International Free Agent Update #1, Season 1

A look at some of the more notable IFA's signed so far this season. Thanks to the owners who participated!

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Horacio Vincente - P - Philadelphia Phillies - $22M

At 18 years old Vincente is added into a Phillies minor league system already deep with pitching talent.  On the signing and past controversy surrounding the lefty pitching prospect Phillies owner jonboynky had this to say: "Like so many other teams, the Phillies Latin American operations are based in San Pedro de Macoris. With Vincente playing in neighboring Boca de Soco, we had our eye on this kid since he lead the Dominican to the Little League World Series title at the age of 10. Naturally, we were a bit concerned about his ethics during the age scandal when it was reveled that he was really 14 at this time. Nonetheless, the combination of his 4 seam fastball, along with his forkball and change up is very unique amongst teenagers. The Phillies felt that he was worth the risk in investing over $22M in this kid."

Vincente projects to have impeccable control and will likely mow down left handed hitters. The combination of his velocity and the ability to induce a ground ball should make him a go to guy if he ends up in the bullpen. His projected stamina puts him right on the line between a starting pitcher and a spot starter/long reliever role, so it wouldn't be surprising if he becomes an elite late inning guy. "While Vincente is currently being used in a starting role, it is quite likely that once he reaches the bigs he could end up at the premier set up man in the league," jonboynky confirmed. "We think we could get 150 innings a year out of the pen for him and he could really cut games down to 6 innings for the opposition."

"As it stands right now, Horacio is probably still four years away from making his ML debut," jonboynky asserted when pressed for Vincente's debut date.



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Norberto Martin - C/DH - Arizona Diamondbacks - $15.1M

"He (Martin) automatically becomes the top hitting prospect in my minors," lomac gushed over his newest international free agent acquisition, catcher Norberto Martin. Not only does Martin immediately become the best position player in the Dbacks minor league system, but he may be the best catching prospect in the entire league. Not only does he project to hit for average, but lomac describes him as a future "on base machine". Don't sleep on his defensive skills, though, as Martin should be able to play the position adequately and has already shown that he may be an above average pitch caller behind the plate.

"I don't see him being on the big league club until sometime in S3 or the start of S4," admitted lomac. He then pointed out that the top talent already on the big league club will all still be under the age of 30 when Martin figures to be on the opening day roster. He also added that while Martin could be an everyday catcher, the idea of him DH'ing isn't out of the question. 


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Yovani Mujica - P - Florida Marlins - $14.8M

 A product of Venezuela, 18 year old Yovani Mujica has "elite reliever" written all over him. "The one part of Mujica's repertoire we absolutely love is his velocity. His 4-seam FB and slider are going to be impossible to touch once his reaches his potential," noted rootgargle. Mujica doesn't have any glaring weaknesses and the number of innings he can pitch due to his durability may be the biggest question. He also has trouble getting the opposition to groundout, but this point may be moot because of his plus velocity.

Even with questions about his durability Mujica will provide a dynamic option for rootgargle, as he projects to have the stamina to fill any of the relief roles. "I can see Mujica coming into games as a LR option, possibly setting up our closer later on in games," said rootgargle.

Don't look for Mujica anytime soon, though, "I don't think you'll see him for quite a while. He needs to get experience against other minor league clubs. He's 18, which means he's still quite raw. However, we love his makeup. He'll do whatever it takes to get to where we want him to be."

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Raul Roque - 2B - Charlotte Knights - $14.7M 

The first owner to openly criticize 22 year old second base prospect Raul Roque also happens to be the owner that signed him. If you ask tropicana he'll tell you that everything went according to plan. The result; the best dollar for dollar IFA signing this season. "He might be the best hitter in my organization RIGHT NOW," beamed tropicana. For a team that currently ranks near last in almost every major offensive category Roque may just be what's needed. At his current ratings Roque could make an impact on any team in the league. The scary thing is that he still has room to grow. At 22 years old how much he will improve has been a subject of debate. Some teams even passed on Roque because of injury concerns, but tropicana, calling the issues "relatively minor warts", made it clear he is not worried. 

As far as on the field play, and in particular what position Roque will be best at, tropicana stated he felt confident that the 22 year old could play second base for the Knights, "I would actually have no problem playing him at 2B if I could get some decent range growth." He then added, " I think 2B (defensively) is the most overrated defensive position in baseball, both real and in HBD."

On when Roque will be at a big league park near you, "It'll be hard to keep that out of the majors for long if we continue to be close to contention."


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James Matsuzaka - COF/1B/DH - San Francisco - $17M

"His potential as a middle of the order hitter was clear from the first look," said kcden in his conference call announcing the signing of the 18 year old Japanese position prospect. Matsuzaka immediately becomes the best position prospect in the Giants system. He projects to be a solid middle of the order guy, capable of 25+ homeruns a year (although the number may drop given his future home park) while hitting for average.

His offensive potential isn't in question, though. "There is some disagreement in the organization over where he will end up in the field. Some of the scouts think he can hack it at 2B; but I think its clear he is a corner outfielder at heart," admitted kcden. What really hurts Matsuzaka from a fielding standpoint is a relatively weak arm and questionable accuracy, which may pigeonhole him to left field or first base. 

The fans in San Francisco will have to wait a few years to catch a glimpse of Matsuzaka, though, "We expect him to spend at least three years in the minors devoloping his skills and durability, but once he hits the bigs, we expect a big impact," stated kcden.

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 Alex Feliz - 2B - Cincinnati Reds - $3.2M

A decently developed 19 year old second baseman prospect. His health and durability may cause him to lose about 20-30 games a season but he should still be able to make an impact at the big league level. Feliz is a bit of a free swinger but not only has the skills to get on base with some consistency but to make teams pay with his speed on the basepaths.

 Joseph Tanaka - P - Texas Rangers - $4.3M

At first glance this sum paid by willsauve may look to be a little high, but take a deeper look and you may find a nice value signing here. While Tanaka may not be as effective against righties as you'd like to see his velocity, coupled with the movement on his pitches, and his ability to induce ground balls will likely make up for it. Look for Tanaka to be a dependable setup man for the Rangers.

 Maicer Andujar - P - Chicago White Sox - $3.9M

Andujar likely has what it takes to be a part of Chicago's future ML plans as a long reliever or setup man. His projected control is probably his best asset, and while he won't blow his fastball passed most hitters, it features enough movement to challenge most ML hitters.

 Miguel Guerrero - P - San Diedo Padres - $2.4M

Guerrero will give jying98 a nice option as either a long reliever or back-end starter when he reaches the bigs. He already has shown the ability to get the ground-out, if his control can develop as projected he could be an effective starter.

 Rigo Jimenez - P - Anaheim Angels - $2.1M

In Jimenez rounders likely has a guy who can float between the ML and AAA levels when needed or serve full time as a secondary long relief option or spot starter at the ML level. His curveball and slider will need to greatly improve if he wants to find himself with a bigger role in the bigs.

S1 NL North Predictions

By Jefepwnzer

NL North

Milwaukee Brewers - 

Starting 9: Milwaukee will feature an average at best offense in Season 1. Center fielder Pedro Pulido, third baseman Lyle Long and catcher Keith Stevenson are dependable bats but there isn't much support for them. Pulido, Long second baseman Edgar Crespo all have power, which may be the only way the Brewers push runs across the plate this season.

Pitching staff: Diego Carrasco and Jamey Ransom should prove to be two solid arms for the Crew for this season. David Iwazaki can hold his own in the later innings and can be trusted with closing games late. From top to bottom, though, Milwaukee's staff is at best average and may have trouble preventing most opponents from scoring.

The future: Reliever prospects Howie Hollins and Kenneth White top the Brewers list of pitching prospects. If he reaches his projections Hollins could be a fringe starter if Milwaukee ends up needing an impact arm in the rotation. Kiki Lee is another exciting prospect who looks to be able to play a number of positions while possessing a solid bat. He has speed as well, but will need to fully develop his base running skills if he wants to be a top base stealer.

Chicago Cubs - 

Starting 9: One of the top hitters in the league, first baseman Geraldo Romano heads a Cubs offense that may struggle to score runs this season. He will get decent support from Nipsey Holzemer but it looks to be a two man show for the Cubs. Center fielder Bob Richard provides the elite speed that most teams wished but may not get on base consistently enough to prove effective. 

Pitching staff: Santos Gonzalez and Roger Baker are two of the more promising young pitchers in the game, Santos will likely be the ace of the staff this season. Unfortunately for Chicago there is a drop-off in talent after the youngsters as far as starting pitchers go, and the Cubs success will likely go as these two go. If rookie Lyle Bell can address his control issues he could be one of the best relievers in the league. Even if Gonzalez and Baker are able to produce magical seasons there's just not enough pitching talent in Chicago for the Cubs to be successful this season.

The future: Neftali Pena has a future as a lights out closer and should make his debut no later than Season 3. Jerry Walsh will likely prove to be a dependable starter once he hits the bigs and will be a major upgrade over some of the current starters. 

Montreal Expos -

Starting 9: Alving Morales brings a number of tools to the Expos offense, not only figuring to hit for average but also to be a major threat on the basepaths. He is joined by Billy Ray Rocker and slugger Grover Lesher as the top bats on the team. Beyond these three, though, the rest of the Expos offense average at best. 

Pitching staff: Montreal's saving grace may be their top three starting pitchers. Preseason Cy Young candidate Eduardo Amaro, Wilton Shea and Hawk Cummings are one of the strongest trios of starting pitchers in the game. Amos Buckley should be a dependable long reliever and closer Jamie Stokes should be a rock in the 9th. Overall this is the strongest pitching staff in the division and may be able to makeup for the lack of talent in the order for Montreal.

The future: The Expos have a bevy of relief prospects in their system in addition to SP prospect Reagan Green. The collection of relief prospects here should mean an airtight bullpen for Montreal.

Cincinnati Reds - 

Starting 9: Three top end hitters lead the way for the Reds in Season 1. Jin-Chi Jiang, Pepper Combs and Tsuyoshi Chen should produce most of the offense in Cincinnati. Chen and Combs are both true catchers so finding playing time for both may be a tough proposition. It's likely that one of them will have to spend some time at first base in order to squeeze both into the lineup. Robbie Swann has power and should provide good support on an offense that is arguably the best in the division. 

Pitching staff: Subject of much controversy during Spring Training, Michel Santos is your pre season NL Cy Young favorite and ace of the Reds staff. Teddy Henderson is capable of logging many effective innings as the #2 in the rotation. Backing the starters is a strong closer in Bert Workman, who will likely have plenty of opportunities to get the save when Santos or Henderson pitch. 

The future: As if having Santos and Henderson weren't enough, the Reds can look forward to David Rios and Brook Dodd being part of the rotation. Nash Flanagan is a top third base prospect who projects to have plus power. Don't be surprised if he makes an appearance late in Season 2, with an assured debut in Season 3.




How they will finish - The Reds and Expos should have a good battle for the division this season. The pitching in Montreal is better from top to bottom than that of the Reds, while the Reds offense is better than the Expos overall. This is probably the toughest division to call. Whoever finishes runner up will likely earn a wildcard spot.

Montreal
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
Chicago

S1 NL East Preview

By Jefepwnzer

NL East

New York Mets -

Starting 9: Catcher Carl Porter leads an average Mets offense into Season 1. He should have no problem getting on base consistently but is where the production will come from after that is a good question. Emil Wilfredo will launch his share of bombs but doesn't figure to hit for average. Rookie Stan Dunston has a nice upside but shouldn't be expected to contribute much this season. They key to scoring runs this season for the Mets may be how often Francisco Rivera gets on base, he's a threat to steal whenever he gets a chance and could set the table for Porter or Wilfredo to drive him in. 

Pitching staff: Rookie Ray Rowand is the Mets best bet for pitching success on an otherwise below average rotation. There's not really a go-to option for the Mets and it wouldn't be a suprise if they struggled mightily on the hill this season. If the they can take a lead into the late innings, though, they should be set with Ken Allen and Miguel Valverde in the bullpen.

The future: Troy Berger and Johnny Hall should one day solve part of the problem with the rotation. In particular, Hall should prove to be a reliable piece of the rotation when he hits the bigs. Catcher Deacon Daniels and 1B Tommy Pence are bright young prospects but Daniels may be blocked for a few years by current catcher Carl Porter.

Philadelphia Phillies - 

Starting 9: Philly may have even more trouble scoring runs this season than the Mets will. After solid hitters Albert Carrasco and Jamie Cho there really aren't too many options for New York. If he can find any kind of consistency, Sandy Gragg may help out Carrasco and Cho, but even with his help this lineup will struggle.

Pitching staff: Top to bottom this is one of the worst in the league. Any lead gained by the offense will likely be unsafe as there isn't a dependable starter or reliever to shut down the opposition. 

The future: Luckily for the Mets the answer to their pitching problems already exists in their minor league system. Lonny Redondo and Galahad Farrell head a handful of promising pitching prospects, it's just a matter of time until New York has one of the more dependable staff's in the league. Luther Cairncross and Jason Karnuth are stud position prospects who will provide runs for the aforementioned Redondo and Farrell to work with.

Pittsburgh Pirates - 

Starting 9: Unlike divison counterparts New York and Philly the Pirates will not have a problem pushing runs across the plate this season. Second baseman Joey Lockwood is not only the best all around hitter on the team but is also a threat on the basepaths. Youngster Frank Hawkins may not hit for average but possesses the raw power and patience at the plate to make him one of the most feared homerun threats in the division, if not the NL. 

Pitching staff: Complementing the offense is a capable rotation and a solid bullpen which inlcudes lights out closer Maicer Granados. Alex Guaradado is one of the more exciting rookie pitchers this season and will likely be the opening day starter for the Pirates. Protecting leads shouldn't be a problem for this staff.

The future: Don Wang and Willie Ozuna will one day provide depth to the pitching staff and make it that much stronger. Ozuna in particular will make a nice setup option for current closer Granados. In the field Anthony Hogan is an exciting prospect who projects to play a number of positions while hitting for average and could develop into one of the best base-stealers in the NL.

Washington D.C. Nationals - 

Starting 9: The Nats offense will go as rookie Jesus Cairo and Randy Taylor go. This is not necessarily a bad thing as they look to be consistent producers. Jared Orr deserves a mention as well. While he may not be nearly as good as Cairo or Taylor he should find himself on base consistently and could score a lot of runs if he hits in front of them. The rest of the lineup is passable and should get the job done in D.C.

Pitching staff: Tito Ellenwood and Reggie Perry are two solid parts of a solid rotation in Washington. However, the team lacks a dependable closer and their pitching depth is lacking. This is somewhat offset by a couple of LR's who can throw a lot of innings, but they'll really need to record a lot of outs to prevent fatigue from being an issue over the course of the season. 

The future: As if they needed any more starting pitching depth the Nats system includes a trio of future SP prospects lead by twenty one year old Pedro Planco. Position prospect Jumbo Cooper is a lot like the Pirates top prospect Anthony Hogan; capable of playing many positions, a solid all around bat and a threat on the basepaths. It should be fun to watch these two super prospects compete in the same division here in a couple seasons. 

How they will finish: Top to bottom the Pirates look like the class of the East. Their offense is easily the best in the division and they appear to have enough pitching to carry them through the long campaign. The Nationals shouldn't be overlooked but their lack of pitching depth may hurt them, in addition to not quite having enough offense to win the division. The Mets and Phillies will battle to stay out of the basement and it wouldn't be surprising to see both of these teams with a top 5 pick.

Pittsburgh

Washington D.C.

New York

Philadelphia

S1 NL South Predictions

By Jefepwnzer

NL South

St. Louis Cardinals -

Starting 9: The Cards will bring the good wood to the park everyday and should have little trouble pushing runs across the plate. Leading the way is top first baseman Wayne Rhodes, possibly the best hitter in the entire league. Some combination of Paxton Carpenter, Joshua Palmer and Takumi Chiba will be tasked with getting on base in front of Rhodes and Clay Austin, who may be one of the best hitting catchers in the game. Although he doesn't possess a great bat, center fielder Karim Palmeiro is one of the more rounded players you'll find at the position.

Pitching staff: Stan Barrett will likely occupy the #1 spot in the rotation to start the season. Dean Zimmermann, Zachrey Broadway and Carl Randall are capable starting pitchers and should be able to keep the games they start within striking range of the offense. Zimmermann in particular should be a very solid in the second spot of the rotation. Miguel Rodriguez and newly promoted Steven Pagnozzi should combine for a good 1-2 punch at the backend of the pen. 

The future: St. Louis has plenty of depth at pitcher in their farm system. Ellis Buddie, C.J. Kramer and Matty Canseco are legitimate starting material, although the system lacks a true lights out closer prospect. Not quite as deep in the field, the Cards minor leagues have a couple of exciting players to watch for in SS/3B prospect Dan Wilhelm and LF Skip Beirne. Overall there are a lot of bright spots in the Cards system and the future looks bright in St. Louis. 

Atlanta Braves - 

Starting 9: Willis Leonard and Norberto Alvarado are the only two sound hitters on an offense that figures to be just below average. There is hope that youngsters Duke Diaz and Larry Henley can hit the ball consistently in support of Leonard and Alvarado. After these four, though, there is a dropoff in quality which will likely bog down the offense.

Pitching staff: The Braves have a very dependable rotation and project to have three good options for long relief/setup. The main question will be whether or not they can close games out as there is a glaring lack of a dependable closer on the team. Consistency at the closer spot may have to come from one of the three LR options.

The future: Currently without a strong closer option at the big league level the Braves can look to the future and uber-closer prospect Clarence Sanders. Currently in AA, Clarence could make his first appearance in late S2 and should be a full time big leaguer by S3. Although there aren't any stud position prospects in the minors, Atlanta can count a handful of future ML players who should form a solid core. 

Florida Marlins - 

Starting 9: Arguably the best offense in the NL South will belong to the Fish in S1. Shortstop Vinny Baez may be the best all around player in the league and is one of the cornerstone of the Marlins lineup. First baseman Diory Jose will challenge the Cardinals Wayne Rhodes for title of best first baseman. John Cheung, Spike Schmidt and rookie Woody Drew all bring dependable bats to the park and should not be overlooked.

Pitching staff: Will Granderson could compete for the NL Cy Young if he is able to throw strikes consistently this season. Behind him are a handful of youngsters, including two rookies, who will need to bring their A game if Florida hopes to win many games. Quentin Eaton, Jordan Meyer, Banana Maas and Martin Scholl form a solid bullpen and closing out games this season shouldn't be a worry for the Marlins.

The future: Hayes Leary, Tony Urbina and Seop Mori will one day push the current youngsters in the bigs for spots in the rotation. In the field Joe Bush is easily one of the top prospects in the NL and could make his debut late in S3 or in S4 if he develops well.

Houston Astros - 

Starting 9: The 'Stros offense should be productive this season and especially capable of pounding left handed pitching. Vicente Chavez is yet another stellar first baseman in the NL South and Cap Valentine is one of the top catchers in the league. They are supported by a handful of guys who may not hit for the best average but should bring some pop to the lineup. 

Pitching staff: Dennis Charles is the best SP option for Houston but the main concern will be how many innings he can effectively throw. Behind him aren't the best collection of starters but they should prove to be dependable. The bullpen is without any true LR option and instead it will have to be a patchwork of relievers holding the lead in the late innings. Luckily for the Astros they can count four solid relief options in their pen, including Luis Cortes and Archie Duncan.

The future: Brighter days may be ahead for the Houston rotation. A number of SP prospects reside in the minors currently. However, all of them may already be fully developed and the question looks to be not if they're ready, but when they will they be needed at the ML level. Position-wise there not any superstars in the Astros system, but a few guys who can one day prove to be everyday players at the big league level.

How they will finish: The Cards would appear to be the most well rounded team in the NL South. If Florida's rookies can perform well consistently they will likely challenge the Cards for the division title. Atlanta lacks the offense needed to compete and Houston's opening day rotation will have trouble over the course of 162 games.

St Louis

Florida

Atlanta

Houston

S1 NL West Predictions

By Usfbully

NL West

Colorado Rockies:

Starting 9: Colorado is a pure hitter park, and this team has a player or two that will put up eye popping numbers thanks to playing 81 games at home. Hughie Patterson has a good eye and big pop, but is a huge health risk. Hugh Faulk is a DH on an NL roster, but if he finds a way into the lineup he should be a solid hitter. Moises Vincente is going to be a phenomenal leadoff man, and will be pretty good in center as well. Health may be an issue with this club.

Pitching: The reason why the league is buzzing about the Rockies is their arms, and they are going to need them. Colorado has 4 potential #1 starters in: Alfredo Vazquez, Trevor Seneca, Tony Solano, and Clem Ennis. Playing where they play will inflate their numbers, but they should have the best rotation for a long time. A downside to their pitching is a relatively weak pen.

The Future: Colorado has a decent system, led by future shortstop Babe Farrell. Babe should be a good all-around player in a couple of seasons. David Albaladejo is difficult to say, but the Dominican has a big bat. He probably won’t have the range to play short, but is no slouch on one of the corners. The Rockies pitching prospects look good as well. Shigetoshi Chang is a hard thrower and will be able to go back to back nights. Nick Ryan has all world stuff, but with limited durability will probably be a save situation only closer.

Los Angeles Dodgers:

Starting 9: The Dodgers are going to be begging for runs in Season 1. There is not much offensive talent on this squad but Wes Clayton should be an OK table setter and Ryan Butler has upper deck power at 1st Base. Dennis Osborne is listed at AAA right now, but has a big league contract and should be a good do it all player for LA.

Pitching: The Dodgers staff is weak. They are going to be scrambling for starters to get innings completed. Landon Perkins and Gustavo Gongora will make a good right left combo out of the pen.

The Future: Jamie Jang is an ML ready 1B/LF who will be a solid line drive hitter. Jang is lacking the home run power, however. Elvis Gaetti is a switch hitting platoon player that has decent wheels and can play ok defense. The Dodgers do have a handful of future ML pitchers. Most notable is Miguel Mota. At 25, he is probably going to be on the starting rotation to start the season. Keith Walters has some room to grow and will be a solid #2.

San Diego Padres:

Starting 9: Continuing the theme found out west, the Padres have some limp bats. Pascual Canseco will get on base but will struggle scoring with the hitters he has behind him.

Pitching: The Fathers don’t have much in terms of pitching, but a spacious park will help them out a little. Danys Cervantes has impeccable control and will lead the Padres pitching staff. The aging Hersh Cooper will be a solid #2 on this staff.

The Future: Tim Murray stands 6’6 and might be the tallest outfielder in the near future. He has some room to grow, but is already a solid do it all hitter. Chipper Marion may not be the best behind the plate, but he will be a great hitter when he reaches the bigs. Gus McGriff is a young arm that will find his way to San Diego. If his stamina develops he will be a Cy Young contender pretty much every year. Gustavo Encarnacion is another young pitcher that needs to develop his stamina, but he will be a very good starter if he reaches his potential.

San Francisco Giants:

The Starting 9: The Giants might have the biggest bats in their division. Jacob Duensing will swing at anything, but when he makes contact it will be solid. Vincenzo Weathers has gargantuan power and will be good at 1st or in Left.

Pitching: The Giants have good pitching as well, but their best player is waiting to be resigned. Joseph Park is an ageing ace, but if the Giants retain his rights it solidifies their rotation. Roger Kane will be a dominating arm out of the pen.


The Future: Yorvit James is a left handed slugger, but is probably best suited as a DH or a pinch hitter. James might be ready for the majors now. The future pen looks good for San Fran, Alan Rice and Brutus Miller will be two solid relievers.

How They Will Finish:

Colorado has the best overall roster, right now, but they are going to be rolling the dice as some of their best players have major health issues. It will be tough for the 4 Aces to last a 162 game season with a weak pen. If San Francisco decides to spend some money and resign Park, they will become the odds on favorite to win the division. I am going to guess that they do.

San Francisco
Colorado
Los Angeles
San Diego

S1 AL North Predictions

By Jefepwnzer

AL North

Chicago White Sox -

Starting 9: The Pale Hose will enter Season 1 with an offense very much capable of scoring runs, especially via the homerun. Leading the charge will be preseason MVP candidate Jumbo Starr and star catcher Enrique Coronado. These two should be one of the more productive duo's in the AL should any of their teammates be able to consistently get on base in front of them. James McKnight, who will most likely DH, and Nate Ferrara should provide sound support behind Starr and Coronado. 

Pitching staff: Whereas this team can score runs there looks to be little chance they can protect them. AN over-the-hill staff (eight pitchers 33 and older) figures to be one of the worst in the entire league. Terry Gardner and Tino Pan are the best options on an otherwise very weak rotation. Along with promising rookie reliever Benito James there are a couple of mediocre relievers who are capable of holding and saving games if they get the chance. 

The future: A handful of reliever prospects will one day form an elite bullpen. However, a lack of a true SP prospects will probably ensure a few tough years for Chicago's pitching staff. Theodore Yount and Ramon Lee will provide more power to the lineup in the future, although Yount may be blocked until S3 as both the catcher and DH spots are currently locked up.

Detroit Tigers -

Starting 9: Walt Cota and Paul Smith may be the best top of the linup combo in the league and will set the table for slugger Wilfredo Candelaria. Kory Durrington and Bernie Villafuerte should provide two more viable options in a respectable lineup.

Pitching staff: The starting rotation for the White Sox won't wow you but should be fairly dependable. Johan Kotsay should be the opening day starter and fellow veteran Eugene Allen are solid top of the rotation options. Shutting down opposing clubs in the late innings should be the task of rookie Paul Wilkerson and veteran Max Cordero. Overall this is a well rounded staff and should be capable of keeping the team in most games. 

The future: Sammy Pascual is the future ace of the club and Del Macdougal will add depth to the future rotation. Doug Davis should one day compete for the batting title although lacks the power projections you would like to see from a DH/1B prospect.

Minnesota Twins -

Starting 9: This average at best offense will be lead by shortstop Tim Fisher. When facing lefties the Twins will have some nice power options in Bailey Fonville and rookie Gary Martin. However, it does not look like there is enough talent in this offense to produce consistently. 

Pitching staff: It could be a long season in Minnesota - their staff from top to bottom projects to be one of the worst in the entire league. Bill Tam will most likely start the season atop the rotation though he lacks the stamina to be a truly effective starter. The best bet in the bullpen is Einar Hernandez, though you'd think his number of opportunities to save games will be limited by the lack of talent in the rotation.

The future: Unfortunately for the twins there is not a lot going on in their minor league system. Turk Weber is one of the best prospects in the game and Teddy Marquis may one day be one of the best power hitting catchers in the league. There is work to be done here in the farm system if Minnesota is to compete anytime soon.

Toronto Blue Jays -

Starting 9: Pushing runs across the plate may be the toughest job in Toronto this season. Nick Benjamin is the only player capable of getting on base consistently and Tom Burton is likely the Blue Jays best power option. After these two, though, is a real lack of talent. If Benjamin and Burton don't hit consistently it's tough to see Toronto winning many games. 

Pitching staff: The best bet for the Jays to win games is if the offense can provide just a bit of run support for preseason Cy Young favorite Landon Norton. Artie Ryan and Trevor Huff should fill out the top three spots of the rotation. Donn Pierre can close games out when provided the opportunity although the team lacks a clear setup guy.

The future: Toronto's minor league system has pitching depth, lead by future All Star Ichiro Kondou. The more exciting pitching prospect for the Jays may be Johnny DuBose, the twenty two year old is currently at AAA and could see action in the ML this season if needed. Saul Romero is Toronto's best position prospect and should inject a good amount of power to the lineup when he's ready in three or four seasons. 

How they will finish: If Detroit can get consistent pitching they are the best bet to win the AL North. However, if the Blue Jays can find the offense to back their top three starters they could prove to be a legitimate challenger in the division. Minnesota and Chicago will likely not play a big part in the final standings.

Detroit

Toronto

Chicago
Minnesota

S1 Al East Predictions

By Jefepwnzer

AL East Predictions

New York Yankees -

Starting 9: Willie Hand will lead an above average lineup for the Yanks with help from Mitchell Bass and slugger Izzy Sutton. Twenty-four year old speedster Allan Callaway broke camp with the ML squad and will most likely leadoff for New York. Watch for this guy to be a strong rookie of the year candidate. With Callaway sparking the offense New York may just have what it takes, offensively, to make a playoff push.

Pitching staff: The rotation in New York has no real superstar talent, but a bunch of guys who can get the job done. Like fellow rookie Allen Callaway, Todd Holloway will be looking to make an impact on the club immediately. Among him are a handful of crafty vets who should make a fair share of quality starts for the Yanks. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of dependable arms to back the rotation, as Dmitri Pie figures to be the only reliever on the Yankee squad worth mentioning. Late inning heart-breakers may be in store for New York this season.

The future: There may be bullpen woes in New York this season and next but help is on the way. Ebenezer Berg and Cap Ducati, who may also compete for best name, lead a promising lot of arms in the Yanks minor league system. In a couple years this could be an airtight combination of relievers for the team to rely on.

Cleveland Indians -

Starting 9:In the pre-season the Indians projected to have one of the worst lineups in the league. However, the brass in Cleveland have promoted Evereth Molina and Joey Oswalt, two electrifying hitters whose presence in the lineup will be felt by opposing pitchers. They will team up with Oswaldo Gardel to create a formidable three headed monster. Timothy Baez and Manny Dong provide decent support for the trio and should form a very respectable first five hitters for the Tribe, who are more than capable of pushing runs across the board this season.


Pitching staff: The Indians staff features two very solid arms in youngsters Brandon Davis and Alex Feng. Unfortunately, neither looks to be pure starting material and may make their best impact in the bullpen. The veteran rotation for Cleveland will likely struggle over the long haul, but if they can manage to keep a lead their bullpen should be dependable enough to close it out.

The future: There is hope for the future of the rotation in Cleveland: Mariano Limon and Anibal Guerrero are bright young SP prospects who can one day make a great 1-2 punch. Jose Franco will likewise one day be a dependable reliever and a great complement to Limon and Guerrero's future stellar outings.



Boston Red Sox -

Starting 9: Boston will challenge Kansas City for the best offense in the AL. Roger Michaels, Bartolo Ramos, Magglio Bennett and rookie Kazuya Chang will form a formidable murderers row for opposing pitchers. Steven Sefcik and Enrique Matos will especially add to the misery for left handed foes. They should score a LOT of runs this season at Fenway.


Pitching staff: Paxton Booker will certainly make a case for the Cy Young and will be joined by Carlos Latos and Freddy Franco for a solid front end rotation. Joe Schilling looks to be a good option out of the pen but a lack of overall depth to the entire rotation may doom this team over the course of the season.

The future: It wouldn't be a big surprise if Felipe Esposito and Alvin Wells saw a lot of action in the bigs this season. Their addition to the ML roster could mean a big difference as they would very quickly tighten up the rotation. Blue chip catching prospect Hack Beaulac heads up an enviable stock of position prospects.

Baltimore Orioles - 

Starting 9: The Orioles will bring an offense to the park which may not be as exciting as Boston or Kansas City's but may be capable of scoring just as many runs. Wilton Buchholz, Rabbit Guerrero and Gary Kirby figure to be the heart of the offense. Rookies Phillip Gross and Jim Ramriez will bring pop to the lineup as well. Baltimore also found a quality bat in late FA addition Gary Wise. Overall this is a well rounded offense who can score runs in an instant.

Pitching staff: Baltimore lacks a clear #1 starter and, instead, has a handful of pitchers who may be able to keep enough runs off the board for this team to win. Newly promoted Lon Jefferies adds depth to the rotation but is another unspectacular arm. The bullpen features a couple of dependable late inning pitchers in Corey Branson and Rey Hoiles.

The future: Christian Grahe and Max Case are future stars and part of a moderately deep minor league system. Still, Baltimore lacks the stellar SP prospects that could help push this team over the hump.




How they will finish: This may be the most balanced division in the AL. All four teams field capable offenses so it will be the arms who decide this division race. Top-end pitching talent wins games and Boston has a slight edge over the Yanks, Tribe or O's in that department. However, the lack of pitching depth is alarming (only nine pitchers at the ML level at the time of this post) and only clouds the picture in the AL East. The addition of three or four below average to average arms would be enough to set the Sox atop the division. Until they bolster their staff, though, fatigue will eat up the Boston pitchers quickly and give way to the three teams behind them. I'm going to assume the cavalry will arrive in Boston, soon after a division title will as well.

Sox

Yanks

Indians

Orioles