NFL Draft, Playoffs

The 2009 NFL Draft has come and gone, and we all must go hide in our caves until training camps start to kick off in August. Fortunately, we have two more months of NBA and NHL playoffs! Then we can fill in the gaps with baseball, but honestly, you should all be out at the beach or doing some other sort of enjoyable activity. That being said lets recap the past week or so.

Normally I do the breakdown by respective sports league, but I'm gonna start by talking about the state of sports in the New York area because it encompasses 3 of the 4 major sports. I'm going to sum the week in a paragraph and by the end of it I think several New Yorkers and/or Jersey people will have either sunk into a depression, gone into a violent rampage, or just decided life isn't worth it and ended it all. Ahem...

Panic in NY Area

No, I'm not talking about swine flu. The New York Rangers finalized choking away their 3-1 series lead over the Capitals by losing last night. on the same night, the New Jersey Devils choked away a one goal lead and then the game and series by giving up two goals in the last minute and a half to the Hurricanes. Baseball is especially bad. The Yankees and Mets have baseballs two highest payrolls, their records as of today are 10-10 (NYY) and 9-11 (NYM). Over the weekend, the Yankees got swept by the Red Sox in convincing fashion which may be the last straw for most fans. Though the Yankees offense is performing well (top 7 in batting average, OBP, SLG, and OPS) they are only hitting .234 with runners in scoring position. The Yankees pitching staff is also killing them as they hold the 3rd highest ERA in baseball (5.97). The Mets were fortunate enough to get a series versus the Nationals after getting swept by the Cardinals. They took the series, but Oliver Perez got blown up on Sunday and now people are saying that the next time he pitches will be his last chance to prove he can stay in the rotation. He has the highest ERA on the team and is walking way too many people. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise considering he led the NL in walks last year and has thrown 100+ walks in 2 of the previous 3 seasons. This team is seeing a big time power outage, they only have 12 home runs this season, 3rd worst. I don't see the complaints about the new state-of-the-art ballparks subsiding anytime soon too. Yankees stadium plays too small and Citi Field plays too big. But I feel like this happens every time a new park is built. Someone always has complaints especially if the team doesn't immediately succeed in it. Though things do look bad for these squads, I would wait until the 40-game mark or so too really start panicking. The Nets and Knicks finished a combined 66-98, too. Phew, all that negativity wore me out. Its a good thing I live in San Diego and could give a shit.

NFL Draft

I don't really know what to put. There are a million mock drafts, followed by a million "draft grades" which are completely subjective and useless since none of these players have played. Every year there is some guy drafted under the radar that explodes during the season and everyone blows their load and talks about what a great draft that team had when they probably gave them a D or something. Also, as much as I hate Mel Kiper and that weird kind of angry look he has on his face all the time I have to give the guy credit. He is a genius. No not a mock drafting genius, but a genius in that he has cornered the market for what I consider one of the easiest jobs in the world. He watches an absurd amount of college and NFL football, something we all already do. In between he throws in a few top 200 college player rankings - basically crunch numbers and add a few points if you have a gut feel that a player "has it." Then after the Super Bowl is over he really goes to work. For about 10 weeks of the year he makes phone calls to GM's and other inside guys every day, picks their brains and tries to get a lead on where they are going. Other than that all he has to do for these mock drafts is look at column A - positions needed by team, and then looks at column B - draft prospect rating by position. Boom, mock draft. Then, when the mock draft inevitably blows up due to trade or unexpected pick all you say is "oh well, that's how the draft goes." The rest of the time this guy goes off and sips on margaritas with little umbrellas in them on some beach somewhere. Un-fucking-believable. Kudos, Mel.

I'm not going to pretend I am a draft expert. Just opinions here...take 'em or leave 'em.

• Lions draft QB Drew Stafford #1 overall - I think there are two schools of thought in regards to rebuilding a team, and both have proven to be valid. One being you rebuild your offensive and defensive lines, then everything else -- the other being to build around a franchise player, usually a quarterback. The Lions obviously went franchise guy, which is fine. Lets just hope that he does not share the same fate as David Carr, who Peter King pointed out in his last MMQB article was drafted #1 overall only to get lead the league in sacks year after year and never get a chance to develop. I worry about Stafford if you look purely at sacks allowed. Over the last three seasons, the Lions have allowed 52 (2nd most), 54 (3rd most), and 63 (2nd most) sacks. Considering they did absolutely nothing to address the offensive line (they drafted a guard in the 7th round), it could be a real rough year for Stafford.

• Its nice that the Jets got themselves a legit franchise QB. Mark Sanchez's body of work is pretty limited though, one year starting in a USC system where you are basically guaranteed to succeed. He still made big plays and had the best game of his college career on the biggest stage in the Rose Bowl and I like that. I feel bad for Kellen Clemens because he never got a fair shot, but every coach wants their own guy. Rex Ryan got his and now the Jets can wash off the stench that Brett Favre and Mangini left behind.
  

• Al Davis is fucking crazy...but we all knew that already.
  

• I am so glad that New Orleans drafted CB Malcom Jenkins, hes gonna be a stud and his 40-time isn't going to mean anything. They also did not draft an offensive player this year for probably the first time ever. Not that they really had a chance to because they traded all their draft picks away for Jeremy Shockey.

• I see why the Broncos drafted Knowshon Moreno, he has definite superstar potential. They signed a bunch of running backs, but Buckhalter and Lamont Jordan turn 31 this year, and JJ Arrington and Selvin Young have done nothing to prove they can be relied upon to carry an offense. Now they have their guy for the future. At least they took a linebacker in Ayers, because their LB core is an embarrassment.
  

• Bill Belichik is ahead of the curve on when it comes to drafting 2nd and 3rd round players. Year after year he trades down and finds guys. There is more value coming out of the later rounds then ever before. Hes not going to take a first round guy and pay him first round money unless its a slam dunk. It makes even more sense from a financial standpoint and guys drafted later don't get all big-headed with big contracts and feel like they went late so they have something to prove. There is a reason why the Patriots are Super Bowl contenders year in and year out.

• Self-indulgent Chargers draft analysis - The Chargers basically took a bunch of big, tough, nasty players in this draft and I love it. I was shocked at the Larry English pick, but after looking into it more I like it more and more. The Chargers will have 3 legitimate blitzers in Merriman, Philips, and now English. English also serves as Merriman insurance if he doesn't return to health or leaves in free agency when his contract expires next year. 3rd round pick Texas Tech OG Louis Vasquez is a monster. He is 6-5, 330 lbs. and is said to be a physical run blocker. The 3rd round pick out of Western Ontario is 6'-3", 331 lbs. and runs a 4.9 40. He is crazy athletic for a guy of his size and I can not wait to see what the coaches can get out of him. He is said to be the heir to Jamal Williams at nose tackle. He certainly has the size to do so. WR Demetrius Byrd, who was in that horrible car accident a week before the draft, could be an absolute steal in the 7th round.

NBA

• Wow, the Hornets have already packed their bags and taken the rest of the season off. Losing by 58 points at home in a playoff game you need this win to try to tie the series at 2-2 is inexcusable. If you want an in-depth analysis into how historically bad this game was, read this article on Basketbawful. You can spread the blame around pretty easily when a team loses by this many points. Sure Chris Paul had the worst game of his career, and I really want to put this on Byron Scott, who surely deserves a portion of the blame. After all, the Hornets came out flat in the first quarter and were outscored 36-15. They were completely unprepared and brought zero intensity. But the root of all this lies on the GM and ownership. I hope you are happy with what you have done. The complete lack of depth you have given the coach and players to work with have run your superstar Chris Paul and the other starters into the ground. This is how you reward Chris Paul, who basically saved basketball in New Orleans, then when you tried to trade Tyson Chandler for peanuts he didn't bash you for it when everyone else was. They are wasting Chris Paul's best years and it is a travesty.

• Lakers and Cavs won, no surprise there.

• Boy do the Spurs look useless without Ginobili. No even came close to trying to step into that spot. Its time for the Spurs to acquire another scorer. Age has finally caught up and they will need more depth next year.

NHL

• The Capitals coming back from being down 3-1 was one for the ages. Ovechkin scored in three consecutive games leading up to game 7. Veteran Sergei Federov would be the one to score the series-winning goal. Rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov has to be the best story of all. The 21-year old only allowed 7 goals in 6 games and provided the Caps with the steady goaltending that they so desperately needed.
  

Hockey!

What a fantastic weekend of sports we have this weekend. The NFL Draft on Saturday, NBA and NHL Playoffs all weekend, & Red Sox/Yankees. The playoffs are heating up and this weekend will feature several teams on the brink of elimination fighting for their playoff lives.

NHL

• DET-CBJ: So much for all the hoopla about the Red Wings falling off at the end of the season. It now appears that they just kind of coasted through that last few weeks of the season because they knew they could turn it on come crunch time. Well, they did, and swept the Columbus Blue Jackets in convincing fashion. The Wings outscored Columbus 18-7 for the series and went 7-22 (31.8%) on power plays. So much for Ty Conklin outplaying Chris Osgood all season, Coach Mike Babcock goes with the veteran who has been there before and he looks great.
  

• BOS-MTL: Speaking of domination, the Bruins made a mockery of what is supposed to be one of the greatest rivalries in hockey history. The B's swept the Canadiens out of the playoffs in their centennial season. They outscored the bleu, rouge, et blanc 17-6. Montreal goalie Carey Price was constantly getting peppered by Boston, and he never got comfortable. The Bruins led for all but 23:31 in the series. Basically the B's made the Canadiens their bitch all season and postseason, going 5-0-1 in regular season play and then sweeping them. If Tim Thomas continues his stellar play, then only the Red Wings would stand between them and Lord Stanley's Cup.
  

• VAN-STL: The 3rd sweep of the first round was the Canucks over the Blues. The Blues had been streaking coming into the postseason and some thought they could make some noise, but goalie Robert Luongo was having none of that. He didn't allow a goal in the 3rd period the whole series and also helped keep the Blues to 1-24 with the man advantage. The Canucks came up big on defense at the most important times and rightfully won this series.

• SJ-ANA: Oh boy, look at the Sharks choking yet again. They just won the President's Cup and had their best season in franchise history. Many have considered a trip to the Cup Finals a forgone conclusion. Not so fast, after Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller's second shutout of the series, they have their foot on the Sharks throat with a 3-1 series lead. The Ducks need some credit here too, they are winning this series way more than the Sharks are losing it. Ducks GM Bob Murray has assembled a savvy veteran team that has loads of playoff experience. They know what it takes to win and will not get frazzled. Their blue line, anchored by Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer, is one of the best in the league. It also appears that the franchise has struck gold again with goalie Jonas Hiller. The kid is playing great and is just not making mistakes while the defenseman take care of business. Defense wins championships, right? The Sharks are done and no one wants to face the Ducks next round.

• NYR-WAS: Henrik Lundqvist has been playing out of his mind, but the Rangers' defense should get a lot of credit too. They have bottled up MVP Alexander Ovechkin as he has only scored one goal in the series. Young phenom D Mike Green has also been a non-factor in this series. This is not to say that the series hasn't been competitive, as 3 of the 4 games have been decided by one goal. However, one-goal games are not the kind of games the Caps want to be in with their goaltending disadvantage. Veteran Jose Theodore has had good games, but his inconsistency continues to get the best of him. Its an all too familiar hole that the Capitals find themselves in, as they went down 3-1 last year. They were able to force a game 7, but can they repeat that magic again?
  

• NJ-CAR: Martin Brodeur tied Patrick Roy for the all-time playoff shutout record last night and the Devils went up 3-2 for the series. The Devils look like the team that should come out on top. In the two games they lost, one came in OT and the other came on a tip-in with 0.2 seconds left in the 3rd period. The Hurricanes are only 1-19 so far on the power play and if that continues they will be finished. Carolina still has a chance to win two straight, as the Devils have been quite inconsistent. I don't see Brodeur allowing that to happen though.

• CHI-CAL: Its the young Chicago Blackhawks versus the veteran Calgary Flames. After falling into an 0-2 hole, the Flames have battled back to even the series up at 2-2. Miikka Kiprusoff has given up way more goals than he is probably used to but has still done well enough to win the last two games. The Blackhawks are young but are really coming into their own this year. They are dangerous enough on offense to win this series and they also dominated the Flames during the regular season, going 4-0 and outscoring them 19-7. But its a best of 3 series now and each team is going to really have to bring it. Keep an eye on Calgary D Daymond Langkow, who left game 4 with an injury, it would be a significant loss to the Flames if he were to miss any time.
  

• PHI-PIT: Facing elimination, Philly goaltender Martin Biron finally comes up big with only his 2nd career shutout to get the series to 3-2. With the Flyers going home, they have a chance to send this series to game 7. The difference for the Flyers is going to have to be for them to cut down on their penalties. They are tied for first with Montreal (who got swept) among playoff teams with 103 PIM. They have to cut that down because Crosby and Malkin will take advantage. For the Penguins, Marc-Andre Fleury has been solid in the net despite facing one of the more potent offenses in the league. He will be tested in a big way in game 6 in Philly.
  

Back in Action

Well that baseball preview certainly burned me out a bit, so I took a week and a half off. As you can see we were only able to finish the National League and never even got to the American League for the preview, so sorry about that all you AL fans. At least next year I will be better prepared for such an undertaking. The NL preview is pretty badass so check it out if you haven't had the chance to.

MLB

• So basically every team that every expert picked to be first is not on top of their division. Well so what its only 10 games into the season, we really know nothing. As of today, the division leaders are Florida, San Diego, Toronto, Detroit, Seattle, and St. Louis. St. Louis is really the only one that makes any sense. Ten games really means nothing though. In New York, the sky is falling, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria! The Mets and Yankees will both be fine. Sure, Chien-Ming Wang almost made Yankees history for most runs allowed in two starts. The guy is legit and there is no reason why he wouldn't be able to get back to form unless hes hurt. Just wait til all of these guys start to hit their groove and good things will start to happen. If there is anything to worry about for the Yankees its their bullpen. Lets just say its gross. Health, as always will be the key.
  

• The WBC has finally claimed its first high-profile victim. Daisuke Matzusaka is going to the DL due to "soreness and fatigue" in his throwing arm. I can only imagine the grumbling that is going on in Boston right now, and I don't blame them as I had to sit through Jake Peavy's awful season. Why the hell is this thing every 2 years? Its too much wear and tear especially on pitchers. The pitch count rules help but there is only so much you can do. The WBC has to be moved to every 4 years, just like every other world stage competition.
  

• Ichiro just finally played his first game. Ichiro is ridiculous - am I the only one that thinks its hilarious that Ichiro still uses an interpreter? Honestly, this is the guys ninth season in the Major Leagues and he could care less about learning English. He more or less has lived in the US for almost 5 years, assuming he spends his offseason in Japan. The only communication he needs to do is with his bat to the ball that some lowly pitcher dares offer to him. I'm pretty sure he is just thinking "Fuck it. I'm a god in Japan, I only need to speak Japanese and there is nothing you can do about it." I am so fascinated by him. No one uses his last name, he is just Ichiro. I'm pretty sure that any child named Ichiro was killed off long ago and that his name has been retired forever. The dude is the king.
  

• Tom Verducci from SI.com wrote this article on young pitchers at risk of the Year-after effect. In a nutshell, he has a theory that pitchers under the age of 25 are at significant risk of injury or regression in the season after their workload increases by 30 or more innings. Some of the names on that list included Tim Lincecum and Cole Hamels, which so far he appears to have hit the nail right on the head on. Dodger fans are praying he is wrong, as Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw are on that list.

NFL

• The draft is only 9 days away. Mock drafts are everywhere and I'm not gonna do any of that. The Lions absolutely have to go quarterback with their first pick. Stafford reportedly did well in a private practice with the Lions so I'm pretty sure that will seal the deal. This franchise just got blown up from top to bottom, you have to start fresh with a new face, and a young, promising QB is exactly the way to do it. I also like that the draft is later on Saturday and only the first round is on the first day. That way everyone can go out to bars that night and still see picks and get excited about it.
  

• Jay Cutler traded to Chicago Bears - Some people actually have the nerve to question the Bears trading away two first-round draft picks for Cutler. Anytime you can acquire a Pro Bowl QB that is only 25 years old you do it no matter what. I'm sure all Bears fans out there just could not wait for another season of debating whether Kyle Orton or Rex Grossman is the better QB. That's like having to choose between getting kicked in the junk or punched in the junk. This puts the Bears in contention for the playoffs next season, and will allow the Broncos to continue to rebuild their team over the next couple seasons.

NBA

• Playoff time baby! I am giddy with excitement even though my Suns aren't in it. The matchups are pretty compelling and there is going to be some great basketball. I can't wait for Saturday.

• Kevin Garnett is potentially out for the playoffs. If Garnett doesn't play, the Celtics do not win another championship. Paul Pierce is the man and will do everything in his power to shoulder the load, but he has been shouldering the load since KG went out and its going to be so tough on him. Nobody on that team brings the intensity that is so crucial in playoff games. Big Baby, Scalabrine, and Perkins just don't intimidate like him.

• I'm picking the Cavs to win it all. How could you pick anyone else. Best defense in the league + great team play + Lebron James = championship.....its science. The home-court advantage throughout makes them nearly unstoppable. The only team to beat them in their own house during the regular season was the Lakers. Cavs-Lakers would make for an amazing finals and most consider that matchup a forgone conclusion. More picks later in the week.
  

2009 MLB Preview - National League East

The MLB preview series continues today with the National League East. Even though today is Opening Day and all the divisions have not been released yet, this stuff doesn't write itself and it takes forever. I'm pretty sure that this is one of the more extensive team-by-team previews that you can find out there. This NL East preview was written by my good friend Santo Scrimenti...thanks for the help buddy.

Here are links to the other National League divisions.

• NL Central
• NL West
  

Philadelphia Phillies (13th highest payroll, just over $95 million)

Last Season: Must we really? Fine. The Phils finally put everything together and were the 2008 World Series Champs, led by Cole Hamels' brilliant pitching, a return-to-lights-out Brad Lidge, big Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins among others. They looked impressive. They still do. Just promise not to mention that to anyone from Philly.

Key Moves: The Phils did a great job of keeping their winning core intact.

• Except for losing OF Pat Burrell, who was a big part of their Championship run. He will be missed. But he is not irreplaceable
• Because the added OF Raul Ibanez, who will fit in nicely for the Phils. He played every game last year, had a career high in hits (186), a career 2nd best batting average (.293), and hit over 20 longballs for the fifth time in his career and fourth year in a row. So he has some pop and is consistent. Pretty much what Pat Burrell was. He should provide padding in the line up.
• P Chan Ho Park is a crafty vet who has been limited the past two seasons, but seems in good form this spring. Should be a solid 5 starter till the young J.A. Happ is ready. Then he can provide depth in the bull pen.

Resignings: Again, they kept their core away from arbitration, building on last year's success.

Possible Impacts: Lefty OFs Geoff Jenkins and Matt Stairs could find a roster spot, or be traded for someone who might.

Training Camp: SP Chan Ho Park looks like he is back to form. Jenkins, Stairs, and Miguel Cairo are all fighting for the last two spots, unless the Phils decide to take 11 (rather than the traditional 12) pitchers into opening day. Lefty SP J.A. Happ will bounce from minors to bigs at some point(s) this season.

Keys to Success: This should be easy: do what was done last year. They have one of the best 1B (Howard), 2B (Utley), aces (Hamels) and closers (Lidge) around. They are solid at SS (Rollins), in the OF (Victorino, Werth, Ibanez), and rotation (Myers, Blanton, Moyer).

Projection: This will be the Phils division to lose. Barring any massively tragic injury, they take it with 91 wins blindfolded. But please, please! Don't ever tell anyone from Philly that. Please!


New York Mets (2nd highest payroll, just over $137 million)

Last Season: For the second year in a row, the Mets simply imploded in September. They lost the division on the last again (their September 07 was the biggest collapse in MLB history) despite their depth and talent. One more season like that, and these guys may go down as the worst choke artists of all time. Could you image what torture that would be?

Key Losses: None of the Mets core bolted, which remains to be seen whether or not its a good thing.

• SP Pedro Martinez left for free agency, but he has not been important to a team since the '04 Red Sox
• Newly acquired SP Tim Redding will start the year on the DL
• CL Billy Wagner will have to wait another season before he sees MLB action. Again.

Key Additions: The deep and talented Mets got deeper.

• Concerns about the bullpen's inability to hold a lead, the Mets went out and over-paid RP Francisco Rodriguez. However, it will all be worth it if they can pay him to throw a pitch in the playoffs.
• Former closer J.J. Putz will be setting up K-Rod, and should be a big boost.
• OF Gary Sheffield, SS Alex Cora, SP Freddy Garcia, OF Rob Mackowiak and SP Livan Hernandez all signed minor league contracts as cushions for this already deep team. Expect half these guys to get worked in some way or another.

Training Camp: The only youngster (I should say fresh face) to crack the line-up opening day will be Daniel Murphy in LF. The rest of the line-up will strongly resemble last year's. As for position battles, Hernandez and Garcia will fight for the last spot on the rotation. Look for the Mets to keep their starters fresh throughout the year by working in guys from their solid supporting cast.

Keys to Success: It would seem easy for the likes of 3B David Wright (.302, 33 HR, 124 RBI last year), CF Carlos Beltran (.284-27-112), 1B Carlos Delgado (.271-38-115) and SS Jose Reyes (.297, 116 R, 56 SB) to simply tee off on the opposition. The supporting cast, of course, should get to see some pretty good pitches as well. Then add a rotation with Cy Young winner Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Ollie Perez, John Maine (as a fourth!) and Hernandez/Garcia (each have spent a season as a staff ace), and a bullpen with J.J. Putz and KRod, you would expect at least 100 wins. They just have to show up in September.

Projections: The Phillies aren't sneaking up on anyone this year, and will be the second hurdle the Metropolitans must clear. The first will be themselves. Their best bet is to hope 89 wins (which is precisely what they will win) will get them the wild card. But with their luck, they'll need 90.

Atlanta Braves (10th Highest payroll; just over $102 million)

Last Season: The Braves found themselves ravaged by injury and off-field issues that derailed their season early. It never got back on track, and they finished fourth in the NL East. They could only muster 72 wins. But with arms healed and minds focused and rejuvenated, the Braves will almost certainly improve enough to scrap with the Phils and Mets for the division. At least they will be good enough to keep teams honest.

Key Moves: The Braves weren't as active as some, but still did well for themselves this off-season.

• Losing SP John Smoltz to Boston got all the headlines, but it should not be that significant considering his age and the Braves other moves.
• SP Javier Vazquez is acquired in a trade with the White Sox. He is an innings-eating machine who no longer has dominant stuff, but will get strike outs and provide ballast to the rotation
• SP Derek Lowe, a groundball pitcher, should enjoy having one of the more solid in-fields in the League behind him when he takes the mound opening day (for the injured Tim Hudson)
• LF Garrett Anderson will provide a boost in the out-field and in the lineup.

Training Camp: SP Kenshin Kawakami looks solid so far. A healthy Chipper Jones might not be realistic, but he just won the NL batting title and has shown no signs of slowing down. OF Jeff Francoeur looks good, too.

• Battle for 2B: Scouts say Martin Prado is good enough to play every day, but isn't quite good enough to unseat Kelly Johnson. Look for him to find time at some point
• Battle for CF appears to be over, with Jordan Schafer the victor as Josh Anderson is traded to Detroit

Keys to Success: Although Chipper hasn't played over 130 games in any of the past four seasons, this team can still do damage with their lineup. McCann should be solid at C, and Francouer, Anderson, Johnson, and 1B Casey Kotchman will not need to go above and beyond to be effective. They rotation will survive Hudson's absence with the likes of Lowe, Vazquez, Kawakami, Glavine, and Jurrjens. They are actively looking for bullpen help, and that is a concern now but should be addressed soon enough.

Projections: If they can stay reasonably healthy, this team should win 85 games. But that won't be enough to top the Phils or the Mets. They finish third in what should be one of the tightest division races in baseball.

Florida Marlins (Lowest payroll, just over $22.6 million)

Last season: To put things in perspective, ARod made more than the whole team combined, and Jeter made just 2.6 million less. That said, no one expected much from the Fish. Their small success was a pleasant surprise, especially after shipping off Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrerra and still finishing 7 games above .500. Youngsters Hanley Ramierez (.301 BA, 33 HR with 35 SB) and Dan Uggla stepped right into the spotlight. Ricky Nolasco showed flashes of things to come while racking up 15 wins.

Key Moves: The always cheap Marlins let several starters go, opting for cheaper, less proven players and youth.

• OF Luis Gonzalez is the epitome of veteran poise and leadership, although his best days with the bat are well behind him, he is a loss in the line up and in the field.
• OF Josh Willingham doesn't have the stats to be considered a 'Key' anything, but the production he gave for the price he was paid will make him missed.
• Although RP Kevin Gregg was the closer for lack of a better option, he still recorded 29 saves in 38 chances. The Fish will go with an unproven closer in 09 with his departure.
  
• RP Arthur Rhodes doesn't seem to age, and now the Marlins are without his veteran savvy.
• The Fish signed RP Scott Proctor to fill some of the gap in the bull pen. Then he promptly got hurt and will miss the start of the season.
• SP Josh Johnson will provide a solid #2 option behind Nolasco. He may be worth watching.

Training Camp: Considering the number of holes in the roster and the amount of young, unproven talent, anything could happen. Many guys will be given a chance to see some time this season, as the Fish continue their endless quest to develop youngsters for the rest of the league. The battle for the corners is especially heated. Chris Volstad, Cameron Maybin, Gaby Sanchez, Jorge Cantu, and Emilio Bonifacio are all fighting for time. As of right now, Cantu and Sanchez have 3rd and 1st, respectively, with Maybin and Bonifacio making strong pushes for either spot.

Keys to Success: The Marlins have tons of potential.....again. They are too cheap to keep it, so they are constantly 'developing.' No wonder they never come close to selling out 42,000+ seat Dolphin Stadium. Their pitching staff is deep, and should be solid. Outside of Uggla and Rameirez, the line up is thin. However, if the Fish can get a couple of their young bats to emerge and come into their own, they could certainly throw Florida into the mix.

Projection: The team is still too young to contend. I can't see many more wins than 82 in their 09 future, although it will probably be closer to 80. But rest assured, you'll see plenty of Florida Marlins talent on other teams for years to come!


Washington Nationals (23rd highest payroll; just under $73 million)

Last Season: After the Lerner family essentially forced the District to foot the bill for their new state-of-the-art stadium, the return on the investment was far from desireable. The Nats owned the worst record in baseball last year. With a slew of injuries to an already thin team, give credit to Manny Acta for only losing 102 games. Thats right, this team was that bad.

Key Moves: GM Jim Bowden, the only one the team has known, resigned amid allegations of skimming the signing bonuses of young latin players. Good start!

• SP Odalis Perez is released after failing to report to spring training on time...he was 7-12 with 4.38 ERA last year. Normally, one would say"who cares?" and move on. But Perez ate up 159+ innings and was able to keep the Nats in a few games last year, often dueling the likes of Johan Santana and Brandon Webb. Who else will do that for the Nats???
• P Jesus Colome is released; he appeared in 61 games
• SP Tim Redding (the opening day starter) was not resigned. He started a career high 33 games with 182 innings pitched last year
• LF/1B Adam Dunn signs 2yr deal, providing much needed protection in the lineup for all-star 3B Ryan Zimmerman
• SP Daniel Cabrera signs as free agent

Possible Impacts (Minor league contracts that could see Major time): CF Corey Patterson, SS Alex Cintron, P Josh Towers

Key Resignings: 3B Ryan Zimmerman, LF Willie Harris (who may have had the play of the year for the Nats, making a spectacular leaping grab deep at the left field wall, then gunning down Jose Reyes at first for an unassisted double play. I would not have believed it happened had I not seen it myself).

Training Camp: Jordan Zimmermann, SP, is lighting it up from the mound. Interim GM Mike Rizzo has been praised for his work. OF Elijah Dukes is finally showing signs he is committed to improving his game.

• Key Battle for 2B currently has young Dominican speedster Anderson Hernandez with the edge over cagey vet Ronnie Belliard

Keys to Success: Honestly, this team is several years away from this section being relevant. The farm system is in much better shape than in recent years...probably since the Lerners bought the team in Montreal. But as for this season, career years from their best bats (Zim, Dunn plus Dukes, Milledge and Kearns) still won't overcome the extremely weak rotation (projected as of 3/10: Lannan, Olsen, Cabrera, Hill, Zimmermann).

Projections: I hate to say it, but this team will struggle to win 70 games.....there's no way out of the NL East basement for these guys.

2009 MLB Preview - NL Central

Today is Opening Day, and here is the National League Central preview.
Dont forget to check out the NL West preview of you have not seen it already.

National League Central

Chicago Cubs
2008 Record: 97-64, 1st place NL Central
2008 Payroll: $73.6 million (19th highest)

Last Season: The Cubs spent started the 2008 season with newly acquired Japanese sensation Kosuke Fukudome, whom they gave a 4-year, $48 million dollar deal to. It would also be Lou Pinella's first full season with the team. The Cubs blazed through what would be their winningest season in 50 years. Carlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter, the team scored the second most runs in the league, and the Cubbies would win 97 games in impressive fashion. Come playoff time, the Cubs would fall way short of the enormous expectations of the city of Chicago. Fukudome faded in the second half year and was an expensive non-factor in the playoffs. They were swept out of the first round for the second consecutive year, ensuring that the Cubs would go 100 straight years without winning a championship - and tortured Cubs fans would yet again have to look to next season.

Key Moves:

• Cubs land another bat and sign Milton Bradley to 3-year, $30 million deal. Injury prone and kind of a head case (like last year when he went ballistic on Royals reporter Ryan Lefebvre), Bradley is always a gamble. But when motivated and healthy, he can change games and make a big impact. Hopes are that Lou Piniella will be able to keep him in the right frame of mind.
• Traded Mark DeRosa to Cleveland - his versatility was a key part of the Cubs success last season and he will be missed .
• Kerry Wood also leaves in free agency. He has been through a lot with the organization and finally started looking like his old self again as a reliever. Its been a long road to recovery for him and he should do well in Cleveland.
  

Training Camp:

• Bullpen: Carlos Marmol will be setup man and Kevin Gregg has won the closer position. The two should combine for a lot of shutdown innings.
• No. 5 starter: Sean Marshall beat out Aaron Heilman.
• No one has established themselves as the go-to person for long-relief yet.
• Milton Bradley is tearing it up this spring, batting .500 in 16 games

Keys to Success: Kosuke Fukudome has to play better, Piniella has slated him to be no. 2 in the lineup and he is expected to produce. Same goes for Alfonso Soriano, he is very productive, but strikes out too often for a leadoff hitter and is obviously much more dangerous on base than on the bench. If Zambrano can avoid some of his inconsistency last season he could contend for a Cy Young. Someone needs to step up in middle relief.

Projections: The Cubbies have all the pieces to make a deep postseason run. They have one of the top rotations in the National League and could chase 100 wins this year. They will win the NL Central, but everyone, including Lou Piniella have learned more about themselves as a team and should at least make it out of the first round.

Cincinnati Reds

2008 Record: 74-88, 5th place NL Central
2008 Payroll: $74.3 million (18th highest)

Last Season: Last year the Reds had a good starting rotation, at least on paper. Unfortunately, Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, and Johnny Cueto all underachieved on the year. Their bullpen also struggled all season. They could only put up 74 wins, but they some of their young guys made big impressions. Edinson Volquez dominated all season long and led the NL in ERA for a good portion of the season, which is not easy to do in the Reds' bandbox stadium. RF Jay Bruce burst onto the scene when he was called up mid-season and 1B Joey Votto also potential to do great things. With the Reds struggling, they traded Adam Dunn, who had been with squad for 8 years, to the Diamondbacks.

Key Moves:

• Signed OF Willy Taveras to 2-year deal - Taveras has speed and can steal a ton of bases, but concerns still linger about his low OBP.
• Traded for C Ramon Hernandez - The Reds searched the whole offseason for a catcher signing two to minor league contracts and settling on Hernandez as starter. He dealt with injuries last year and did not perform well, but could contribute this season.
  

Training Camp:

• The whole starting rotation has played quite well this spring, especially Edinson Volquez, Micah Owings (acquired as part of Dunn trade), and Johnny Cueto. They all have sub 1.57 ERA for Spring Training.
  
• Bad news on SP Bronson Arroyo, he was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in his throwing hand. Though he says its something he has dealt with for years, this is not a problem that will go away anytime soon and it might be another rough season for him. He's been getting shelled this spring.
  
• Joey Votto and Jay Bruce are batting over .300 this spring.
• SS Alex Gonzalez, who missed all of last year with a knee injury, is still rehabbing and then pulled a hamstring and will miss the start of the season.
• Rumor is that the Reds may sign Gary Sheffield, who was just released from the Tigers. He might have to be a bench guy and spell Votto at 1B though. They are also rumored to be pursuing Jeff Jenkins.
  

Keys to Success: Their pitching is going to have to be really strong, which they should be. The offensive end is where players are going to need to step up. Beyond Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, there is not really anyone that will scare opposing pitchers, even in Cincy's tiny ballpark. Willy Taveras will need to be strong in the leadoff and wreak havoc on the base paths and the Votto and Bruce are going to have to carry the load. If the pitchers dominate, it will make up for their lack of offense.

Projections: The Reds have been a trendy selection to do some damage this season. That starting rotation is solid, but their bullpen remains a question mark and they have no one to replace Adam Dunn's production. They improve on last season's record, but its not enough to contend with the big dogs in the division. They win 80 games and finish 4th.


Milwaukee Brewers
2008 Record: 90-72 (2nd place NL Central)
2008 Payroll: $81.0 million (15th highest)

Last Season: In 2008, The Brewers built on the success of their first winning season in 15 years. Ben Sheets actually stayed healthy all season and their young stars SS JJ Hardy, LF Ryan Braun, and 1B Prince Fielder all had very good seasons. In mid-season, Milwaukee traded for CC Sabathia, and the team took off. However, the Brewers slumped badly towards the end of the season and with only 12 games left, manager Ned Yost was fired. It was the first time in Major League history that a team fired its manager in August with the team in playoff position. The Brewers responded by winning 7 of the last 12 games and earned a trip to the first postseason appearance in franchise history. However, come playoff time, the pitching imploded and Sabathia's great season went to waste as he got shelled by the Phillies, who would ended up beating the Brew Crew in four games.

Key Moves:

• Let CC Sabathia go in free agency - There was no way Milwaukee could compete with the outrageous 7-year, $160 million contract offered him by the Yankees. As illustrated in this great article from the Bernie's Crew Blog, he will be sorely missed. He was responsible for +4.7 wins, the difference between going playoffs and sitting at home.
• Did not resign SP Ben Sheets - Sheets has not been signed by any team due to concerns about his durability. Since he had no offers, he opted to have elbow surgery and will be ready to pitch mid-season, hoping that a team desperate for help will pony up the money. Regardless, his days as a Brewer are over.
• Signed starting pitcher Braden Looper to 1-year deal to fill holes left by Sheets and Sabathia
• Signed 42-year old all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman to 1-year deal in hopes that he can provide consistency that they have lacked at that spot.
  

Training Camp: The team has dealt with a lot of injuries early on.

• SS JJ Hardy is on fire this spring, batting .422. He looks primed for a big year.
• 3B Craig Counsell, RF Corey Hart, and 2B Rickie Weeks are all batting above .329. However, Counsell has a torn meniscus that he has played on but is likely to require surgery. Bill Hall will start the season at 3B. Also, Corey Hart is flashing a lot of power, with 7 HRs in 23 spring training games.
  
• Ryan Braun has dealt with injury issues all of preseason, but will start on opening day.
  

Keys to Success: Its kind of obvious, but their starting pitching is not nearly as good as last year. The team can mash, but their success relies entirely on what they get from their starters. Trevor Hoffman will need to stay healthy and close out games.

Projections: This team has dealt with adversity in the last two years and are better off for it. The loss of Sheets and Sabathia leaves a big void, and opening day starter Jeff Suppan declined at the end of last season. Their offense will win games for them but they won't match last years 90 wins and come closer to 85, good enough for 3rd in the division.


Houston Astros
2008 Record: 86-75 (3rd place NL Central)
2008 Salary: $88.9 million (14th highest)

Last Season: The Astros - led by stellar pitching by Roy Oswalt and a strong contributions from Carlos Lee (who hit 100 RBI and 28 HR even though he missed the last month of the season) and Lance Berkman - performed admirably in a tough NL Central in 2008. However, their lack of a deep rotation behind Oswalt, the injury to Lee, and Miguel Tejada tanking in the second half would not keep them in contention. Unfortunately, the only major news made besides Lance Berkman's red hot start to the season was when pitchers Shawn Chacon choked GM Ed Wade because he basically told him he was not pitching well. Classy. They won a respectable 86 games despite having a negative run differential but would not make the playoffs.

Key Moves:

• Signed SP Mike Hampton to a 1-year deal to try to bolster the rotation
• Signed C Ivan Rodriguez to make up for the departure of C Brad Ausmus, who signed with the Dodgers
• 3B Ty Wiggington, IF Mark Loretta, and SP Randy Wolf all leave in free agency

Training Camp:

• 3B Aaron Boone had to get heart surgery, and may miss the rest of the season.
• Battle for 3B - Geoff Blum and newly acquired Jeff Keppinger will start the season sharing time. Blum will likely get more of the starts but Keppinger is younger and has more upside, so he could win the job at some point.
• Starting Rotation - Wandy Rodriguez is having a solid spring and will be the No. 2 starter behind Oswalt. He has a lot of potential. Brian Moehler, Mike Hampton, and Russ Ortiz fill out the rest of the rotation, they are all serviceable starters but Hampton and Ortiz are injury-prone.
  

Keys to Success: The back end of the rotation is going to have to hold up and everyone not named Carlos Lee or Lance Berkman needs to step it up on offense. The bullpen will be solid, anchored by Jose Valverde (closer), Doug Brocail, Geoff Geary, and LaTroy Hawkins. So as long as the starting guys can hand off leads to the relief pitchers, the Astros can win games. Tejada needs to have a bounce back year.

Projections: The Astros always seem to perform better than anyone projects them to be. But this year their big hitters are another year older and the rotation is very suspect. They could win 80 games or so, but they finish 5th in a very competitive division.


St. Louis Cardinals
2008 Record: 86-76 (4th NL Central)
2008 Payroll: $100.6 million (11th highest)

Last Season: Manager Tony LaRussa earned every bit if his paycheck last season. He deserved to win manager of the year for leading the injury-ravaged Cardinals to 86 wins. Their starting rotation was a shell of what it had been - no Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder, or Adam Wainwright for the majority of the season. Albert Pujols played the entire season with a high-grade tear in an elbow ligament and still won National League MVP. He can basically be credited as the player who kept Cardinals a respectable squad - without Pujols, they finish last. No one ever rose to claim the spot at closer, and the Cardinals would lead the MLB in blown saves. Credit the Cards for what they accomplished despite their many shortcomings.

Key Moves: It was a fairly quiet offseason for the Cardinals.

• Traded for SS Khalil Greene for a prospect - a fresh start should benefit the talented shortstop, and could be a huge boost to the lineup if he plays to his potential.
• SS Cesar Izturis was let go in free agency
• Mark Mulder, who had a lot of good years with the Cardinals, remains unsigned. He is done as a member of the Cardinals and many think he will never pitch effectively again due to his numerous shoulder issues.

Training Camp:

• 3B Troy Glaus, who had surgery on his shoulder in January, has not rehabbed as quickly as hoped and likely won't be back before the All-Star break. This has left open competition for his position until he returns. David Freese has batted .386 this spring and has won the starting job
• SS Khalil Greene has been the Cardinals best spring hitter, averaging .408.
• Battle for closer - Rookie Jason Motte has outright won the closing job, boasting a strong 1.52 ERA.
• Battle for 2B - Skip Schumaker will fill the void left by the departure of Adam Kennedy, Felipe Lopez, and Aaron Miles
• Chris Carpenter didn't allow a run in his first 19 innings of spring training, and looks to be back to his old form (very good news for Cardinals fans)
• No. 5 starter Joel Piniero is also having an excellent spring, with an impressive 1.44 ERA in 25 innings.
  

Keys to Success: Chris Carpenter needs to return to health and Albert Pujols' bad elbow needs to hold up. If Jason Motte solidifies himself as the closer that would be huge, as we previously mentioned the Cardinals league-high 31 blown saves.

Projections: Tony LaRussa knows how to get the best out of his players. Even though he is using a lot more young players than he is used to, the team should be fine. The return of ace Chris Carpenter is huge, and this team is a lot better than the team that won 86 games last year. Cardinals win 90 games and finish 2nd in the NL Central.

Pittsburgh Pirates
2008 Record: 67-95 (6th NL Central)
2008 Payroll: $49.3 million (27th highest)

Last Season: The Pirates started the season with a new President, GM, and manager, but it was another year of dissapointment for the franchise. Their 95 losses meant that the team has gone 16 consecutive seasons without a winning record, tying the Philadelphia Phillies for the most in professional sports history. No pitcher won more than 10 games and in mid-season the team shipped off two of its best players, Xavier Nady and Jason Bay, for prospects and draft picks. A highlight was the emergence of Nate McLouth, who showed that he can be a star in the league. Pirates fans hope that one day their grandchildren will be able to see a winning product.

Key Moves: Their biggest moves were made during the regular season, and were very quiet for a team that performed poorly.

• Signed former Rookie of the Year OF Eric Hinske to 1-year, $1.5 million - he was serviceable on the Tampa Bay team that made it to the World Series, hitting 20 HR, but only batting .247. He will definitely get the opportunity to play consistently in Pittsburgh
• Sign 3B Ramon Vazquez for 2-year, $4 million - Vazquez did hit .290 and will spell Andy LaRoche while providing veteran leadership off the bench.

Training Camp:

• Starting rotation - With LHP Paul Maholm as the only clear-cut starter, he will get the No.1 and the rest has been up for competition.
  
• Ross Ohlendorf has only allowed 3 runs in 20 innings this spring, and will be the No. 4 starter
• Ian Snell and Zach Duke have had decent springs, and will be No. 2 and No. 3
• Bullpen - Matt Capps will be the closer, but has not been particularly strong this spring. John Grabow will be setup and pitched solidly for Team USA in the WBC and did well in his short time in spring training
• 3B Andy LaRoche has impressed this spring, batting .340 over 50 at-bats
  

Keys to Success: The Pirates need a lot of things to happen. Their young starting pitching staff will need to step up their game and someone besides Nate McLouth is going to have to step up their game. Freddy Sanchez needs to get back to the form he had when he won a batting title a few years ago. Success for the Pirates would be a winning season.

Projections: The Pirates are a young team and while they have had moments of promise, they will struggle again. They can't compete with any of the teams in their division and will lose more games than they win. I hate to say it, but this franchise is destined for history - by having their 17th consecutive losing season and a last place finish in the division. At least the Steelers won the Super Bowl, right Pittsburgh?

2009 MLB Preview - NL West

Oh boy! You know your all so fucking excited about the best Major League preview of all time! I know I am excited to be presenting it to you because this has turned out to be much more of an undertaking than I had anticipated. I will be rolling out the previews division by division because there is a lot of information. We will start off with the National League West. The National League East preview, written by Santo Scrimenti, will be out tomorrow. Consider yourselves informed, and most importantly, Enjoy!

National League West

San Diego Padres
2008 Record: 63-99, 5th place NL West
2008 Payroll: $73.6 million (19th highest)

Last Season: The Padres started the 2008 season trying to put away the memories of a crushing defeat to the Rockies in a playoff for the NL Wild Card in 2007. The team figured to at least be a contender in a weak NL West Division but they turned out to be anything but. The lone bright spot of the season was the play of 1B Adrian Gonzalez, who hit 36 homers, drove in 119 runs, and won a Gold Glove - an impressive feat in one of the leagues worst offenses. Their starting pitching and bullpen, which in previous years had been among the league's best, looked like shadows of themselves. This in turn exposed their weak offense, and the Padres would finish the season with the third worst record in the MLB.

Key Moves: This has been one of the most tumultuous offseasons in Padres history. The team's rapid collapse from playoff contender to bottom-dweller over the span of one season caused owner John Moores to slash payroll and the words "rebuilding" started to be mentioned.

• All-time saves leader and face of the franchise Trevor Hoffman was not resigned after 16 years with the team. He has since signed with the Brewers.
  

• Talented SS Khalil Greene, having the worst season of his career, pulled a Kevin Brown and broke his hand punching a storage container after his 100th strikeout. He was then shipped off for a prospect that just had to get Tommy John's and will miss the 2009 season.
  
• Rumors of trading ace and Cy Young winner Jake Peavy made national headlines and continued through a majority of the offseason. Ultimately a deal was unable to be reached with a team and he will be the starter on Opening Day, but could still be moved at some point this season.
  
• Moores' divorce from his wife became well publicized and the couple decided to put the team up for sale. They completed a deal with an investment group led by former agent and Diamondbacks CEO Jeff Moorad to eventually take over majority stake in the franchise over the span of three seasons. CEO Sandy Alderson has since stepped down and Moorad has taken over the position.
• Due to their drastically reduced payroll, GM Kevin Towers has had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to fill a lot of holes. Additions include veteran 2B David Eckstein, RHP Shaun Hill (a castoff from the Nationals, gross). They also resigned perennially-injured Mark Prior to a minor-league deal.
  

Training Camp: It is a free-for-all in the bullpen, Cla Meredith and Heath Bell will be set-up and closer.

• The 4th and 5th starting positions are up for grabs, with Kevin Correia in the lead for the 4th position and no clear-cut leader for the 5th. That spot will likely be a carousel of minor-leaguers for the season. Shaun Hill would get that spot if he stays healthy.
• Battle for OF - Chase Headley, Jody Gerut, and Brian Giles figure to be opening day starters, Scott Hairston and Will Venable look to be the primary backups.
• Battle for SS - Luis Gonzalez, who filled in well for Khalil Greene last year, looks to be the starter. Rule 5 pickup Everth Cabrera, whole stole 73 bases last year in the minors, will be backup.
• 1B Kyle Blanks has made a huge impression during spring training, showing elite power. The problem is they already have All-Star Adrian Gonzalez. The Padres top prospect will start the season in Triple A while the team tries to find him a spot on the roster. He has said he would be open to playing the outfield and the Padres are going to start having him take fly balls in the minors.

Keys to Success: They would need a lot of young, unproven players to step up in a big way in order to compete with the NL West. Their offense could surprise this season and should see and uptick in production. It is all about the pitching staff this year, and Jake Peavy and Chris Young are the only legit starters. They will need to dominate. GM Kevin Towers will really be put to the test to try to assemble another solid bullpen that he has been able to do in so many years past. Its a scary thought, but this is a year in which the offense is going to have to carry the team to win a lot of games.

Projections: Their lack of decent options at the 3, 4, and 5 pitching spots are going to lose a lot of games. At best, the Padres are a .500 team and win 80 games. Their pitching will be their demise, as their rotations can not hold up to any of the teams in the division. This is a season of transition as new ownership will begin to establish their vision for the future of the franchise. They finish last in the NL West.


Los Angeles Dodgers

2008 Record: 84-78, 1st place NL West
2008 Payroll: $118.5 million (8th highest)

Last Season: During the first two-thirds of the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers couldn't seem to catch a break. Injuries to key players left the team struggling. Nomar Garciaparra and Rafael Furcal missed the majority of the season, Jason Schmidt didn't play a game after having to get shoulder surgery, and Andruw Jones redefined incompetence, making Dodger GM Ned Colletti look like a complete fool. With the Dodgers hanging at .500, Colletti redeemed himself and pulled the biggest transaction of the 2008 season, trading to get Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox. Manny came to LA and had one of the most productive two months in recent memory, batting .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBI's in 53 games. The Dodgers would go 30-23 over that span and play their way to the NL West pennant. With the team rolling, they swept the Cubs but lost in five games to the Phillies in the NLCS.

Key Moves: The Manny-saga dominated headlines, but LA also had some important changes.

• The Dodgers do the smart thing and resign Manny Ramirez, but not after Scott Boras plays every card in the book during contract negotiations and making them into a complete spectacle. Manny also does the smart thing, signing a 2-year, $45 million dollar contract.
• Signed 2B Orlando Hudson, who is injury-prone, but if he stays healthy will make for a really nice pickup.
  
• Derek Lowe and Brad Penny, the 1 and 2 pitchers for 2008, leave in free agency. Relief pitcher Joe Beimel, who pitched well, also left to sign elsewhere.
  
• To make up for the losses of two starting pitchers, they sign pitchers Randy Wolf, RP Guillermo Mota, and IF Mark Loretta.
  

Training Camp:

• Battle for No. 5 pitching spot - RHP Claudio Vargas is the projected starter right now, but Jason Schmidt, who has missed basically the last two seasons, could take over that spot.
• Manny Ramirez (.500 avg) and Russell Martin (.361 avg.) are ready to go.
• OF Matt Kemp got new contact lenses and says he is seeing the ball like never before, his power numbers have been good so far.
  

Keys to Success: Their starting pitching is going to make or break them. Chad Billingsley will be a No. 1 starter for the first time in his young career, followed by Hideki Kuroda, Clayton Kershaw (who has electric stuff but is still young), veteran Randy Wolf, and Claudio Vargas/Jason Schmidt. They are going to need Kershaw to avoid having too much growing pains. The bullpen should remain solid, anchored by dominant closer Jonathan Broxton. Their offense should be very potent with a healthy Rafael Furcal leading off, Manny being Manny at no. 3, and Russell Martin batting cleanup.

Projections: The NL West should be a two-team race. The starting pitching isn't as good as the Diamondbacks rotation. The Dodgers should win around 85 games, but it barely wont be enough. They take second place in a tight pennant race.

Arizona Diamondbacks
2008 Record: 82-80 (2nd NL West)
2008 Payroll: $66.2 million (23rd highest)

Last Season: The Diamondbacks started the season off as one of the hottest teams in the Major Leagues, going 20-8 over the first month or so. The team led the division for the majority of the season, but they showed their youth and sputtered in the second half. Brandon Webb and Dan Haren couldn't keep dominating and starting position players OF Eric Byrnes, 2B Orlando Hudson, OF Justin Upton, and 1B Chad Tracy all missed significant time to injury. They led the division for basically the whole season until September, when the red-hot Dodgers surpassed them and won the pennant, making it another year in which they came close to the playoffs and fell short.

Key Moves: The Diamondbacks saw a lot more marquee guys go than stay.

• Perhaps their biggest acquisition was innings-eater RHP Jeff Garland to a 1-year deal, bolstering their core of starting pitchers.
  
• Let 1B/OF Adam Dunn, 2B Orlando Hudson, LHP Randy Johnson, and closer Brandon Lyon go in free-agency. Dunn's power will be missed and even though he strikes out frequently, he is one of the few that can consistently belt homers in the vast ballparks of the NL West. Orlando Hudson was plagued by injuries but is a solid all-around player who the D-Backs might regret letting go. Randy Johnson held up nicely considering his age, but Arizona was not gonna pay him the type of money he got from the Giants. Brandon Lyon was serviceable, but lost his job as closer at the end of the season, making him expendable.
  
• Signed 2B Felipe Lopez to a one-year deal to replace the departure of Orlando Hudson, they are hoping that he will be a solid leadoff batter

Training Camp:

• Battle for OF - Now that Chad Tracy is finally healthy, he will take over first base and Conor Jackson will move back to the outfield, leaving a logjam in the position. They have four legitimate outfielders in Eric Byrnes, Justin Upton, Conor Jackson, and Chris Young. Veteran Eric Byrnes is coming off of two torn hamstrings, one of which tore completely off the bone and is currently 4th on the depth chart. However, Both Conor Jackson and Justin Upton are struggling mightily this spring and there is word that Jackson might platoon at outfield and first base.
• Bullpen - Chad Qualls appears to have won the job as closer. Tony Pena and John Rauch are both battling for setup, with Pena currently the lead candidate.
• Eric Byrnes, Chris Snyder, Chris Young, and Chad Tracy are all batting. 339 or higher this spring and look to be ready for the season.

Keys to Success: The Diamondbacks have the best starting rotation in the NL West. Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Doug Davis, and John Garland will all win games for the team. The Diamondbacks' biggest issue over the last few years has been consistency. They are young and have had bad slumps as a team in recent seasons. They will need their young rising stars to continue to improve and produce consistently throughout the year. That being said, everyone saw how hot they can get, and if they play to their potential, they will make noise in the NL West.

Projections: Pitching reigns supreme in the NL West, and the D-Backs deep rotation will keep them competitive game-to-game. As long as everyone stays healthy, they should be able to edge out the Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

San Francisco Giants
2008 Record: 72-90 (4th place NL West)
2008 Salary: $76.9 million (17th highest)

Last Season: The Giants spent the last season as another year to put Barry Bonds behind them and look towards the future. The highlight of their season was the emergence of ace Tim Lincecum, who basically dominated every category among NL pitchers and won the Cy Young Award. Matt Cain pitched better than his record suggests, and they found their closer of the future, Brian Wilson, who had 41 saves and was named an All-Star. Despite their talented young pitching, they underwhelmed on the other side of the ball and staked claim to the most anemic offense in the league. Aaron Rowand did not perform up to the $60 million dollar contract he was given and the position players - comprised of mostly veterans in the twilight of their careers - were not able to produce runs. They were at least able to get a chance to take a good look at their prospects and see how they performed at the Major League level.

Key Moves: The Giants were fairly active in the free agent market this offseason, and were rumored at one point to be chasing Manny Ramirez.

• Signing LHP Randy Johnson to a 1 year, $8 million dollar deal will give them a serviceable starter. They overpaid, but he will be a nice veteran presence and can mentor the Giants' promising young pitching staff.
  
• They let 42-year old SS Omar Visquel go and hand 33-year old Edgar Renteria a 2 year, $18.5 million deal. He had a terrible season with the TIgers last year but has been productive in the National League in the past.

Training Camp: Camp started as an open competition at several positions, giving young players chances to win starting jobs.

• Battle for 1B - 25-year old Travis Ishikawa has been solid this spring and has beat out veteran Rich Aurilia for the starting position. His power is really starting to come around early this year.
  
• Battle for 2B - Emmanuel Burriss beat out Kevin Frandsen for the starting spot. He has a lot of speed and hopes are that he can develop into a good leadoff hitter.
• Battle for 3B - Pablo Sandoval, who has shown he can play solid defense at all infield positions as well as catcher, will start at 3rd base on opening day. He played beyond his age (22 years old) and impressed in his short time at the Majors last year by showing he can hit for average.

Keys to Success: The Giants starting pitching should be solid and can win plenty of games. Lincecum, Randy Johnson, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, and top pitching prospect Jonathan Sanchez make up the rotation. This is a big year for Barry Zito to show he can return to form and live up to his massive contract. There are also doubts about the bullpen, which was not good last year. The offense is going to have be on the better end of what is likely to be a lot of one-run games this year. The Giants are basically still in full-on rebuilding mode and there will be a lot of young hitters who are bound to have growing pains as the season goes on.

Projections: Their pitching should win them enough games to keep them out of the NL West basement. There are a lot of people out there who think they will surprise. They do just that, and finish 3rd in their division.

Colorado Rockies
2008 Record: 74-88 (3rd NL West)
2008 Payroll: $68.6 million (20th highest)

Last Season: The Rockies started the 2008 season coming off of a magical Cinderella run that took them to their first World Series appearance in franchise history. Unfortunately, the Red Sox swept them but the Rockies had shown their potential. The team would not be able to reproduce that magic in 2008. The same young players that contributed to their 2007 success all took steps backward, especially Troy Tulowitzki (who was being pegged as a future perennial All-Star). To be fair, Tulowitzki did go to the DL twice. Slugger Todd Helton and ace Jeff Francis played through pain all year, and the bullpen did not perform well. The disappointment of 2008 forced management to make some tough personnel decisions.

Key Moves: The Rockies saw the departure of several starting players in the offseason.

• Slugger and team leader Matt Holiday was traded to Oakland for two prospects, starting pitcher Greg Smith, CF Carlos Gonzalez and closer Huston Street. Holliday won the NL batting title in 2007 and has averaged .319 / 25hr / 97rbi over his 5 years in the majors, a model of consistency. His production will be missed and it remains to be seen how his numbers will be affected moving away from Coors Field. Huston Street is the only player that can have an impact this year and Smith and Gonzalez will start the season in Triple-A.
• Closer Brian Fuentes left in free agency to sign with the Angels. He has been solid the last 4 years or so, the Rockies are going to let pitchers compete for this years closer role.
• Traded with the Cubs for starting pitcher Jason Marquis, who will be a regular in the rotation.

Training Camp:

• 1B Todd Helton is mashing this spring (.515 avg.), and looks to be on his way to full recovery from offseason back surgery.
• Battle for closer: Manny Corpas and Huston Street are competing for the job, with Corpas looking like the front-runner.
• Battle for LF: With Ryan Spilborghs taking over Matt Holliday's spot in CF. There has been open competition for LF all spring. Veteran Scott Podsednik was reassigned to Triple-A, so Seth Smith has a lock on the position.
• Last year's No. 1 starter, Jeff Francis, will miss the season after shoulder surgery. So everyone gets bumped up and Jorge De La Rosa slides into the No. 5 spot. Aaron Cook will be the opening day starter, and has pitched well this spring (2.55 ERA). Pitcher Jason Marquis, acquired in the offseason from the Cubs, has been getting lit up and has an ERA in double-digits.

Keys to Success: This could be a tumultuous year for the Rockies if they do not play well. Manager Clint Hurdle's contract was not extended in the offseason and he will be on the hot seat if the team starts to fade early. Their bullpen is going to have to step it up, as they have struggled during Spring Training and either Corpas or Street are going to have to emerge as clear-cut closers. SS Troy Tulowitzki needs to have a bounce-back year. Spilborghs, Tulowitzki, Helton, Atkins, and Hawpe make for a solid 1-5 that will produce and they are going to have to give the pitchers breathing room in order to win games.

Projections: The team will start the season with a big disadvantage as 11 of its first 14 games are on the road. How they deal with that could set the tone for the first half of the season. If Hurdle gets fired, then there is no telling if the team will start to go into full-on rebuilding mode, but they do have two former managers on the coaching staff to take Hurdle's spot. This Rockies team has a ceiling at 80 wins or so if the pitching performs above expectations. But they will likely struggle, keeping them around 70 wins and near the bottom of the NL West along with Padres. They finish 4th.