T1B

breakdown your home team...

Astros - wow, what a crazy offseason and spring training with the media circus surrounding Clemens and Tejada. I just hope Tejada is around for at least one season and I hope this won't serve as a distraction for him and inhibit his game.

Projected starting lineup:

1. Michael Bourn CF - Slap hitter with lots of speed. He is an aobve average outfielder with lots of range and should hit for a serviceable average (.270 -.280 range). He needs to draw more walks and increase his OBP close to .400.

2. Hunter Pence RF - Very unorthodox hitter and was neck and neck with Tulowitski (sp?) for NL ROY honors. Injuries kept that from happening. He hits to all fields with + power (17 HR in 456 ABs) and has speed (11 SB). He is a true 20/20 guy when healthy who can hit for average. Number 2 hitter is a great slot for him.

3. Lance Berkman 1B - We all know Lance is a .300 hitter with 30+ HR power, 100 RBIs. He can hit to all fields and plays above average defense at 1B.

4. Carlos Lee LF - See Lance Berkman, except for the defense part.

5. Miguel Tejada SS - He now has a short porch in left, so I see his HR numbers increasing back into the high 20s this year. He is getting a little older, but I think he can still hit for a solid average right around .300. Any way you look at it, he is a big +++ from the offensive production we got out of Adam Everett and Eric Bruntlett. I know we will lose some outs with Everett's range being among the best in the bigs, but its worth the trade for the consistent hitter Tejada is.

6. Kaz Matsui 2B - Inconsistent, but he appears to be getting better, although playing in Colorado can be more than deceiving, so I am not sure about this guy although he definitely can play second base with the best of them. He is more of a 2 hitter with his speed, but he fails to draw enough walks. I think he is suited better for the 6 spot rather than Pence.

7. Ty Wiggington 3B - Solid third bagger with power and can hit for a respectable average. He is an above average defensive 3b, but he is impatient at the plate sometimes. He needs to learn to get deeper into counts.

8. J.R. Towels/Brad Ausmus C - I'm am really geeked about Towels getting most of the playing time here. Ausmus really knows how to manage a game from the catcher's position, but other than his back stopping abilities, he can't throw baserunners out anymore and he can't hit worth a lick. Towels is impressive with his bat and dude has a cannon for an arm. He can throw runners out. His blocking abilities aren't nearly as impressive as Ausmus nor his in-game management skills. Still, his bat and ability to get baserunners out is a huge ++ in the 8 hole.

Bench - Blum, Erstad, and Loretta - All very good hitters coming off the bench. Should be one of the better benches in the majors with these three vets.

Projected Starting Pitching

1. Roy Oswalt - this guy is a baseball player. He is a throwback to the era of Gibson and Drysdale. Pure intimidation. One of the top 3 pitchers in the league IMO.

2. Wandy Rodriguez - This lefty was masterful at times in his home starts and finished with a sub 3 ERA at MinuteMaid last season. As for away....just horrible. Once he learns to maintain control in tough situations on the road, this guy has Pettite written all over him. he just needs to work on the consistency

3. Brandon Backe - Comeing back from Tommy John surgery. His health is a big concern, but when he is in there, he is highly competitive and can shut down opposing hitters when he is focused. Still, that arm is a big question mark.

4. Woody Williams - a poor man's Greg Maddux, but the control was gone last year. I seriously don't know if this guy can contribute.

5. Chris Sampson - another control guy with no + stuff. He bulked up during the offseason to add more durabilty to his arm and some speed to his pitches. Another big question mark

Bullpen - We held onto the Lidge, Qualls, Wheeler combo one year too long. Those guys just got figured out. Now, this bullpen is completely revamped.

Shawn Chacon - solid veteran but is kind of a starter more than a long reliever. He could be challenging Sampson for the 5th spot in the rotation

Dave Borkowski - has good control and can eat up innings, but is in no way a setup guy for closer. We might see him in some 7th inning situations.

Oscar Villerial - Again, another serviceable vet, but not a setup guy.

Closer - Jose Valverde - This is a damn good closer.

After that, anyone's guess is as good as mine. The underbelly of this bullpen looks very questionable.

Overall, the Astros have the pop to comeback in games and score a lot of runs. Their starting rotation is not good after Roy O. Their bullpen leaves more questions than answers. If the pitching can just keep the wings glued together and not blow up entirely, then I see this squad winning 85-90 games. If they can't, then I don't see them winning more than 75 games this year.

:?

The 2008 Detroit Tigers

Dombrowski and Leyland continue to build towards a championship team with making one of the biggest moves in offseason with bringing in Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis as well as add Edgar Renteria and Jacque Jones. There's some drama this spring with the situation around what role Brandon Inge would play but he's more than likely to be shipped out so hopefully it isn't a lingering issue.

Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez
He walked only 9 times last year...the fewest on the team out of players who had 200 at bats. He also struck out 96 times...third most on the team. The key with him will be patience at the plate. He had a tendency of killing rallies by swinging at bat pitches. He's a key guy to rebound this year to get them back in the playoffs.

Backup Catcher: Dane Sardinha (likely); Vance Wilson (DL)

First Baseman: Carlos Guillen
They dabbled with him playing first base some last year and the Tigers now move him over to first on a regular basis. With his nagging back and leg problems, this should hopefully keep him from getting hurt as much. They've lacked production out of the first base position for quite a while and to move a guy can hit .300 and 20 home runs and drive in 100 runs...that's perfect output for a corner infield spot.

Second Baseman: Placido Polanco
Polanco is one of the best contact hitters in the game and is a tough guy to strike out. He had his first 200 hit season of his career and had career highs for RBI, doubles, and batting average. Plus, the guy didn't commit an error in the field last year either. He's an underrated player in this league and one of the most valuable players on this team.

Third Baseman: Miguel Cabrera
He may very well be the most gifted hitter that's put on a Tigers uniform since I've been alive. It was an absolute surprise to see Dombrowski swing the deal to bring him to town. Much like with Guillen's bat being an upgrade at first, Cabrera is a big time upgrade from Inge in terms of offense. He's not a strong defensive player but he's had just as many errors the last two seasons as Inge had (40). All you ask is that he makes the routine plays and drives in a ton of runs as the new cleanup hitter in the lineup.

Shortstop: Edgar Renteria
He may not have the pop that Guillen has but he's an upgrade defensively at short. Renteria had 54 errors in the last three season...Guillen had 53 in 2 seasons. To throw another hitter that can score 100 runs, hit for average and have a high on base percentage is very exciting. His addition has been very much overshadowed by the addition of Cabrera but this is another move that will make a positive impact on this team.

Backup Infielders: Ramon Santiago (SS), Ryan Raburn (2B/OF), Brandon Inge (for now)

Left Fielder: Jacque Jones
Jones definitely isn't an eye-popping addition to this team but hopefully he's able to get back to what he did in his Twins years. He's had four 20+ home run seasons and four 70+ RBI seasons. To get that kind of production of the 9th spot would be great. He's not a longterm answer in left but for this year, he's good enough.

Center Fielder: Curtis Granderson
How does one follow up one of the great breakout seasons of last year? For one, you get a new contract and re-assurance from the club that he's the center fielder of now and the future by shipping out their #1 and #2 outfield prospects over the winter. He strikes out a lot for a leadoff hitter but having a .913 OPS ain't too shabby. Granderson also happens to be great with the glove as well. He's a rising star on this team and could push for All-Star bid this year now that more people know about him.

Right Fielder: Magglio Ordonez
Maggs had one of the best seasons I've ever seen out of a Tiger hitter. By no means do I consider him a preseason favorite to defend his batting title but he's going to have protection in the lineup with Cabrera hitting behind him. He's a power hitter that is able to hit to all parts of the field and draw walks. He might be better suited to be the #3 hitter in the lineup with Cabera being the better pure power hitter and run producer. I don't think he'll match last seasons numbers I also don't expect a big drop off either.

Backup Outfielders: Marcus Thames

Designated Hitter: Gary Sheffield
Fresh from shoulder surgery and now being moved to the 5th spot in the order, Sheffield somewhat becomes a forgotten member of this potent lineup. He played in only 133 games last year because of shoulder problems but he still scored 107 runs and hit 25 home runs after a slow start in April. Sheffield is a professional hitter no matter where you put him in the order. He'll provide solid protection for Cabera as well as set the table for the second half of the order.

Starting Rotation: Justin Verlander, Dontrelle Willis, Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson
This team will be able to score plenty of runs but will the starting staff hold up their end of the bargain? The highlight of last season was Verlander's no-hitter against the Brewers but this year, he looks to move into the elite group of starters in the AL. With Santana moved the NL, the Cy Young race opens up a little more for a guy like him. I feel this is a big year for Bonderman. It's now his 6th season in the pros after being thrown to the wolves as a 19 year old in his rookie season. He's now 24 and has yet to reach level some expected him to get to. He's got the stuff to be a 15-18 game winner but has yet to surpass 14 wins. Willis goes from being the veteran on the staff in Florida to being in a supporting role in Detroit. After winning 22 games in 2004, he's won 22 games in the last two seasons combined. This is prime opportunity for him to bounce back with a more veteran pitching staff and great lineup to support him.

Bullpen: Todd Jones (closer), Fernando Rodney, Joel Zumaya (DL), Bobby Seay, Tim Byrdak, Jason Grilli, etc.
It may not be pretty but Jones can save 35-40 games a season. Rodney is battling some arm trouble in the spring and may not be ready for Opening Day. With Zumaya already on the shelf after shoulder surgery, the bullpen becomes very thin and it's shade to last year when this team struggled when both Zumaya and Rodney missed significant time. You can point to how many runs this team might score but the guys on the mound have to be able to hold these leads. This is definitely the biggest concern I have for this team. Zumaya should be back by around midseason and Rodney's situation isn't too serious thankfully. In order to compete with Cleveland, they need their bullpen healthy and to be reliable enough. Nothing would be worse than to see these guys lose 10-9 games because their pitching doesn't show up.

2008 Outlook: The Tigers play in one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. Cleveland returns virtually every player from last year and will probably get a better season out of Travis Hafner. Chicago may be thin in the rotation but they've got as much thump in the lineup as the Tigers or Indians. The Twins are kind of a wild card team in the division. They get Liriano back from missing all last season and still have a solid lineup. The Royals should be pesky as always.

In the rest of the American League, you've got the defending champs in the Red Sox likely to be without Schilling for most of the season and Beckett is hurt going into the start of the season. The Yankees don't make any major moves other than hiring Joe Girardi. The Blue Jays have a strong lineup and a solid pitching staff. If they can get B.J. Ryan healthy, that would be a big boost for them. In the West, you have the Angels and Mariners leading that division. The M's were an improved team last year and could do the same this year with the addition of Bedard to the rotation. With the Angels, they add Torii Hunter but face the prospect of starting the season without Kelvim Escobar.

The Tigers were built to be a playoff team/World Series contender. I don't think you make the moves that they made with mortgage many prized prospects and not expect to go for the whole thing. I see the Indians still be slightly better because they have better middle relief and the Tigers don't have a #2 starter on the level of Carmona. However, I think this is the year the Central gets two teams in the playoffs with the Yankees being shutout of the wild card and the Tigers winning 93 games and returning to the postseason.

RumpleForeskin wrote: I don't see them winning more than 75 games this year.

With our pitching staff, you're being WAY too kind. Wandy got hurt again today, Woody Williams is getting shelled in spring training, and our pen is a mess.

We'll be lucky to see 4th place in the division, and our future looks bleak. No farm system, Berkman/Lee/Tejada are past prime, and we have a shit fuck of an owner who won't let the GM do his job, and even our GM is a joke in the league.

Not looking forward to this season. The ten year streak of great baseball came to an end when Bag's retired. BAD management decisions, an owner who will not allow his GM to do their jobs, completely fucking up our drafts and sending out every prospect for over the hill players...it's all caused our downfall. Not a happy camper here. Time to rebuild and re-invest in the farm system.

AL East
*Boston.....94-68
New York.....87-75
Toronto.....84-78
Tampa Bay.....74-88
Baltimore.....66-96

AL Central
*Cleveland.....95-67
*Detroit.....93-69
Chicago.....84-78
Minnesota.....77-85
Kansas City.....73-89

AL West
*Los Angeles.....91-71
Seattle.....88-74
Texas.....76-86
Oakland.....74-88

AL MVP: David Ortiz, BOS
AL Cy Young: Erik Bedard, SEA
AL Rookie of the Year: Evan Longoria, TB
AL Manager of the Year: Mike Scioscia, LAA

AL Champion: Cleveland Indians

- - - - -

NL East
*New York.....92-70
*Philadelphia.....88-74
Atlanta.....84-78
Florida.....70-92
Washington.....65-97

NL Central
*Chicago.....87-75
Milwaukee.....83-79
St. Louis.....79-83
Cincinnati.....76-86
Houston.....73-89

NL West
*Arizona.....88-74
San Diego.....87-75
Colorado.....85-77
Los Angeles.....83-79
San Francisco.....66-96

NL MVP: David Wright, NYM
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana, NYM
NL Rookie of the Year: Kosuke Fukudome, CHC
NL Manager of the Year: Bob Melvin, ARZ

NL Champion: New York Mets

- - - - -

World Series: Indians over Mets

Wow. Good thread. Let's see.

1B-Daniel Ortmeier-first year playing at first base. Should be the starter. They've been investing a lot of time in him.

2B-It'll be Ray Durham, though I'd like to see Eugenio Velez starting. Eh. One more year and Ray's gone.

SS-Omar Vizquel-Was out with an injury this spring. Still got it, though.

3B-Feliz left us. Not sure if that was a good thing, as yet. I heard that it'll either be Aurilia or Kevin Frandsen filling this out. I'd prefer the latter getting more practice, but then they might be saving him to play 2B.

RF-Randy Winn-Solid, if unspectacular.

CF-Aaron Rowand-I hear he's supposed to be exciting. We'll see. He's replacing Barry's stick in the lineup. Big shoes to fill.

LF-Dave Roberts-Not sure I like him in the lineup though he is a good character guy. Trade rumors abounded for him this preseason. Still nothing done, as yet.

Other OF-Schierholtz (great hitter will start the year at AAA) Rajai Davis (excellent prospect with speed) and Fred Lewis (I'd like to see them give him some playing time. Exciting player.) I'd like to see some of these guys getting chances to start. Rowand's not going anywhere. I guess that makes Davis the odd man out. Only Schierholtz has options remaining.

C-Molina-Solid, but I don't think he's a cleanup hitter.

1P-Zito-Hopefully will be a little calmed down the second season in the NL.
2P-Cain-Stud. Hopefully we'll give him some runs this year.
3P-Lincecum-Stud. Hopefully a full season will be advantageous. Of course, this year he must transition from a thrower to a pitcher. A very steep learning curve for all pitchers. Year two is usually tough as a result.
4P-Lowry-Had a great year last year. Hopefully is back from his arm injury.
5P-Either Correia or Sanchez-Former has been better. Latter has a new windup that I guess is working better for him. Either are good enough for this spot. Correia was great as a starter last year.

CL-Brian Wilson-Now's his time to shine. He's supposed to be great.

"It's time for Dodger baseball!"

Starting Rotation:

RHP Brad Penny - Deserved to start on Opening Day and pitched a great one. Fatigue factor still presents itself between the 6th and 7th inning.

RHP Derek Lowe - Last year's record is a bit deceiving because he doesn't get good run support when he pitches.

RHP Chad Billingsley - Great young pitcher who will be the Ace in two years.

RHP Hiroki Kuroda - Saw a couple of his spring appearances. Kaz Ishii he is not (thankfully).

RHP Esteban Loaiza - Looks like he will be holding down the 5 spot if/when Jason Schmidt returns.

The only thing that bothers me here is the lack of a south paw in the rotation.

As far as the bullpen goes: Joel Beimel/Scott Proctor are there for the 7th inning, and Jonathon Broxton sets up for Takashi Saito. Very strong.

Starting Line-up:

Lineup:

1. SS Rafael Furcal - Ankle is at full strength finally, and it showed yesterday as he went 3-4 and made great defensively play from the grass behind second base.

2. LF Andre Ethier - Beat out Juan Pierre for the starting gig in left by hitting .350+ during spring training. But I think Pierre's plate awareness and speed will eventually get him back in the starting line-up.

3. 2B Jeff Kent - Only starter that is above 30 years old. (Jones 'April' and Furcal 'October' turn 30 this year.) Hit a jack yesterday but left after the 6th. Torre said he took him out because they were up by a lot, but I did see him grab his hammy during the game. Hopefully he can stay healthy.

4. CF Andruw Jones - Signed for his glove and especially his power. The glove I'm not worried about, but I am wondering if his power will resurface. It is truly needed.

5. RF Matt Kemp - Has the potential to hit 30+ bombs, but likes to chase those pitches low and away. Could affect his average.

6. C Russell Martin - Can focus a little more on handling his pitchers now that he has more help offensively. Torre has vowed to give him more rest this year after catching 145 games last year.

7. 1B James Loney - Kinda nice when you have a great hitter batting 7th. Not only that but I feel that he is a strong candidate for a gold glove this year.

8. 3B Blake DeWitt - Desperate measures here by bringing up this kid from Double-A to start at the hot corner. Is the 4th option after Nomahhh, Andy La Roche ,and Tony Abreu find themselves on the DL. Looked pretty poised out there though and did get a hit with his first ever AB.

Joe Torre can play around with this line-up because Ethier, Martin, and Loney are all capable #2 hitters. The potential of this team really excites me, but it will be a Wild West this season.