victor Zambrano (new team: Toronto Blue Jays); RP Henry Owens (via trade w/ Florida Marlins); SP Matt Lindstrom (via trade w/ Florida Marlins); RP Heath Bell (via trade w/ San Diego Padres); RP Royce Ring (via trade w/ San Diego Padres)

Starting Pitching: Health is a major concern for this pitching rotation. Staff ace Tom Glavine is entering what could be his final year in the majors. This aging aveteran has been the picture of consistency over the years, with a career record of 290-191, including 15-7 with a 3.82 ERA in '06. He'll need to pitch at least 7 innings most nights to save a bullpen that's sure to rack up a lot of innings. Must keep fastball down to be successful. Slated #2 starter Orlando Hernandez is coming off a frustrating season where he tore his calf muscle warming up in the bullpen causing him to miss the entire playoffs. He was 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season in 29 starts. Hernandez falls into lapses where his fastball stays up in the strike zone, thus creating launching pads for opposing hitters. Health is a concern for this rightie. John Maine is pencilled in to the #3 slot in the rotation. However, it will not be handed to him on a silver platter; Maine must demonstrate that last season was no fluke. He went 6-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts. He'll be trying for his first full season in the majors. Lefty Odalis Perez will also be battling for the one of the last 2 spots in the rotation. He was a dysmal 6-8 with a 6.20 ERA in 32 appearances, 20 of those being starts. Perez is too predictable with 2 strikes, always trying to throw the ball up in the strike zone, as a result hitters expect that pitch and whack it hard. He doesn't have the endurance to pitch deep in ball games. Perez will almost certainly start with a rotation spot while Martinez recovers from off-season surgery; more on him later. Chan Ho Park, yet another off-season free agent signing, will be looking to bounce back after missing a quarter of the season to an abdominal strain. He was 7-7 with a 4.81 ERA last season. Park's performance tends to tail off as the game grows older; doesn't handle pressure well and struggles to stay healthy. Finally Pedro Martinez is a big question mark heading into the season. When healthy, he can be a rock. Martinez basically missed the final 3 months, save for two weeks in August to various injuries, and he elected to have rotator cuff surgery towards the end of last season, since he wasn't going to be available to pitch in the playoffs anyway. This puts his entire '07 season in question. He certainly won't be ready for the start of the season as he still needs time to rehab. Look for him to maybe return around the All-star break at the earliest.

Bullpen: Billy "the kid" Wagner is entering the second year of a 4-year deal with the Mets. He'll be the go-to-guy in the ninth inning of close games. He notched 40 saves last season and had a record of 3-2 with a 2.24 ERA in 70 appearances. Wagner should have at least a few good years left in him before he's past his prime. Aaron Heilman will likely serve as the primary set-up man. He was 4-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 74 appearances last season. He must improve command of his pitches, especially his slider and change-up. Hrilman should take the ball in the 8th inning primarily. Guillermo Mota is another reliable setup man in the Mets bullpen. Mota is prone to wildness and tends to fade as the season progressive; is most effective with a couple of days between appearances. Look for Mota, who was 4-3 with a 4.53 ERA in '06, to be used in the 7th inning of tight ball games. Facing opposition lefties will be Pedro Felicano, who is looking to build on his fine season from '06 where he went 7-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 53 appearances. He struggles with his command, especially when facing a rightie. Middle-late reliever Duaner Sanchez will also be looking to build off a fine season from '06 in which he went 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 49 games played. Must improve his command and stamina, pitching performance against left-handed hitters. Ambiorix Burgos is out to prove that his rotator cuff is healthy again. Like most of the bullpen staff, Burgos struggles with command. He was 4-5 with a 5.52 ERA last season and will be battling for a middle-late reliever spot in the bullpen. He could wind up starting the season in New Orleans. Lefty Dave Williams will also be battling for a final bullpen spot as a long reliever. He needs to improve his command, endurance and mental toughness with runners in scoring position. Williams was 5-4 with a 6.52 ERA in 14 appearances (all but one being a start) last season. A second lefty specialist on this squad will be Scott Schoeneweiss. He struggles when under pressure, has a tendency to leave the ball up. Schoeneweiss was 4-2 with a 4.88 ERA in 71 appearances last season. Finally, Jorge Sosa is attempting and stands a good shot at being a second middle-late reliever, although he was abysmal last season going 3-11 with a 5.42 in 45 appearances, 13 of those being starts. He struggles when facing left-handed batters and with runners on base (pitching from the stretch). Look for Sosa to pitch primarily out of the bullpen in the 6th or 7th.

Catcher: Paul Lo Duca is coming off a successful first season in a Mets uniform and will be working with a pitching staff that's a real mix of familiar and brand new players to him. Offensively, he can contribute on a fairly regular basis, hit .318 last season, but doesn't drive in a lot of runs (just 49 in '06) and has little power (5HR in '06). Lo Duca has speed but isn't great at reading pitcher's moves and has a good arm and range defensively. Look for Lo Duca to play between 120-130 games this season and to bat 8th. Backing him up will be Ramon Castro. Castro hit .238 with 4 HR and 12 RBI last season. Castro's a predictably slow runner and has little patience at the plate.

First Baseman: Carlos Delgado reached his goal of making the post-season last year and this time he wants to go even further. This clean-up hitter has the capability to carry hisd team on his back. However, he hit .265 with 38 HR and 114 RBI. Delgado strikes out too much (120 times in the '06 season) is a defensive liability and runs the bases like a tortoise. Luckily he's a power hitter, so a lot of times speed isn't necessary with the ball out of play. He should bat clean-up and play between 140-150 games next season. The aging 48-year-old Julio Franco will serve as Delgado's back-up, playing around 100 games, primarily being utilized for pinch hitter duties, although he could start a handful of games at first base to rest Delgado. Utility man David Newhancan also play 1b, but he'll likely serve as an outfielder or third baseman.

Second Baseman: Jose Valentin will once again serve as the every day 2B for the Mets. He hit .271 with 18HR and 62 RBI last season. Valentin is a defensive liability, struggles in the clutch and tends to fade in the second half. He'll likely bat 7th and play between 135-145 games this season. Anderson Hernandez should make this squad full-time as a pinch-hitter/back-up to Valentin. Hernandez will have to be more patient at the plate and take advantage of whatever opportunities to hit come up, as he'll likely hit just once, maybe twice a game most nights.

Shortstop: The speedy Jose Reyes will bat lead-off to give opposing starting pitcher fits and play around 155 games if healthy. His speed will make him a tough out (stole 64 bases last season). Reyes hit .300 with 19 HR and 81 runs driven in last season. Defensively, he makes most of the plays, even the tough ones. Backing him up will be Hernandez and utility man Damon Easley. Easley will primarily be usd for pinch hit duties. He hit .233 with 9 HR, 28 RBI in '06.

Third Baseman: Last year's all-star David Wright had a career year last year hitting .311 with 26 HR and 116 RBI. He'll be looking to build on that performance. Look for Wright to play around 155 games and to bat 5th in the line-up. Backing him up will be Easley and Newhan.

Left Fielder: Free Agent signing Moises Alou will be looking to prove that the Mets made a good choice inking him to a deal. This aging star missed 56 games last season to various injuries. He hit .301 with 22 HR and 74 RBI last season. If healthy, Alou will star between 115 and 125 games in ;07. Backing him and likely the 4th outfielder for the Mets is speedster Endy Chavez who hit .306 with 4 HR and 42 RBI last season. He is not a patient hitter, often going after the first pitch and taking few walks. He'll be a go-to-guy in terms of pinch-hitting and should get a good number of starts in the outfield. Newhan is another option as a platoon outfielder.

Center Fielder: Superstar Carlos Beltran's role will change slightly as he'll be dropped in the batting order to 6th with the signing of Alou. Beltran hit .275 with 41 HR and 116 RBI in '06. He has the potential to be a 40-40 hitter (40 HR and 40 stolen bases). Defensively, Beltran at times seems unmotivated. He's a very aggressive hitter, strikes out too much and doesn't walk enough. Look for him to play between 140 and 155 games if healthy. Chavez and Newhan are his back-ups.

Right Fielder: Finally, Shawn Green is entering his first full season as a Met. It's nearly impossible to Green to hit lefties. He has a tendency to get really down on hiimself when mirred in a slump. Green hit .277 with 16 HR and 66 RBI last season. Green should see his fair share of hittable pitches, as pitchers try to get him out to avoid facing the big four on the Mets. Look for Green to play between 145 and 155 games while batting 2nd for the Mets. Chavez and Newhan will provide the back-up roles for Green.

Season Prediction: The Mets have a lot of offensive power in their line-up and their bullpen looks solid. Their starting pitching however is a question mark. I believe that the Mets will repeat as NL East champs, mainly because of the 'pen and bats.

MLB Season Preview: Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves


Last Season's Standing: The naysayers were right for a change as after 14 straight NL East titles, the Atlanta Braves finished 3rd in the NL East going 79-83, including .500 in their last ten games.

In: LF Doug Clark (prev. team: Oakland A's); CF Willie Harris (prev. team: Boston Red Sox); C Corky Miller (prev. team: Boston Red Sox); RP Tanyon Sturtze (prev. team: NY Yankees); 1B Craig Wilson (prev. team: NY Yankees); SS Chris Woodward (prev. team: NY Mets); SP Oscar Villarreo; RP Mike Gonzalez (via trade w/ Pittsburgh Pirates); SS Brent Lillibridge (via trade w/ Pittsburgh Pirates); RP Rafael Soriano (via trade w/ Seattle Mariners)

Out: RP Danys Baez (mew team: Baltimore Orioles); RP Wayne Franklin (new team: Kansas City Royals); 2B Marcus Giles (new team: San Diego Padres); C Todd Pratt (new team: NY Yankees); RP Chris Reitsma (new team: Seattle Mariners); RP Jason Shiell (new team: Kansas City Royals); RP Travis Smith (new team: LA Dodgers); SP John Thompson (new team: Toronto Blue Jays); 1B Daryle Ward (new team: Chicago Cubs); 1B Adam LaRoche (via trade w/ Pittsburgh Pirates); 3B Jamie Romak (via trade w/ Pittsburgh Pirates); RP Horacio Ramirez (via trade w/ Seattle Mariners)

Starting Pitching: Staff ace John Smoltz is entering his 19th season in the majors, his second as the Braves ace. Smoltz will be looking to equal or better his 16-9 record with a good 3.49 ERA. Hs first pitch is usually predictable (fastball) and thus first-pitch hitters can have success against him. He's good pitching out of the stretch and should do well most games. Next up in the rotation will be sinker-baller groundball pitcher Tim Hudson. He must be able to maintain control of his emotions on the mound or he could find himself exiting the game prematurely after getting tossed by the umpire. Occasionally, Hudson will struggle when facing a left-handed batter. Hudson was 13-12 with a decent 4.86 ERA. He should be able to keep the scoring low, it's just a question as to whether the team can provide enough run support. One of two southpaws in the rotation, Mike Hampton should get the ball third in the rotation. Hampton is coming off Tommy John surgery and his health is a concern. He may not even be ready for the start of the season. Chuck James is enterin what should be his first full season in the majors. He might have made that jump last season, except he missed a month to a hamstring injury and was sent to the minors for a conditioning assignment. Surprisingly struggles against lefties (especially since he's a lefty himself). The middle innings are the curse for James. James was 11-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 25 appearances, 18 of those were starts. The fifth and final starters spot is pencilled into Kyle Davies, who is coming off a torn groin injury in which he missed three and a half months; he never received another chance to start in the majors after the injury. He's most suited to be a starter, but has difficulty getting out of the gate in starts (first innings are a nightmare for Davies). He has a tendency to be bitten by the longball. He was 3-7 with a brutal 8.38 ERA in 14 starts in '06.


Bullpen: The Braves have the luxury of having 2 pitchers who are capable of saving tight ball games in the ninth inning. In all likelihood Bob Wickman will receive the ball in the ninth inning. For him, movement of his pitches is key to success. He went 1-6, but accumulated 33 saves last season and allowed 2.67 runs per inning in 57 appearances. He will need to match that pace if the Braves are to succeed in '07. Mike Gonzalez can also produce and close out games effectively, but look for him to be a primary set-up man to Wickman. The southpaw Gonzalez went 3-4 and collected 24 saves and a 2.17 ERA in 54 appearances before being shut down at the end of August because of tendinitis in his pitching elbow. He'll be looking to prove to management that he is healthy again. Gonzalez is not effective when pitching consecutive days and he has some control problems. Can pitch to either lefties or righties equally effective and has a hard fastball and slider. Against great odds, Peter Moyln is attempting to make the Braves either as a setup man or a middle reliever. Moylan's development was hurt as he missed 3 entire seasons from 2001-2003 recovering from Tommy John surgery. What makes his task even more difficult is that he was undrafted when he was signed by the Minnesota Twins. Becuase he has just 15 games of MLB experience, expect him to start the season in Richmond unless he completely dominates in spring training, thereby forcing management to give him a roster spot. The trade acquisition and signing of Rafael Soriano was a great move by the Braves. He is a pitcher who can blow hitters away, when healthy. He'll be looking to remain healthy this season (he missed 47 games to various injuries, including the final 30 to a concussion). Soriano was 1-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 53 games played. Look for him to come into the ball game in the 7th or 8th innings to help setup up the closer. Oscar Villarreal is looking to make this squad as a middle/long reliever. He can make spot starts which should give him somewhat of an edge. However, Villarreal has also battled injuries and inconsistency, missing all of 2005 with a torn rotator cuff. He struggles to get ahead in the count. Villarreal was 9-1with a 3.61 ERA in 58 appearances. Look for him to make the team as a long-middle reliever and possible fifth starter. Macey McBride should be a lefty specialist out of Bobby Cox's 'pen. McBride missed the first month of the '06 season to a strained foreman, but still had a decent season going 4-1 eith a 3.65 ERA in 71 appearances. Right-handed hitters have a ball against him and he has command issues. Look for McBride to pitch anywhere from a batter to four or five batters/outing depending on the line-up that day. Tyler Yates should crack this bullpen and be utilized as a middle reliever. Yates has emotional problems and needs to learn to be even keel no matter how good or bad things are going. He was 2-5 with a 3.96 ERA in 56 GP last season. Chad Paronto will be looking to build on his rookie year in which he went 2-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 65 appearances. He'll also be looking for his first full season in the majors. Paronto must perfect his sinker, which doesn't dip enough resulting in balls leaving the park. He must also improve against left-handed batters. Blaine Boyle had a rough seasoon last year as he managed just 2 thirds of an inning in which his ERA was a brutal 40.50. He missed all but two games to shoulder surgery and will be looking to prove to management that his shoulder is healthy again. Look for Boyle to start the season in Richmond as rehab and to gain confidence. Rightie Lance Cormier stands a decent shot of making the Braves roster as a middle reliever /spot starter. Cormier was 4-5 with a 4.89 ERA in 29 appearances (5 of them starts). He'll be looking for his first full season in the majors. Finally, Joey Devine will be looking to round out the bullpen, although due to lack of experience, look for him to start the season in AAA Richmond. Devine had a horrible 9.91 ERA in 10 GP in '06.

Catcher: Brian McCann, a solid offensive catcher enters his second season as the Braves #1 backstop. He hit .333 last season, including 24 HR and 93 RBI. He's a slow runner and needs to work on his footwork behind the plate. He has a bright future and should play between 120-130 games this season and bat 7th in the line-up. Backing him up will be Brayan Pena who is entering his first full season in the majors. He hit .268 with 1 HR and 5 RBI last season.

First Baseman: Over at first bae things get interesting with veteran Craig Wilson likely getting the majority of the starts. He hit .251 with 17 HR and 49 RBI last season. He'll likely get around 125 starts and bat 6th in the line-up. Wilson is too aggressive at the plate (resulting in 122 K last season) and is weak on defence. Backing him up should be sophomore Scot Thorman who, barring injury or a horrible spring training should be with the club full time this season.

Second Baseman: Kelly Johnson is making the transition this season from 4th outfielder to starting second baseman. He hit .241 with 9 HR and 40 RBI last season. Johnson tends to overthink the game but he's solid in the field, so he'll play around 100 games and bat 8th. Martin Prado is battling for the back-up job but he'll likely start in AAA Richmond simply because he has just 24 games of experience under his belt and the coaches will want him to receive ample at-bats and playing time. Utility man Chris Woodward should see some playing time at second base, however he has been limited lately by the injury bug and tends to be inconsistent at the plate; strikes out too much. He'll be likely used as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement primarily.

Shortstop: The speedy Edgar Renteria will be starting at SS and batting 2nd for the Braves. He has focus lapses and isn't great at reading pitchers moves when it comes to base stealing. Renteria hit .293 with 14 HR and 70 RBI. He'll play around 150 games if healthy. Backing him up will be Woodward.

Third Baseman: Chipper Jones (no relation to Andruw) will once again be a key part of the Braves success. He'll bat third in the batting order and play anywhere from 135-160 games as long as he's healthy. Jones batted .324, blasted 26 HR and knocked in 86 runs last season, while being limited to a career-low 110 games due to various injuries. Besides the injuries, Jones's only other weak point is his ability to knock the ball in play when he has two strikes against him. Backing him up will be Woodward. Willy Aybar will actually likely be the primary back-up at third base. This utility man hit .280 with 4 HR and 30 RBI last season for

Left Fielder: Ryan Langerhans will likely bat lead-off and play between 125 and 135 games this season. He hit .241 with 7HR and 28 RBI IN '06. Langerhans must get his average up if he wants to remain batting lead-off for long. Wilson may get some time in left field. Matt Diaz should be the 4th outfielder for the Braves. His defense and ability to drive in runs are what prevent him from being in the line-up regularly. He hit .327 with 7 HR and 32 RBI in the '06 season.

Center Fielder: Once again Andruw Jones will be relied on heavily to drive in many runs for this team. He'll bat clean-up and play around 155 games if healthy. Jones covers a lot of ground in the outfield and has a very powerful arm. He can blast pitches over the wall (41 long balls in the '06 campaign), but tends to strike out too much (127 times last season) thus lowering his average (.262 in '06). Jones can also drive in buckets of runs (129 in '06). Overall, he's a star in this league and will do wonders to help the Braves succeed, a big prt of why they won 14 straight division titles). Langerhans will be the primary back-up.

Right Fielder: Finally, Jeff Francoeur will patrol right field for the Braves. Francoeur lacks patience at the plate, as evidenced by his 132 strikeouts from last season. However, he can hit for average (.262 in '06), power (29 HR last season) and he can drive in runners (103 at last season's end). These numbers are why he'll play every game this season if healthy and bat 5th. Should he get hurt or need a maintenance day, either Wilson or Woodward will take his place.

Season Prediction: The Atlanta Braves are entering another re-building year. How successful this team is will depend on the health of their pitchers and whether they can consistently produce runs. The Braves will finish second in the NL East.

MLB Season Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates

Last Season's Standings: The Pittsbirgh Pirates were 67-95 last season, including 2-8 in their final ten games, which put them in 5th in the NL Central

In: SP Tony Armas Jr. (prev. team: Washington Nationals); RP Jim Bower (prev. team: Florida Marlins); C Elnar Diaz (prev. team: LA Dodgers); 2B Nick Green (prev. team: NY Yankees); RP Kevin Gryboski (prev. team: Washington Nationals); 3B Jose Hernandez (prev. team: Philadelphia Phillies); RP Dan Kolb (prev. team: Milwaukee Brewers); RP Allan Simpson (prev. team: Milwaukee Brewers); 1B Adam LaRoche (via trade w/ Atlanta Braves); RP John Grabow; 3B Freddy Sanchez; SP Shawn Chacon; Jamie Romak (via trade w/ Atlanta Braves); 1B Xavier Nady; RP Yoslan Herrera

Out: RP Mike Gonzalez (via trade w/ Atlanta Braves); SS Brent Lillibridge (via trade w/ Atlanta Braves)

Starting Pitching: The Pittsburgh Pirates have a young pitching staff led by the 23 year old Zach Duke. He was 10-15 with a 4.47 ERA last season and will need to improve those numbers if the Pirates are to have any success in the upcoming season. Duke has a wicked curve but needs to improve his change, which will help his issues against righties. Tends to get hit hardest early in starts. Pitching second in the rotation should be Ian Snell, who is entering just his second full season in the majors. He is coming off a solid rookie season in which he went 14-11 with a 4.74 ERA in 32 starts. He needs to improve against left-handed hitters, who just pound him, as well as to gain consistent command of his arsenal. Likely pitching in the third spot in the rotation will be Shawn Chacon. He missed a month last season to an injury to his left leg. Chacon went 7-6 with a brutl 6.36 ERA in 26 appearances (20 of those being starts). He is typically a ground ball pitcher and will get hit hard if his pitches hang in the strike zone. Look for Paul Maholm to get the nod as the Pirates 4th starter. Maholm is entering just his second full season in the majors and will be looking to build on a reasonably successful rookie campaign in which he went 8-10 with a decent 4.76 ERA. Maholm needs to be more effective in mixing his soft fastball against big-league hitters, gets pounded by righties and in the first inning. The fifth and final starter's spot will be a toss-up between Sean Burnett, who is looking to get back in the majors after missing the entire '05 season to shoulder surgery and not making the squad in '06. He'll need to prove that he's MLB-ready. Tony Armas Jr. is another option, however, he's injury prone (missed a month to a right forearm strain). Armas was 9-12 with a 5.03 ERA in 30 starts last season. Occasionaly, Armas will hang his pitches with the obvious results. However he throws strikes and has good movement on his arsenal. Look for Armas to land a role in the bullpen and make the odd start. Rookie southpaw Tom Gorzelanny will also get consideration as a fifth starter, although he'll likely start the year in Indianapolis fo more fine-tuning. Rookir Bryan Bullington is entering training camp having missed all of '06 to shoulder surgery and will start the year somewhere in the Pirates minor league system and may even have extended training camp to get his arm up to speed. A third pitcher attempting to come bck from shoulder surgery is John Van Benschoten, who missed time in April with a shoulder injury after having surgery in '05. Look for him to start in Altoona or Indianapolis and possibly be a recall option depending on his progress.

Bullpen: The Pittsburgh Pirates do not have a set closer. The Pirates will likely operate on a closer-by-committee strategy, using Marte and Youman depending on the situation and who's at the plate. Damaso Marte will likely face left-handed hitters and Shane Youman will likely face righties as well as some left-handed hitters. Marte was 1-7 with a 3.70 ERA in 75 appearances last season. He'll need to be more effective if the Pirates are to be successful in '07. Must work on his pitching against righties as well as holding base runners. Youman is 0-2 in five appearances in '06. He could wind up in Indianapolis to polis his arsenal at a lower level. Tony Armas will likely pitch middle-long relief if he pitches out of the 'pen. The ever-durable Salomon Torres will see a lot of action this coming season and could very well be the closer, since he saved 12 games for the Pirates last season. Otherwise he'll be a set-up man coming into the ball game in the 8th mostly. Torres was 3-6 with a 3.28 ERA in the '06 season. Southpaw John Grabow provides this organization with a lefty specialist, albeit just an average one. Left-handed hitters launch balls out of the park against him and Grabow is ineffective when not well-rested. He could improve his command. Grabow was 4-2 with a 4.13 ERA in 72 games played last season. Should the Pirates need a pitcher in the 5th or 6th, Matt Capps is their man. He had a solid season last year, going 9-1 with a 3.79 ERA in 85 relief appearances in '06. Josh Sharpless will also get some consideration for a job out of the 'pen but because of a lack of experience, he'll likely start in Indianapolis, although he could be a middle man. Rookie Jonah Bayliss is hoping to prove to management that he's ready to start the year in the bigs. He'll need strong performances to do so and will likely start in AAA ball but be available as a call-up. Rookie Marty Mclearly made a good first impression with mangement going 2-0 in five appearances as a September call-up (2 of those being starts.) He'll get a good look and stands a slim chance to make the squad as a long man. The Pirates have high hopes for rookie Ed Rogers but he'll likely be a September call-up because he was brutal last season accumulating a 8.31 ERA in 10 games played. Finally, Juan Perez will also be looking to improve on his performance last season after going 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA in 7 appearances.

Catcher: Ronny Paulino had a successful first season as the Pirates #1 catcher hitting .310 with 6 HR and 55 RBI. He's fine defensively, but struggles to hitting breaking balls and is a slow runner, which is typical of catchers. Look for Paulino to bat 8th and play between 120 and 130 games in '07. If healthy, the injury-prone Ryan Doumit should be the back-up catcher, although he m,issed significant time with a serious hamstring injury. Not a great runner and terrible hitting from the right side. Defensively, he's improving every year. Humberto Cota is also in the mix for a roster spot and could very well see time as a back-up considering Doumit's fragility. He is impatient at the plate, struggles against righties, and is not good at throwing out prospective base stealers. Carlos Maldanado will also get some consideration at training camp, but he'll almost certainly start the season in Indianapolis to gain more experience and for more playing time.

First Baseman: Trade acquisition Adam LaRoche was a nice pick-up by the Pirates and will be a solid defensive asset who can smash the ball. He needs to be better with runners in scoring position and he's a terrible baserunner. Look for him to bat 5th in the line-up and to play around 150 games next season. Likely backing him up will be Xavier Nady, whose weak arm makes him an ideal candidate for this position. He hit .280 with 17 HR and 63 RBI in '06. Also battling for the back-up job will be Brad Eldred who could start in AAA ball because he has only 55 games of experiences but he won't be there long. He hit .221 with 12 HR and 27 RBI in 190 AB's.

Second Baseman: Jose Castillo is the #1 player at this position and will play around 150 games next season and bat 2nd. He's an average player who's a strong base-runner. Castillo hit .253 with 14 HR and 65 RBI last season. Backing him up will be NL batting Champ Freddy Sanchez who will be looking to repeat his offensive output from last season where he hit .344 with 6 HR and 85 RBI. Sanchez is not a power hitter but is effective as a contact hitter. He'll bat clean-up in the batting order and play 155+ games if healthy.

Shortstop: It is possible that Jack Wilson could play every game next season. Of course the Pirates could still sign a utility infielder or some prospect could catch fire in training camp. Wilson hit .273 with 8 HR and 35 RBI next season. His strikeout total is not great and he hates taking a walk. Defensively, Wilson has soft hands, good range and strong arm. Wilson should bat 6th in the line-up.

Third Baseman: For more on the starting third baseman, see under Shortstop. Backing up Sanchez will be Jose Bautista who is sound defensively and has some speed, but he's undiscplined at the plate, struggles against righties and freezes with RISP. Bautistahit .235 with 16 HR and 51 RBI.

Left Fielder: Canadian Jason Bay is a solid hitter who boasts power, as evidenced by his 35 HR last season. He can get a hit fairly regulary (.286 average in '06) and he drove in 109 runs as well. Bay will play all 162 games if healthy and will bat 3rd in the line-up. He must improve his strikeout total, as he struck out a brutal 156 times in the '06 season, something that cannot happen this season. The reason for the high K total is he gets in trouble when behind in the count and panics; also he struggles with off-speed stuff.

Center Fielder: Chris Duffy will bat lead-off mainly because of his speed and ability to connect with the ball. He hit .255 with 2 HR and 18 RBI last season. Must reduce strikeouts and increase walks. Duffy should play around 100 games. Backing him up will be Nate McLouth who should be the 4th outfielder for the Pirates, as he is entering his second full season in the bigs and knkows how to play. McLoud hit .233 with 7 HR and 16 RBI in the '06 campaign. McLoud must improve his plate discipline and success with RISP. Rookie Rajai Davis will also get some consideration, but look for him to start in AAA ball and to be recalled as an injury replacement, but more likely in September.

Right Fielder. Nady will bat 7th in the line-up and will play between 125 and 135 games this season. For more on Nady see under First Baseman. Backing him up will be Bautista (for more on him see under Third Baseman). Finally Jody Gerut should be the platoon outfielder. He'll be looking to prove to management that he's healthy again after missing the entire '06 season with right knee surgery. Needs to improve with RISP and in clutch situations, as well as against lefties. He's great against righties and crushes breaking balls.

Season Prediction: The Pittsburgh Pirates are a team that will very much rely on small ball for their offensive support. The question will be whether they can generate enough to support their young pitching staff and what is likely to be an average/mediocre bullpen. I feel that the Pirates will finish in the basement of the NL Central.

MLB Season Preview: St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals


Last Season's Standings: The St. Louis Cardinals almost blew the Central Division last season because of a brutal 3-7 streak in the final 10 games. Luckily they held off the surging Astros beating them by one game with an 83-78 record (the Astros finished the year 82-80). The Cardinals then got hot and went onto win the World Series over the Detroit Tigers jn five games.

In: C Gary Bennett; CF Jim Edmonds; SP Ryan Franklin (prev. team: Cincinatti Reds); RP Randy Keisler (prev. team: Oakland A's); 2B Adam Kennedy (prev. team: LA Angels); RF Eli Marrero (prev. team: NY Mets); SP Mark Mulder; RP Mike Smith (prev. team: Minnesota Twins); 3B Scott Speizio; RP Russ Springer (prev. team: Houston Astros); SP Kip Wells (prev. team: Texas Rangers); LF Preston Wilson

Out: SP Jason Marquis (new team: Chicago Cubs); C Mike Rose (new team: Cleveland Indians); RP Jorge Sosa (new team: NY Mets); SP Jeff Suppan (new team: Milwaukee Brewers); SP Jeff Weaver (new team: Seattle Mariners)

Starting Pitching: Chris Carpenter heds into the '07 season having signed a contract extension through 2011. This means that the Cardinals have a legitmate ace who will contend for the Cy Young most years and keep his team in the ball game most outings. He did miss four starts last season to a back and thumb injury. However, he still went 15-8, which put him in contention for the Cy Young, while giving up just 3.09 runs a game. His curve is his out pitch and boy is it nasty! Big lefty Mark Mulder is entering the season trying to rebound off a serious shoulder injury where he missed half the season. Look for him to be the #2 starter. Mulder was 6-7 with a brutal 7.14 ERA in just 17 starts (that record alone shows something was off with Mulder). Free agent signing Kip Wells is coming off a frustrating season where he made just nine starts due to a broken foot, a shoulder injury and a sore back. He'll be looking to rebound and to try and pitch at least .500 or better ball, something he has done just once in his seven year career. He needs to get past the 6th inning more consistently, as well as to keep his command through the entire season. FA signing Ryan Franklin will likely enter the season as the 4th starter in the Cardinals rotation. His stamina is a question mark, as he gets hit hard after about 60 pitches. He'll need to be effective for at least 75-80 pitches if the Cardinals are to go anywhere this season. Anthony Reyes heads into the season as likely the 3rd starter. He was 5-8 with a 5.06 ERA in 17 starts last season. He'll need to pitch at least into the 7th to save a bullpen likely to see many innings. Working ahead in the count is key to the success of Reyes. Look for the Cardinals to try and sign at least one more starter.

Bullpen: Who closes out the games depends on the health of Jason Isringhausen, who underwent hip surgery last season. If by some chance he's healthy, Isringhausen will get the ball in the ninth, otherwise Adam Wainwright will get the call after a successful stint last season. Isrinhghausen was 4-8 and had 33 saves last season before going down with the hip injury mid-September. Wainwright notched a further 12 saves, including 9 in the postseason. Either pitcher should be a good candidate for closer. Setting up the closer for the Cardinals should be Braden Looper who had a good season in '06 going 9-3 with a 3.56 ERA in 69 appearances. It's important that his heater is burning, otherwise he gets burned. Russ Springer is another possible option to help set-up, although he could be a middle man. Springer was 1-1 with a 3.47 ERA in 72 games played last season. Lefty Ricardo Rincon missed basically the entire '06 seaso to shoulder surgery. He'll be looking to bounce back and make the squad as a lefty specialist. Rincon had an ugly 10.50 ERA in the 5 appearances he did make last season, could that have been because of the injury? Rincon will be battling Randy Flores for the lefty specialit role. Flores was 1-1 with a 5.62 ERA in 65 appearances last season. Rookie Mike Smith will be looking to prove he's ready fo more steady MLB service after primarily being in the minors. He'll have to make some pretty good appearances to make this deep bullpen. Randy Keisler is another rookie trying to make the squad in the bullpen, likely in middle relief. He's mose likely than Smith to make the squad because he has more games under his belt. John Hancock should make this roster, but in what capacity remains to be seen. He was 3-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 62 appearances last season and a further 4 appearances in the post-season where he was just blasted (he gave up 12 earned runs in just 4 innings of work). Brad Thompson is a middle relief option likely to appear in the ball game in the 6th or 7th. He's not great when facing more than a couple of batters an outing. Look for La Russa to use him an inning max. per outing. Thompson was 1-2 with a 3.34 ERA in 34 appearances last season. He'll be looking to have his first full season of MLB service. Rounding out the bullpen should be rookie Josh Kinney who will be battling for the last bullpen spot, but will likely start the season in AAA Memphis.

Catcher: Yadier Molina is looking to build on his offensive success in the post-season, where he came up with a few key hits to help the Cards take home the trophy. Molina is a great defense-first catcher who will work well with the Cardinals pitching staff. He's not going to be a stealing threat and he needs to get more consistent with the bat. He'll bat 8th in the line-up and play between 120 and 130 games this season. Molina hit .216 with 6 HR and 49 RBI last season. Backing him up will be veteran Gary Bennett, who is more offensive than Molina but doesn't have the arm strength or accuracy that Molina possesses, thus relegating him to bench warmer most of the time, except for pinch it duties and when the starter gets a day off.

First Baseman: Albert Pujols is arguably the greatest first baseman today and the undisputed captain of this squad. There's no doubt that he's the clean-up hitter. Pujols hit .331 with 49 HR and 137 RBI in the regular season. He probably would have had a higer average and maybe a few more homers and runs batted in expected he missed 15 games with a torn oblique muscle. In the postseason, Pujols hit .288 with 3 home runs and 6 RBI. Look for Pujols to challenge for the MVP award again this season. He should play between 155-160 games if healthy. Backing him up will be Scott Spiezio. He is a utility infielder who struggles against righties and with runners in scoring position. Look for him to get between 110-120 games backing up both Pujols and Scott Rolen. Spiezio's action will likely be primarily as a pinch hitter and third baseman. Chris Duncan can also play first base, but he's pencilled in as the starting left fielder.

Second Baseman: Free agent signing Adam Kennedy should be a real asset to the Cardinal's ability to turn double plays IF he and Eckstein communicate effectively. He has real soft hands and the range to make tough plays. Because of his impatience at the plate and inability to take a walk, he's likely to bat second in the line-up. Look for Kennedy to play between 125 and 140 games this season. His back-up is utility man Aaron Miles who has a fine glove and is a good contact hitter. He should get around 115 games between starts at 2B, SS and pinch hit duty.

Shortstop. The second half of what is likely to bea fine DP combination is SS David Eckstein who will bat lead-off and make many great plays in the field. Because he plays the game hard and goes all-out, Eckstein is prone to injury because he sometimes puts his body in awkward positions when making throws. His speed and quick bat make him a tough out, but with RISP, he can be overaggressive at the plate. Eckstein will likely get between 110-125 starts this season. Miles will serve as his back-up. Prospect Brendan Ryan has also been invited to camp, but he'll start either in Batvia, Palm Beach County, Swing of the Quad Cities or Johnson City. He should make his major league debut either this season or next season.

Third Baseman: Scott Rolen has a great arm and range and is a very disciplined hitter -- when healthy. Rolen has suffered back injuries and other injuries likey stemming from the back. If he's healthy, Rolen will play between 135 and 145 games this season qith Spiezio serving as his back-up. Rolen will bat 5th in the line-up. He hit .296 with 22 HR and 95 RBI in '06. Prospect Travis Hansen also received an invite to camp but will start the year in the minors at some level, but should make his debut soon.

Left Fielder: Chris Duncan is the most inexperienced of the Cardinals starting outfielders, having yet to play a full season in the majors. He's likely to do so this year getting aroung 115 games. Duncan hit .293 with 22 HR and 95 RBI last season. He'll likely hit 6th in the batting order. The fourth outfield position is pencilled into So Taguchi. Taguchi is a great outfielder who's best suited as a fourth man off the bench. He should get into around 135 games next season. Preston Wilson is another option off the bench and will likely get in as the platoon outfielder. Wilson is a former-all star who is aging. He has no conception of the strike zone and thus strikes out a ton and defensively he's atrocious. He'll get around 135 games as well, but look for him to come in to the game more as a pinch hitter or runner. A third and final option at this position is Larry Bigbie who suffered through a frustrating injury-filled season where he missed all but 17 games with a sports hernia. He'll be looking at this season as somewhat of a comebcak year. Look for him to battle for a final roster spot, but he could wind up in Memphis to start the season.

Center Fielder. Jim Edmonds has had many health problems the past few seasons from a concussion to a sore shoulder, mainly due to his "play hard" attitude. Edmonds has decent power and is great defensively. Jim Edmonds should be the third hitter in the lineup, right behind Pujols, and should get between 120-130 games if healthy. However, he doesn't have a real good eye for the plate and thus strikes out quite a bit (101 times in '06). Also, he doesn't hit well against southpaws. Taguchi and Wilson will get playing time in center field. Prospect Skip Schumaker will also attend training camp but he'll all but certainly start the season in Memphis for more playing time.

Right Fielder: Juan Encarnacion is a decent right fielder who is a very free swinger, and thus he strikes out a lot and walks little. He can hit bad pitches very well though and has speed to burn making him a threat to steal. Encarnacion will bat 6th in the batting order and play between 145 and 155 games if healthy. Taguchi and Wilson will play right field when Encarnacion's not in the line-up. Prospect Rick Ankiel is continuuing his attempt to resurrect his career after his pitching career went down the drain after he couldn't get his command under control. Ankiel will be forever known as the pitcher who threw 3 wild pitches in one game. At this point Ankiel faces a long uphill battle to continue his career and is likely ranked 7th among the outfielders in the Cardinals' organization.

Season Prediction: Manager Tony La Russa took a team that seemed destined to get knocked out of the playoffs after a bad losing streak and won them the championship. This season, pitching is likely a concern, but they should be able to score a number of runs. I believe that this team can take the NL Central title again.

MLB Season Preview: Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers

Last Season's Standings: The Milwaukee Brewers went 75-87, including 6-4 in their last ten games. This recored was good for 4th in the NL Central

In: RP Francisco Cordero; SS Craig Counsell (prev. team: Arizona Diamondbacks); SP R.A. Dickey (prev. team: Texas Rangers); 2B Tony Graffanino; C Damien Miller; C Johnny Estrada (via trade w/ the Arizona Diamondbacks); RP Chris Spurling; SP Jeff Suppan (prev. team: St. Louis Cardinals); RP Claudio Vargas (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks); RP Greg Aquino (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks); C Kevin Mench; SP Chris Capuano

Out: 3B Jeff Cirillo (new team: Minnesota Twins); SP Geremi Gonzalez (new team: Toronto Blue Jays); RP Justin Lehr (new team: Seattle Mariners); C Chad Moeller (new team: Cincinatti Reds); SP Tomo Ohka (new team: Toronto Blue Jays); RP Allan Simpson (new team: Pittsburgh Pirates); SP Doug Davis (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks); SP Dana Eveland (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks); CF David Kynzel (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks)

Starting Pitching: The Milwaukee Brewers have completely revamped their starting pitching rotation beginning with the current pencilled in staff ace Chris Capuano, who just received big bucks to avoid arbitration. He is entering just his third full season in the bigs and will need to improve upon his 11-12 record with a 4.83 ERA last season in 34 starts, not exactly ace material. Also, aces generally get batters from both sides of the plate with relative ease (he struggles against righties). He may get the ball opening day, but time will tell how often he takes the hill. . . Following him in the rotation will be veteran Ben Sheets. He missed a mjor part of last season to a serious shoulderi injury and will be looking to prove that those problems are behind him. Good first pitches are key for any pitcher, but their especially key for the success of Sheets. Behind Sheets will be free agent signing Jeff Suppan, who had a solid 12-7 record with a decent 4.12 ERA in 32 starts. He'll need to eat up a lot of energy to save a bullpen which is sure to be taxed. Next in the rotation should be ex-Jay starter who rebounded quite nicely from his dreadful performance in the Jays organization, in which he won only ten games and lost fifteen. He went 12-11 with a 4.41 ERA in 34 appearances, 32 of which were starts. He will be out to prove that last season was not a fluke. As long as Bush escapes the first inning relatively unscathed, he should be all right most nights. Rounding out the rotation is trade acquisition Claudio Vargas, who went 12-10 with a 4.83 ERA in 30 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He needs to get through seven solid innings of work without a major gaffe more consistently.

Bullpen: Francisco Cordero is the undisputed closing pitcher for the Brewers. He saved 22 games last season, as well as winning an extra 10 games and losing five,a far cry from the 43 save performance he put out in 2003. He needs to get back to that dominant state in terms of saves if the Brewers expect to be competitive in '07. Setting him up should be the mediocre Matt Wise who missed the final 2 and a half months of the season to a should injury. He needs to prove that his shoulder is healthy and that he can be effective as a setup man coming into the ball game in the 7th or 8th. He went 5-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 40 appearances last season. Should Wise falter or not be ready to pitch at the start of the season, Derrick Turnbow is pretty effective as a late innings man. However, Turnbow had a rough season in '06 going 4-9 with a brutal 6.87 ERA in 64 appearances. He needs to be consistent night in, night out and work on his command. Jose Capellan is another option, when healthy in the late innings. The Brewers would be wise to be cautious with him and make sure that he's pain-free when pitching, otherwise he could wind up with a injury that will keep him on the shelf for a few games or more. He was 4-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 61 games played last season. Look for Capellan to enter the ball game in the 7th. The left-handed specialist is Brian Shouse, who is just horrible against righties because his sinker doesn't work against them and he gets pounded with that pitch. He's a ground-ball pitcher who will primarily face the left-handed bats of the opposing team. Shouse was 1-3 with a 3.99 ERA in 65 appearances in the '06 season. Trade acquisition Greg Aquino will likely be a pitcher who plays every other day at most as he struggles on consecutive days, he needs to be better in the second half of the season. He was 2-0 with a 4.41 ERA in 42 games played last season. Look for him to be determined to have a good full season. Rookie Dennis Sarfate will be considered for the final spot in the Brewers bullpen, but with just 8 regular season games under his belt, he'll likely start the season in AAA Nashville. Finally, Ryan Braun will try and play his way onto the Brewer's roster. However he has only 9 games of experience in the majors and will likely be forced to sign a minor league deal. and start in Nashville. There's a good chance that the Brewers will sign another reliever, likely one that can pitch long relief and make spot starts.

Catcher: Johnny Estrada was a great pickup by the Brewers, who will be looking to him to guide their young pitchers to success. He can also contribute offensively, but he needs to drive the ball better to compensate for his lack of a running game. He'll bat 8th in the line-up and play between 155 and 125 games. Backing him up will be aging backstop Damian Miller who will be accepting a reduced role , which should keep him sharp for the duration of this marathon of a season. Miller will certainly be an asset defensively, but offensively he's very streaky, tending to strike out a lot and needs to relax more when batting with runners aboard. Rookie Mike Rivera is also in the mix, however look for him to start in Nashville, but to be available as an injury replacement.

First Baseman: Prince Fielder, like his father, former baseball great Cecil Fielder, is a chubby kid who can pound the baseball. Unfortunately in the field, he's mediocre are best; needs to work on his AB's with runners in scoring position. Look for Fielder to bat 5th and play 150+ games. Fielder hit .271 with 28 HR, 81 RBI and a bad 154 K last season. Backing him up will be utility infielder Tony Graffanino. He'll likely primarily be a pinch hitter and occasional starter, mainly at first base where his poor range won't be as much of an issue. He struggles against lefties.

Second Baseman: Entering his third major league season, Rickie Weeks will be looking to prove that he's fully recovered from the broken wrist that caused him to miss the final 62 games of the season. He is a real asset on the base paths causing pitchers fits trying to keep him from stealing. He should bat 6th and play around 100 games if healthy. His defense is a work in progress. Graffanino should be the primary back-up. Craig Counsell, free agent signing should also get some playing time, he can also play shortstop and 3rd base.

Shortstop: J.J. Hardy is entering somewhat of a comeback season, as he missed all of 35 games to a broken ankle. He'll be looking to prove that he's healthy. He'll be a great asset defensively, but watching him run the bases is somewhat comical, when he gets into a slump, it's near impossible for him to bounce back. Look for him to play between 110-120 games and to bat 7th in the line-up. Counsell and Graffanino should also see time at shortstop.

Third Baseman: At the ever important hot corner the injury-prone Corey Koskie will be looking to stay healthy. He missed significant time last season with a concussion. When healthy, he can contribute to the offense and defensively, where he has a strong arm. The only thing is that he has a tendency to pull the ball and make a lot of easy outs at second and first. Koskie hit .261 with 12 HR and 33 RBI in 257 at bats. Look for him to play around 100 games and to bat 3rd in the batting order. Braun, Counsell and Graffanino will be in the line-up when Koskie is not.

Left Fielder: Bill Hall is making the switch from SS to LF where it is hoped that he'll be less likely to have defensive blunders. Hall strikes out way too much and is best suited as a second man in the line-up because of his speed. Hall hit .270 with 35 HR and 85 RBI, but he struck out an awful 162 times last season. Look for him to play around 150 games. Kevin Mench should get some time as a backup to Hall, but look for him to be primarily a pinch hitter and defensive substitute. Mench will be accepting a reduced role where he'll see fewer at-bats and therefore will have to be economical and take every AB and make it count. Utility man Gabe Gross will also be around to pinch hit and back up any outfield position, although his primary role will be backup to Clark and pinch hitter. Gross will be battling for playing time and will likely be used as a platoon outfielder. Gross is entering his second full season in the majors. Finally rookie Laynce Nix will be in the mix for an outfield and roster spot, but he'll likely start the year in Nashville.

Center Fielder: Lead-off man Brady Clark is entering his fifth season with the Brewers and is looking to get back to his career-best .306 average. He needs to utilize his speed on the base paths a bit better and work on his AB's against southpaws. Clark should play between 135 and 145 games. Gross and Hart will battle for the back-up job; Nix is also in the hunt.

Right Fielder: Finally, Geoff Jenkins will be taking on a big role as he looks to fill the shoes of the departed Carlos Lee, who was traded mid-season in '06, as the clean-up hitter. Jenkins will need to improve his ability to drive in runs and is also looking to stay healthy. He hit .271 with 17 HR and 70 RBI in 484 at bats. Look for Jenkins to play around 150 games if healthy. Backing him up will be a combo of Hart, Gross and Nix.

Season Prediction: I think this team will have some difficulty scoring runs on a consistent basis and will be relying on an inconsistent pitching staff to limit opposition runs. The Milwaukee Brewers will finish the '07 campaign in 5th place, within a few games of the Reds.