S12 Top 1B/DH

1. Jeff Phelps SF (.282/.404/.530)
   Phelps tops the list of 1B/DH with his power and tremendous ability to avoid K's leading the way. He knows how to work a walk. He has walked at least 103 times in every ML season while striking out no more than 64 times in a season. Has hit at least 36 HRs in 4 out of 5 seasons (27 in 142 games in his rookie year). Type of player who can anchor a lineup, he also drives the ball well.
2. Hipolito Iglesias DET (.345/.432/.592)
   While he doesn't boast the greatest power or contact ability, that doesn't stop him from averaging 31 HRs a season while boasting a career average of .345. He will strike out some but he makes up for that by walking almost as much. A really great eye, he just drives the ball really too.
3. Frank Terrell SEA (.277/.382/.506)
   Really knows the strike zone having worked more walks than strikeouts on a consistent basis in his career. Has never hit fewer than 22 HRs in a full season. Does a solid job of driving the ball, but he's really helped by the fact that he knows the zone and takes full advantage of it.
4. Mark Ishikawa MON
5. Julio Manuel ARI
6. Ricardo Flores COL
7. Alex Guerrero LAA
8. Deivi Lee NO
9. Randy Washington CLE
10. Jerome Norman BOS
    

S12 - Top C

1. Nick Helms PIT (.277/.358/.572)
   For being a young player with some development time left, Helms is the top C in the league already. Helms isn't just an offensive juggernaut either, he's able to throw runners out and call a solid game. He's durable. He does shine the most when it comes to offense though. Tremendous power with a great ability to work a walk. He drives the ball well and doesn't strike out too much. He averages a home run every 11.38 ABs and has never hit fewer than 35 in a season. 
2. Cesar Cedeno MON (.314/.390/.717)
   Some might quibble with Cedeno being #2 instead of #1, but really, when you have a top 3 backstop, there isn't much room for complaining. Cedeno is better offensively than Helms. In a full ML season he's never hit fewer than 43 HRs. Better batting average too, although he will strike out a fair amount. Does a tremendous job of driving the ball and can really work the count. He's not too good of a defender though as he struggles to call a game and has an average arm. Another youngster, he has some room to develop as well.
3. Moises Gonzalez HOU (.316/.423/.638)
   The old man of the group, he's not a good defensive catcher, but offensively He makes up for it. He makes solid contact, drives the ball with authority, and knows the ins and outs of the strike zone. His power is where he really shines as he has never hit fewer than 33 HRs in a season. 
4. Marvin Sellers DET
5. Yorvit Ramirez SF
6. Burt Washington CIN
7. Ricardo Jose ATL
8. Felipe Estrada NO
9. Alex Gomez PHI
10. Jake Rhodes OAK

Career slash lines in ( ).

S11 Draft Review

1. RHP Dayan Mercado (TB)
Mercado has great control. He’s going to make RHB cry for their mamas. He throws decently hard and gets a lot of groundballs. If there is a weakness it’s that he won’t get many complete games with his stamina, but should see a lot of starts and innings with his durability. His pitches range from great to terrible.
mexd781 says: Tampa Bay is pleased to add Dayan Mercado out of North Dakota with the first overall pick. Dayan projects to be a #1 SP for the Rays in a few years and could possibly see some Cy Young Awards. We feel that confident with him. Mercado's sinker against right hand hitters is the most unhittable pitch the Tampa Bay scouts have ever seen.

2. 3B Les Hammel (STL)
Currently playing 3B in LoA ball, I don’t believe that Hammel will develop good enough range or glove to play there in the ML. His arm will make him a definite asset in RF and his offensive weapons will fit him there as well. Great power and contact. Solid splits and a great eye. He should be a very good hitter for years to come.
dwboyce says: Sitting with the number two pick in the draft and maxed out high school and college scouting budgets, we were disappointed with the talent available. I coveted Dayan Mercado. Our scouts were awestruck by him.

After him, it was a big step down to number two, as each player was flawed in some way. An argument could be made for Heine Singleton, Darrell Skinner or Les Hammel, and I debated all three. I’ve been disappointed in the past with guys with average eye ratings, like Singleton, and although he’s a hot corner prospect, I didn’t like his projected durability and pictured him as a part time player. We’re still loaded with pitching here in St. Louis, and even league average pitchers can have productive careers in this ballpark. As much as I liked Skinner, he was not Mercado.

In the end, I pulled the trigger on Les Hammel. He’s a bit of a health risk, but I don’t mind that in 22-year-old college players, as he doesn’t need as much development time. I like his raw power and eye combination and he’ll drive the ball well against lefties and righties. Although he doesn’t project to make more than average contact, I’d rather have his batting eye and he’s an everyday player. He’s 22, so he’ll find a home in a corner outfield spot in a season or two, which pays immediate dividends to a club trying to make a MWR.

3. SS Esteban Moya (MIN) **UNSIGNED**
meece says: With so many top notch fielders on the board GM Meece over looks the fact that Esteban Moya wont sign. Would never blame it on being on vacation and doing final rankings while in Disney but I dropped the proverbial ball. Chosen for being a potential top of the order SS with good makeup to hit lofty projections.

4. LHP B.J. Howard (COL)
Howard has great control and will induce a lot of ground balls. His pitches are a very good group. He’s going to dominate LHB and be average against RHB. Doesn’t throw too hard, but that should not stop him from being a good ML SP.
anml34 says: With B.J. Howard we found a solid member of the rotation for years to come.

5. LHP Darrell Skinner (MIN)
Tremendous control combines with a very good repertoire of pitches to make him a dangerous SP. He dominates LHB and is good against RHB. Gets a lot of groundballs. Doesn’t throw hard. His stamina and durability should lead to a good amount of innings pitched.
meece says: With the 5th Pick chose Darrell Skinner which by plan was going to give a top notch positon and pitching prospect. Skinner has top notch control and pitches very well vs lefties. At 19 years of Age is 3-4 years away from the show.

6. SS Heinie Singleton (CH1)
Makes good contact with some power. Doesn’t have a great eye. Good speed. He makes good contact against both LHP & RHP. He does not have the range or arm accuracy to be a defensive minded SS. His value will come from being a very good offensive SS. Alternately he’d fit as a GG 3B with an above average or better bat.
tk21775 says: Cubs are happy drafting their 3rd basemen of the future in Singleton. He's got the defense to handle the corner, great speed, and we really like his bat. His eye and power leave a little to be desired but with his high splits and contact we feel he should be a nice player to build around.

7. 2B Brian Bailey (NY2)
Tremendous range with a solid glove. Great speed. Makes solid contact. Sees the ball really well against LHP. Not as solid against RHP. Good eye. Could be a solid top of the order speedster.
jgnjr says: mets.looking to upgrade hitting .Brian Bailey has a chance for the show at 2nd or CF.

8. RHP Wilin Guerrero (BAL)
Great splits. Dominant groundball pitcher. Great first pitch, solid secondary pitches. Lacks ideal control. Solid stamina durability combination. Not an ace by any measure but should definitely be a useful major leaguer.
hopkinsheel says: I really thought one of my top 5 would fall to me at #8 especially considering I was one of only two teams in the top8 with 20/20 invested in scouting. However, the rolls of the die were bad for me and I ended up with my #6 choice. Guerrero is a decent SP, but not someone I would hope to get with a top 10 pick. He projected to be a middle of the rotation type pitcher. If his control was projected to be higher I'd be more comfortable with the selection.

9. 2B Cozy Spencer (LA)
Spencer is a unique case, not good enough offensively to justify a COF, but lacking ideal range for 3B or 2B. Should be interesting to see how the Dodgers fit him in. He’s got good splits, good eye, and good power. Struggles to make contact. Good speed. Good glove and arm.

10. RHP Orlando Sanchez (TEX)
Should be a dominant 1-inning RP. Keeps the ball out of the hitting zone against RHB and struggles a bit against LHB. Throws hard and keeps the ball down in the zone. Dominant pitches will make any batter tremble. Solid stamina/durability means he should get enough work to make a ML roster spot worthwhile.

11. CF Juan Pascual (WAS) **UNSIGNED**

12. SS Otis Flores (PIT)
Good power with solid contact. Better against LHP than RHP, but not a liability against RHP. Average eye. Good speed. Definitely not going to play SS at the ML level but should definitely be a very good 3B overall.

13. SS Chris Plouffe (CH2)
Great splits. Good speed. Great durability. Makes decent contact. Decent eye. Average power. His defensive stats are anywhere from below average to well above average. Hopefully his accurate arm and good range make up for his subpar arm strength and glove.

14. 1B Aaron Winker (LAA)
Might be the worst baserunner I’ve seen, but man can he get there fast! Average defensively for a 1B. Makes a lot of contact and drives the ball decently against RHP. Average against LHP. Solid power. Great durability.
mskakunan says: The Angels selected 1B Aaron Winker as their first pick in the draft. He was fourth overall on our board. We project him as a dependable .275/.350/.475 guy. We don't see him making big league all star teams. We do see a solid professional hitter though.

15. CF Kenny Bland (FLA)
Makes solid contact with good power. Doesn’t drive the ball with great authority. Solid eye. Has decent range and a below average glove for CF. Decent speed. His bat might allow him to become a GG COF, but probably shouldn’t be playing CF in the bigs.

16. SS Guy Perez (SEA)
Tremendous eye. Average offensively which shouldn’t be a big deal considering he’s going to be a very good defensive player. He might boot a few more than the average SS, but he’s going to get to a lot more and throw guys out that the average SS won’t. Durable and fast as well.

17. RHP Kenny Hague (ATL)
Kind of a ‘tweener type of pitcher, Hague could start or be a super RP. Great control. Does not keep the ball out of the hitting zone well. Throws hard and keeps the ball down. A very solid combination of pitches, he should be a good part of the ATL bullpen and possibly be a very good #5 in the rotation.

18. LHP Matthew Allen (MIL)
Dominates LHB but not RHB. Average control. Throws hard and does a really good job keeping the ball down in the zone. Great combination of pitches. His durability and stamina means he should be able to go deep into games.
s_gammon says: Matt Allen projects to be a very solid mid rotation starter. He's durable lefty starter who projects to have solid splits, good velocity and induce a fair amount ground balls. Two solid pitches and 2 more passable pitches, the only knock on him is an inabilty to repeat his delivery which will likely result in less than ideal control.

19. RF Sam Moustakas (CLE)
It’s rare that you find such a good player dropping so far. Moustakas should be able to lead-off for the Indians for a while. As long as you don’t get caught up in his lack of power and instead focus on what he does well. He hits the ball a lot, with authority. He is average at working the count. Great speed. Solid baserunner. Never going to be confused with a GG anywhere he plays.
abesmem says: Cleveland was pretty lucky that Sam Moustakas slipped all the way down to 19 overall. Sam projects to be possibly the best leadoff hitter Cleveland has ever had in its organization, with top grades in both speed and contact. He should be able to handle both righties and lefties well. He doesn’t have the bunting skills we would like but his great range and above average arm should make his a fixture in RF for the Tribe before too long.

20. RHP Jim Berg (SF)
Tremendous stamina/durability combination. Great control. Throws with some pop. Good pitches. Doesn’t always keep the ball out of the hitting zone that well. Not great at getting grounders. Should be a solid bullpenner.

21. C Mendy Delahanty (NY2)
Quite a grab here. Great power. Good splits. Very good eye. Won’t strike out all that much. Lacks a great arm, and doesn’t always call a great game. Should be aright with a good staff and his offense will more than make up for any defensive deficiencies.
mcgupp says: With the 21st pick the Yankees were pleased to select Mendy Delahanty . He will Catch and DH in the future. We expect a huge impact in the middle of the lineup.

22. LHP Eric Rizzo (BOS)
Great stamina. Lacks ideal durability. Average control. Dominant against LHB, solid against RHB. Throws hard. Gets a lot of groundballs. Very good pitch combination. Should be a solid starter in the league.
crabman26 says: With the 22nd pick the Sox are pleased to get their 3rd ranked player on their board. Rizzo projects to be a middle of the rotation starter that will be very good against LHers but struggle a bit against RHers. His velocity and GB ratio will help as well as his dominant first pitch.

23. RF Mo Owen (TOR)
Won’t strike out much and will hit with some power. Solid eye. Doesn’t drive the ball consistently. Solid defensive OF who can play either COF or be a GG 1B. Great speed. Average baserunner.

24. LHP Chris Coolbaugh (NO)
Solid RP candidate. Can throw an inning almost every day or several innings at a time. Doesn’t have great control. Great against LHB but just OK against RHB. Throws hard and keeps the ball down in the zone. Solid pitches.
mongoose_22 says: Once again, the Jazz used our first round pick on a relief pitcher, Chris Coolbaugh. Not intentionally, once again, it just happened to be the best player available. We actually wanted to target a starting pitcher. Still, Coolbaugh should be a durable, reliable arm out of the pen. Our expectations are for him to be solid and pitch 80-90 innings per season. Though he'll never be a superstar, its a steady pick and we're content with the caliber of player we were able to land toward the end of the round.

25. 3B Ned Wright (CIN) 
Wright is a really solid selection at #25. We actually had him rated #7...there was a drop off in talent, but he is a solid low teens pick who dropped to 25. Good fielders with a solid bat, tough to find at 3B.
hurricane384 says: We were ecstatic to draft Wright. Didn’t figure we had much of a chance to draft him. Anytime you can get a power hitting 3B, especially this late in the draft, you have to consider it a success.

26. 3B Charlie Witt (PHI) **UNSIGNED**
mitt0108 says: Philly was excited to get Charley Witt in the 1st round, but he decided not to sign. Would have been a good player at 3b with great power

27. RHP Kevin Edwards (KC)
Great control. Bit of a ‘tweener. Stamina/durability is enough to start but might be better in the ‘pen. Flyball pitcher. Dominant against RHB. Alright against LHB. Throws hard. Has a solid stable of pitches.

28. LF Stevie Appier (ARI)
Should be a solid leadoff hitter who hardly ever strikes out. Great speed to beat out IF hits as well as great baserunner who’ll steal some bases. Does a good job of driving the ball. Lacks a good eye. No power. Solid defensive player. If you are willing to sacrifice power at the COF spot, he could be a fixture.
llcc says: Stevie Appier should hit for a high average and steal bases. His overall projected rating is a 73.

29. 3B Dutch Cloud (TB) **UNSIGNED**

30. LHP Daryle K’aaihue (BOS) **UNSIGNED**
crabman26 says: with the 30th pick the Sox landed a potential shut down RP who should dominate against LHers and fair well against RHers. For a late 1st round pick the Sox did great by landing a RP of his caliber. The main problem is, will he sign?

31. LF Matt Hartman (SD)
Decent defender who’s probably more at home in RF. Solid speed. Average at making contact and driving the ball. Decent power. Average eye. Average player all the way around
opie5 says: considering the lack $’s distributed to scouting, the Padres are happy with the selection of Hartmen @ 31. His glove does not seem to project to 3b which is disappointing, but he definitely has major league power.

32. LHP Rubby Benitez (SD)
Great control. Solid stamina/durability. Dominant against LHB and average against RHB. Lacks velocity. Keeps the ball down. 2 great pitches, 2 terrible pitches.
opie5 says: the Padres are very happy with the selection of Benitez @ 32. His control and GB/FB ratio in combination with a quality first pitch and an excellent VsL will allow him to fit in perfectly in Petco Park.

33. SS Chris Whiteside (OAK)
Not going to strike out much. Solid at driving the ball. Decent power. Average eye. Not very fast. Solid defensively, but isn’t going to develop into a true SS. Could be a very solid 3B though. Possible GG at 3B.

34. 2B Andruw Buckley (CLE)
Decent range. Average glove. Weak arm. Great speed, great baserunner, great bunter. Average at making contact. No power. Terrible against LHP. Solid against RHP. Good eye.

S11 Preview

Anaheim Angels
The Angels made a serious off-season push to compete in a division that is always tough to win. To upgrade the offense, Theo Matthews was brought in to bat third and Davey Martin gives the Halos a top notch base stealer. Greg Hennessy and Bobby Phillips will strengthen the pitching staff. The staff's young core of Crawford, Martinez, Anderson and Rogers is talented and with Bennett, Guerrero and Mays leading a young offensive core that also features Creek and Walters as an exciting double play combo, the Angels could hit this year. The middle infield must play stronger defense this year to support Hewitt's gold glove work behind the plate and Yusmeiro Johnson's fine work in CF. Big questions also remain about power and how well Phillips will perform out of the bullpen. The Angels will definitely be better this year. The only question is will their improvement make any difference in the always tough AL West.

Atlanta Braves
The Braves have evidently become so accustomed to finishing 2nd in their division that they are now content with it. They made absolutely no significant off season moves.
The only player gone from last season's roster is free agent utility man and speedster Felipe Rosario, who is so coveted that he is still awaiting someone to offer him a contract. As for the remaining Braves, veteran mainstays Al Reynoso (1B), Alex Cheng (RF) and Harold Daily (CL) will be looked to for both leadership and production. Alex Tarraga (3B) is now in his prime, coming off a solid season (.279 .340 .474 with 20 HR, 32 SB) and may be the Braves' top offensive threat at this point. He's followed closely by steady Ricardo Jose (C), just beginning to enter his prime years. Jonny Mercedes (CF), Dario York (2B), and Ezdra Alvides join with Jose and platoon battery mate Lawrence Houston for strong defense up the middle, though their offensive contributions deserve no further mention. Emerging switch hitter Boots Vaughn will likely platoon with Cheng in RF, while Robinzon Bournigal and Edgardo Guardado will do the same in LF. Akinori Zhang will once again anchor the starting rotation, coming off a solid 16-9, 2.96 season. LHP Vincenzo Parker should be a solid #2 starter if he continues to progress from a solid rookie season. Fausto Martin, Santiago Owen, Evan Van Hatten and Harry Ordonez will compete for the remaining 3 slots in the rotation. Daily's 40 saves in 42 chances last season added to his illustrious career achievements as one of the game's best closers, and shows no signs of slowing down. The Braves are looking for veterans Al Lange, Carlos Navarre and Rolando Polonia to combine with youngsters Junior Crespo and Patrick Smith to provide quality bullpen support in the middle and set up roles. With enough improvement from the younger players and solid seasons from their veterans, the Braves could relinquish their stranglehold on 2nd place and actually compete for a divison title. Unfortunately, they could also potentially move in the other direction, as both the Marlins and the Cardinals appear to have improved themselves during the off season.

Baltimore Orioles
Nothing too exciting to report. This will be another rebuilding season in the Charm City. Now that the dust has settled, we took some time to look back on the demolition of our World Sereies squad and still believe it was the right thing to do. We may have blown it up a season or two early, but I'd rather do that then a season or two too late. We are excited about the prospects now moving through the system.

We did dabble a bit in FA, putting in bids on some type A guys in the 29-31 year old space, but decided to pull back after fully thinking out our strategy.

Former 3rd pick in the first round, Sonny Ratliff and former IFA, Erubiel Aramboles iare set to make his debut this season.

Other than that, we'll be hoping for a deep draft class, good IFA's, and enjoy watching our prospects develop.

Boston Red Sox
With the addition of Rich Coco Boston is hoping a repeat division title is in their future. The pitching staff is returning minus the loose cannon Mitch Franco and it boasts some decent top of the rotation starters in Yonder Silva and Omar Mercado. The bullpen is a bit weaker this season due to some salary restraints but the offense is going to be dynamic with Coco and Norman in the heart of the order. With the improved offense and weaker bullpen I am predicting a 95 win season, which is hopefully enough to take this tough division.

Chicago Cubs
S10: 65-97 (4th in NL North)

After another disastrous season in season 10, the Cubs are looking to rebound and perhaps be competitive in season 11. Our offense was below average last season but we did finish 10th in home runs thanks to Ariel Mateo, Timo Pinto and Carlos Henriquez. We added CF Hipolito Quintero to the mix and hope that our power hitters can continue slugging them out of the park again this season. Our starting pitching was horrible last season and we concentrated on that area this offseason by adding Denny Matsuzaka, Cameron Lundquist, and Luis Furcal. With younger pitchers Reginald Walker and Yonder Mendoza a year older, we’re hoping to see a significant drop to our team era this season and help us win some more games. We still get the #6 pick in this season’s draft to go along with last year’s #3, Bryan Cook, to help build up our minors. We think that we really added some good pieces to this team this offseason and at reasonably contracts that won’t hurt us down the road.

Chicago White Sox
Last year the White Sox went into full rebuilding mode. Even so, they only managed to lose 87 games, which did not really help their draft position much. As much as management would like to extend it another year, there are too many prospects in the minors to keep them there on the 40 man roster, so the youth movement begins. Expect a better record but not fully competitive yet.

Expected call-ups would be CF Philip Henley, 2B Bob Ledesma, and RF Alex Garces. There is a whole stable of pitchers waiting for their call, and my guess is that they won't have to wait long.

Cincinnati Reds
Management handcuffed themselves in regards to much movement in the offseason by extending cornerstone 2B Travis Evans. Evans has been the offensive leader for the past few seasons and was inked to a front-loaded 5 year extension to keep him in Cincinnati. The Reds return many of their top offensive players, as RF Theo Mathews was traded to bring in some youth. Rookie RF Ed Gold looks to develop into a solid player while improving the OF defense. LF Bert Root and 1B Greg Monroe join Evans and Gold to lead the offense. Phil Gonzalez strengthens CF defensively and provides some pop, while SS Goose Howard looks to improve on the SS defense and offense while keeping the position warm for youngster Rip Stevenson. The bench is strong as Dick Simon, Sherman Thompson, and Larry Browning provide pop off the bench. The only positional battle to keep an eye on is at 3B between Hiram Sierra and Clete Sosa...one provides defense and the other provides power.

Pitching wise, the staff is solid, but not spectacular. Running with an 11-man staff will provide some challenges. There is nothing to predict here, except that the Cincinnati Reds are going to rely on their offense to get them back to the playoffs this season. The minor league system has been strengthened, so it isn't out of the question that the Reds add a SP capable of carrying this team at the deadline.

Cleveland Indians
Last season the Indian bats inexplicably went quiet in the second half of the season and combined with some late inning bullpen collapses, causing the Tribe to go into a second half swoon that they were never able to battle out of. To prove that the silence of the bats was inexplicable, the GM has done virtually nothing to improve the squad’s offense in the off season. The expected offensive rebound will be complemented by a great top starting 3, anchored by ace Bill Serano, who reportedly is still somewhat peeved by being slighted in the voting for rookie of the year (lots of high and inside stuff coming this year). The key additions were made to the pen where Norberto Tavarez and Carmen Key will help to set up the newly extended shut down closer Cookie Alfonso. Finally the addition of long reliever Hulk Roosevelt will seemingly just scare the opposition by way of his immense and intimidating emerald presence. This is a very tough division, but the Indians hope to compete for the top spot.

Colorado Rockies
It's an exciting time in Denver and Coors banquet beer is flowing. The front office went into the off season looking to tear down the walls by shipping out throneberry, badenhop and Flores, instead when free agency opened management switched directions to appease the fans and went on a spending spree.  By bringing in wells with GAO and bringing back the rocks all time leader in saves (coveleski) the good times are looking up in the mile high city. Also word ou of training camp is that rookies Morton, Kelly pineiro and alou will make the big squad to further strengthen the roster for a postseason run. Just remember one thing....chicks dig the ball and there will be plenty flying this year in Colorado.

Detroit Tigers
There is a new sense of quiet determination in Motown this year. After three straight 100 win seasons, and World Series trips 2 of the last 3 years, this team is on a mission to win the trophy in season 11. This is now a team in its prime, and management has added more pieces to push it over the top.  SP Denny Andrews is the biggest offseason acquisition. The one weakness of the team in the postseason was the lack of a second top starter. Also added through FA, was RP Elvis Janssen to add to an already deep pen. The Tigers decided to stand pat on the offensive side of the ball after adding C Marvin Sellers near the trade deadline last year. The only notable players lost were pitchers Pat Palmer and Hughie Perkins.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are still in rebuild mold and are trying their hardest to find the happy medium of rebuilding and staying competitive enough to avoid the dreaded 200 loss total. We pretty much have the same team back but with a stronger bullpen, so hopefully there won’t be as many blown leads as last year.

Milwaukee Brewers
Season 11 will be another rebuilding year for the Brewers.

Watch for the team to try to move some veteran start players over the course of the season to clear room for up and comers with in the organization.

Alex Gomez, the world's Home Run Leader will be starting the season on the 60 day DL, so that hurts. Fans are sad, knowing he will pass 500 home runs, but probably won't do it in a Brewers uniform.

Eli Breslow, the 32 year old starting pitcher, who finished third in ROY year voting last year is quickly becoming a fan favorite and has locked down a spot in the starting rotation.

New Orleans Jazz
Season 10 was a pleasant surprise for Jazz fans. The team played well, and looks to be a season or two ahead of schedule with regards to the team rebuild. The team finished with a respectable 86 wins (a franchise record), made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and even managed our first playoff series victory against our division rivals, the Kansas City Royals. We were, of course, eventually trounced by the team that would go on to win the AL Pennant, the Detroit Tigers. All things considered, Season 10 was a very good one in the Big Easy. Season 11 will also be another franchise first. It will be the first season that this team will go into the season with expectations. The Jazz expect to contend for the division, and play well in the postseason. There is no reason that this shouldn't happen, as the team is largely intact from last season, with only upgrades to the roster. Season 10 AL RoY candidates Hideki Ni and Benito Infante look to build upon last season's success as they will now be on the ML team for then entire season. Veteran 1B Jeremy Pettyjohn looks to duplicate what was the best season of his career, while veteran SP Larry Leach looks to not duplicate what was the worst season of a career that boasts 5 All Star selections and 3 no-hitters. This season's rookies could be just as impactful as last seasons'. Slugging Columbian sensation, 1B/DH Deivi Lee, should make an immediate impact once he is added to the ML squad. He will be asked to hit directly in the middle of the order, either 4th or 5th, and drive in a lot of runs. After a dominant career at the University of South Alabama, and two seasons of similar dominance in the minors, former #4 overall pick Lance Misch will be called upon to shore up what was the weakness of last season: the bullpen. He should provide much needed stability at the back end, though he may not have as much help as he needs because the pen is still a bit shaky. Not much was done in the way of free agency, except for the signing of veteran southpaw Max Osoria. He will help round out the rotation and should be slotted as the team's #3 or #4 starter. Osoria should be solid, he was even named to an All Star team a few seasons ago, and help alleviate a bullpen that needs all the help it can get. He's perfectly capable of tossing 200+ innings if healthy and should keep the team in the game and give the potent offense a chance to put up enough runs for a W. A young core with a high ceiling is in place in the New Orleans and things are looking up. If we make the playoffs again like we expect to, maybe we'll get hot at the right time and make a little noise in the playoffs, maybe have our own Mardi Gras. We certainly expect to in the near future.

New York Yankees
Disappointment. The one word that sums up the 10th season of Yankees baseball. Management is hopeful season 11 will unfold differently. Ivan Wise, who started a few ML games last season, will be joined by Jesus Izquirdo from AAA. Those 2 added to Jenson, Sewell and Kim give the Yankees their deepest staff yet. Achilles Dickens and Daryl Woods were brought in to bolster the bullpen. Karl Hamill will start at 1B, Chad York is the new 3B. The lineup should be formidable.

Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are returning almost the same team as last years division champs with a couple tweaks to improve defensively. Moving Thomas Bailey to LF and acquiring Brendan Buford to play CF should reduce some errors and the addition of power hitting 2B Calvin Colangelo should also help. Hopes are high that SPs Jose Viriato and Stubby Easterly can rebound from subpar seasons last year and play to their potential. While still trying to win the division again this year, the front office is focused on building up the farm system with good scouting and an IFA budget. With limited budget room for the ML squad this year, management is hoping that bringing back a very similar team from last year will be good enough to repeat as division champs.

San Diego Padres
It was another eventful off season for the defending World Series Champions. Multiple losses to the lineup and the starting rotation eliminated team depth. The backbone of the lineup remains – Neftali Barrios, Wes Sheehan, Matty Sanchez & Bob Daniels. Same with the rotation – Phil Lowery, Hipolito Ramirez & Samuel Root. The bullpen remains intact with Al Campos, Alexander White, Mack Lankford, Yusmeiro Sosa & Willie Belliard returning. Anthony Terry will step in at 3B and Diego Wilfredo will plug the gap in CF. Al Flores and new addition Jamie Kent will move into the rotation and Chili Bang will move into a long relief role. Iago Blue will get a full season in the majors and is expected to be a contributor as will the other reserves. Can the Padres win enough games to get into the playoffs, ride their starters and repeat?

Key losses – Phil Gao, Ringo Johnson, Phil Gonzales, Frank Hunter, Blake Titan, Eugenio Nunez, Sandy O’Shea, Kerry Charleston

St. Louis Cardinals
Key additions:
C Heathcliff Haney (trade with Philadelphia)
1B Matt Texeira (trade with Seattle)
UT Roy Ojala (free agency)
SP Javier Sanches (free agency)
Mo Watson (free agency)

Key losses:
Brendan Buford (trade with Philadelphia)

Budweiser was the biggest hit the Cardinals had last season. During last season’s 3-24 swoon under a broiling August sun, fans still showed up in droves to drink, root on their beloved red birds and then drown their sorrows in more golden elixir. Fans got to see a grand total of 26 wins at home – two out of three times they went to the park, they left disappointed.

The team faces a lot more heat this season: the general manager’s job is on the line. The rival Astros might as well have been in orbit, winning 45 games more than the Cardinals last season, so winning the division will require a booster rocket to be strapped to the ass of the franchise. And if the franchise is to do so, the Cardinal bats will need to heat up.

Twelve of their losses in that 3-24 stretch were by one run, but they might as well have been ten. The team finished dead last in Slugging and OPS, and 30th in Average and OBP. Those 594 runs they plated were a franchise low. With the losses to the once-robust pitching staff mounting, opposing teams are outscoring the team regularly at home.

The team needed to surround star Bucky Stults (.320/.373/.546) with more talent. The minor leagues were raided and traded for proven veterans and an influx of change. Harry Ortiz (.353/.429/.397 in 17 games) will get his first full season with the team. Light-hitting centerfielder Brendan Buford was traded for catcher Heathcliff Haney, who finally brings a right-handed bat behind the plate. The move will allow Bonk Stein to feast on lefties. Likewise, Claudio Gray will be tandem up with newcomer Matt Texeira (.302/.382/.472) at first base, allowing each to prosper. Roy Ojala was a looked-over talent brought in as a utility player and should fit fine into the Cardinal system. Nicholas Walters should bounce back from an uncharacteristic season (.244/.320/.329) – career lows in every category. While the team still lacks an elite slugger, the offense should be much improved.

On the mound, the team welcomes Javier Sanches to the top of the rotation, taking the pressure off reliable starter Edge Gibbons. While the park itself does a lot to suppress hitting, Sanches will make it tough for opposing offenses to get a free ride to first. Mo Watson arrives from Boston to bolster the bullpen. The team expects the ranging Len Carver to be brought up to take over the duties at shortstop, which should also improve the team defense.

While it remains to be seen if the team was shaken up enough to ensure a 70-win season, you can guarantee either way the beer will be flowing.

S10 Draft Review

1. RF Daryle Morton (TEX)

Tremendous range for a RF, Morton has a good arm, great speed. He’s got some power, makes a lot of contact, and does a great job of driving the ball, especially against LHP. He’ll get on base a lot and steal a ton of bases with his base running ability. 

jcairns says: The Texas Rangers are very pleased with the signing of Daryle Morton. We feel he will develop into a very nice leadoff hitter for us. His glove remains something to be desired.

2. LHP Alex Collins (MIN) – unsigned

3. RHP Bryan Cook (CH1)

Best skill is his ability to keep the ball out of the hitting zone. He has tremendous control. His stamina leaves a little to be desired, as does his durability, especially out of such a high pick. He doesn’t throw overly hard nor does he induce a lot of grounders. His changeup is his best pitch, but his slider, splitter and fastball are solid as well.

tk21775 says: Very happy to get Bryan Cook with the 3rd overall pick and have him signed and in LoA already. He'll be a #1 SP for us in a few seasons with great control and splits, along with two very good pitches to go along with two average pitches. We're expecting big things out of him.

4. C Joe Adams (STL)

Adams will likely only give you around 100 games in a season, but to be honest, with his offensive abilities that’s worth it. He hits for great power, makes great contact, has a great eye, and will destroy LHP. Not as good against RHP. He has a great arm and really excels at calling a game. Will be a solid platoon guy and pinch-hitter during the season and a real terror in the playoffs.

5. 2B Tarrik Dalesandro (WAS) – unsigned

6. SS Austin Lieber (TB)

Lacks a good enough glove to play SS on a full-time basis, but should be able to handle 3B or even 2B. Durable. He’s prone to strikeouts, but has good power. Struggles against LHP but drives the ball well against RHP. Solid eye. Great base runner with decent speed. Tells you the kind of draft we had that he would go #6 overall.

mexd781 says: Tampa Bay was happy to see Austin Leiber fall to them at #6. Austin was the top player on the Rays board due to his huge upside at a position of need. Austin played SS in High School, but we are moving him to 3B or CF to prepare him for the majors. We don't feel he will develop a good enough glove to be a ML SS, but can be a great player at 3B or even CF if he is needed there. . We love Austin's power and his ability to hit right handed pitching combined with above average speed. The thing that really stuck out about Austin was his makeup. We feel he really has the opportunity to meet the projections we see for him.

7. SS Micah Romero (NY2)

Romero doesn’t have the chops to cut it defensively, but offensively sliding him to 3B would definitely not be a disaster. He’s got some power, makes solid contact and has a decent eye. He’s got decent speed.

8. SS Dennis Finley (PHI)

The first true SS taken, Finley has the defensive ability to be a GG winner. He’s a contact hitter with solid power. He’ll struggle against RHP, but do well against LHP. Doesn’t have a great handle on the strike zone. Decent speed.

mitt0108 says: Philly was very happy to have Dennis Finley fall to number 8. In a very weak draft, we had Finley ranked number 2 overall. It is always hard to find great fielding shortstops who can hit at all and Finley projects to have great contact and power numbers. If he develops like we hope, he should be a gold glove quality SS who can hit 20+ homeruns.

9. RHP Alex Alomar (LAA)

He throws hard with great downward motion. He’s not going to walk a lot of guys, but does struggle some with keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. He’s got a great combination of pitches which will help to make up for his lack of splits.

mskakunan says: Alex Alomar was the number 1 pitcher on my draft board, so the Angels are really happy that he fell to the ninth spot so we could grab him. He projects Greg Maddux like control with outstanding velocity and a potentially devastating sinker. Plus he already has the stamina necessary to be a major league SP. We project him to be ready in 3 years and to be at least a number 3 if not better

10. CF Wesley Anderson (FLA)

Great defensive CF. Tremendous speed. He’s the dream CF, to be honest with you. He’s got power, will make contact, can drive the ball, work the count, run the bases. He even has a solid arm.

11. LHP Vladimir Hernandez (TOR)

A guy with #2 potential, he will walk some people. He has great pitches which mitigates his lack of velocity and downward movement. He keeps the ball out of the hitting zone for the most part.

joekendall says: We were happy to add Vladimir Hernandez to the Toronto family. We could use more top shelf SP help and thought Hernandez would be a great addition. We hope to see him in the majors in three seasons.

12. RHP Benny Morlan (NO)

Dominant against RHB, but struggle to get lefties out. Won’t beat himself with walks. Has 2 great pitches to combine with great velocity and a real ability to  entice GBs. His durability and stamina means he can really rack up the innings.

mongoose_22 says: For the second consecutive season, the Jazz selected a reliever with our first round pick. While I don't normally like to draft relievers high in the first round, in both last season's draft and this season's, they we're the best players still available given weak draft classes. This season, it was Benny Morlan, out of Lynchburg, Tennessee selected with the #12 pick. Morlan is a hard throwing right-hander, who throws a heavy, sinking fastball and also is developing a solid change. In his short college career, he developed a reputation for being especially tough on right handed batters. He should, along with last season's pick Lance Misch, anchor the pen in the Big Easy for a long time.

13. RHP Chris Parker (COL)

Throws hard and keeps the ball down in the zone. Getting a guy like this so late in the draft is a real steal. Won’t walk many. Has a great stable of pitches. Will occasionally leave a fat pitch for LHB, but will avoid that against RHB.

14. 2B Darby Kaufman (CLE)

15. LHP Jim Mullen (LA)

Won’t walk a lot of guys. Doesn’t throw hard. Fly ball pitcher. Lacks ideal pitch combination. Does a solid job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Should be a #3/#4 type pitcher…definitely fits into a 4 man rotation. 

16. LHP Hooks Meacham (CH2)

A developmental pitcher, Meacham will not walk guys, strike out a bunch of guys, dominate LHB and struggle against RHB. Another concern is only having 3 pitches, and only having one good or better pitch.

byers61 says: With the 16th pick, the White Sox drafted Hooks Meacham . True to his name, he boasts a knucklecurve, a slurve, and a slider. Weirdly enough, he will throw them with 95 velocity. His drawbacks are a low health rating and a crappy 3rd pitch rating for a starter

17. LHP Geoffery Ellis (ATL)

Ellis will struggle against RHB, but be pretty good against LHB. He has the best combination of pitches I have ever seen. He won’t walk many guys, but won’t strike out many either. He will get a lot of grounders.

kilgore says: The Braves were pleased that LHP Geoffery Ellis was still available when their turn came up at the 17th pick. They believe he has the potential to build stamina and possibly be an effective starter, with four quality ML pitches. He'll be evaluated along the way throughout his minor league journey to determine whether he's better suited for starting or relief work.

18. RHP Alex Fontana (ARI)

A RP, Fontana keeps the ball out of the hitting zone. He’s got great control and combines that with great velocity. His pitches are top-notch and he sinks the ball well.

19. P Guy Furbush (SEA) UNSIGNED

20. CF Michael Fujiwara (BOS) UNSIGNED

21. C Brent Starr (BAL)

Perfect player for the AL as he doesn’t have a great arm nor does he call a good game behind the dish. Dominant offensive player who won’t strike out much, while hitting a lot of home runs. Crushes LHP…good against RHP. Can work a walk. Lacks great durability to reach full potential. Best offensive player in the draft.

hopkinsheel says: The Orioles are really pleased with our first round pick. We think he was one of the premier hitters available and were ecstatic he fell to #21. Not sure if he'll develop enough defensively to catch although that would be a huge bonus. Worst case he'll be a great middle of the lineup DH.

22. RHP Alex Woo (MIL)

A solid SP, Woo won’t walk many. Better against RHP than LHP. Throws hard. Fly ball pitcher. Solid pitches, but won’t dominate with his repertoire.

s_gammon says: The Brewers selected Alex Woo a 22 year old Senior out of The University of North Florida. Woo projects as a solid mid-rotation starter with a very good stamina/durability mix. His high control and velocity combined with promising left/right splits bode well for the future. His fly ball rate might be a little high, and his lack of a dominant pitch concerns me. But with two solid pitches, an average third pitch and a passable "show me" fourth pitch, he should have no problem logging quality innings after about 2-3 seasons of minor league seasoning.

23. 1B Les Wilkerson (CIN) 

Should hit for a decent average. Not sure he'll hit for enough power to be an everyday 1B.

hurricane384 says: This is a decent pick considering how bad the draft was. He’s not going to be an everyday 1B, but he should be a solid off the bench bat.

24. P Andy Biddle (TOR)

25. LHP Hipolito Gonzalez (CIN)

Nice relief prospect, should be a decent setup B....his VR looks to proclude him from being much more.

hurricane384 says: Another “meh” pick, nothing too exciting. Overall a terrible draft for the Reds.

26. RF Will Foster (LA)

Tremendous range for a COF. Solid arm. Decent speed. Really struggles against LHP. Has solid power and makes solid contact against RHP. Decent eye. Tremendous base runner.

27. RHP Bengie Melian (SF)

Won’t walk many guys. Dominates RHB. Throws hard and keeps the ball down in the zone. Solid pitches will help make this guy’s career.

28. LHP Bucky Dempster (BOS)

Keeps the ball out of the hitting zone. Great pitch combination. Tremendous control. Doesn’t throw hard. Doesn’t have good stamina.

crabman26 says: Bucky should develop into a lock down set up pitcher and on most teams a perennial Fireman winner but Boston does not use a closer so that won’t be happening here. His splits are very good and he has a dominant pitch. The only downside is that he will be a fly ball pitcher in a small park.

29. LHP Ajax Crespo (KC) UNSIGNED

30. P Floyd Landrum (NY1) UNSIGNED

mcgupp says: Floyd Landrum was selected at the end of the first round by the NY Yankees. A Power pitcher, the Yankees fell in love with the combination of velocity, ability to get ground bales, and his #1&2 pitches. His control is a concern that hopefully is minimized. A bigger concern is his agents dragging their feet in making a decision to sign.

31. C Adam Moore (OAK)

Dominates LHP. Great eye. Struggles against RHP. Makes good contact. Solid power. Decent arm and decent game caller.

32. SS Sterling Wieters (SF)

Great defensive player. Slow. Average at making contact. Lacking power. Knows the strike zone. Drives the ball better against LHP than he does against RHP. 

33. LHP Arthur Sele (DET)

Decent velocity. Decent at inducing GBs. Lacks great pitches. Decent at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Solid stamina, lacks durability.

dakar says: LH RP Arthur Sele looks like he is going to be yet another in a string of 1st round picks that will max out as AAAA players.

34. CF Arodys Torres (CH2)

Not the ideal defensive ratings for CF. Lacks glove ability. Decent speed. Average contact. Average driving the ball. Great power. Solid eye.

35. SS Ray Casanova (LA)

Not a shortstop. Lacks range or glove. Solid speed. Good power/contact combination. Struggles to drive the ball consistently. Lacks great eye. Tremendous base runner.

S10 Team Previews

Anaheim Angels
Newcomers are SP Rogers and C Hewitt Impact rookies include Creek, Page, Tony Guerrero, Little, Anderson and Perez. Impossible to predict how a team with no one over 29 in the lineup will do. Range at SS will decrease but the offense should improve with a solid core of Bennett, Mays, Johnson and Alex Guerrero. Pitching core of Martinez, Crawford, Rogers and Anderson is really exciting, but a bit unpredictable. Perez joins Trammell, Vining, Pegeuro and Bonilla to form a respectable bullpen. This team will steal bases but will anyone hit for power? Farm system's contribution is now in overdrive and the Angels expect this to be the season where their AL West rivals have to finally take the Angels seriously. Tito Mays must return to form and Sherm Creek needs to defend respectably at SS for the Angels to win the division. Kelley Walters surprisingly beat out Tony Guerrero for the second base job and will be making the jump from AA to the bigs this season.

Atlanta Braves
The Braves made no significant off season moves. Mainstays RF Alex Cheng, 1B Al Reynoso and 2B Dario York are past their prime, but still productive. Ultimately, a the Braves' offensive production will depend on whether 3B Alex Tarraga begins to realize his potential as he approaches his prime. Corner outfielder Edgardo Guardado was surprisingly productive at the plate after being acquired in a mid-season deal with the Reds. Young LF Boots Vaughan continued to show steady progress offensively as well. Defensively, the Braves are once again solid up the middle, with the catching platoon of young Ricardo Jose and Lawrence Houston, York at 2B and the emerging Ezdra Aviles at SS, and solid fielding, seldom hitting Jhonny Mercedes in CF. The Braves have solid and relatively young starting pitching, but lack a top flight hurler at the top of the rotation. Closer Harold Daily, with 242 career saves, anchors a productive bullpen. The NL South is expected to once again be competitive, and the Braves are hoping they are positioned to contend for the title.

Baltimore Orioles
Wow, what an off season. After several seasons of keeping this core together and making the playoffs 8 of the first 9 seasons in MLB History, Orioles management decided to blow things up and start over. What made this an exceedingly tough decision was that this team went on a magical run in and won the World Series in Season 9. Also muddying the waters was the fact that an inordinate number of teams apparently are entering rebuilding phases which made us nervous about moving some of our really good vets.

We came out of the gates and were extremely aggressive in marketing our players, but reality set in and we had to settle for 75 cents on the dollar in a lot of cases. However, we are relatively happy with the prospects and young players we were able to re stock our system with and at the same time locking up some of our young talent to long term contracts.

As for this season, who really knows. The ML team as currently contrived adding in the players who will come up around game 20 is better than I originally throught it would be. We've freed up a lot of payroll room so hopefully can grab a good international or two decent ones.

All in all, we're pleased with the moves we made and are excited for the future.

Boston Red Sox
With a revamped rotation, Boston plans to try and compete now, while having one foot in the rebuild pool. With Speier opting out of his contract, Leach aging, and Gao not willing to sign a longterm deal the new Boston GM was forced to make some difficult decisions. Bostons offense is young enough that it didnt warrant a full rebuild but the pitching staff was very old and expensive. So out went Gao and Leach in trades, Leach bringing back a solid prospect and Gao brought in almost an entire pitching staff. So, with all of that being said, Boston does not have any studs in their rotation, but they should have 4-5 solid #3 type pitchers that will hopefully keep them in games. The bullpen has been upgraded with the additions of Tatis and Watson to go along with Ventrella. Offensively Boston took a step back, but still are pretty potent. With Keppel moving to RF and Clayton taking over CF, balls to the OF should not get past either of them which will hopefully cut down on doubles in this park. The thought heading into the season with this team is Defense, Bullpen, and the 3-run HR!

Chicago Cubs
No Trades
Lost in FA:
Daryl Woods (RP) - Pittsburgh Type B
Delino Guerrero (SP) - Cincinnati Type B
Walker Bryant (RP) - Detroit
Sawyer Miller (CF) - Unsigned

Signed in FA:
Manny Martin (CF) Type B
Hi Jensen (3B)
Delanor Prince (RP) Type B
Yonder Toca (SS)

Last year was a very frustrating season for the Cubs as they began to rebuild. We flirted way too close to the 200 loss mark but ended up avoiding probation. Then managment was dumb enough to not budget enough money for the #5 pick in the draft so not only do we not add a quality player but we get no comp pick this year from not signing him. Add in the fact that we're the Cubs and it seemed to be a disastrous season nine. We were more active in the trading last season and did manage to grab pitcher Reginald Walker who we feel will be a quality starting pitcher that fans will see sometime this season. Also we made a trade for Ariel Mateo when the 200 losses loomed large. He probably saved us from probation with his offense. He'll be expected to carry us in that department again this season along with Carlos Henriquez (37 HR, 98 RBI) and Timo Pinto (53 HR, 119 RBI). We need Yonder Mendoza to have a better season on the mound then he did last year and plan on calling up Reginald Walker and Andres Delgado from the minors to step into the rotation. We budgeted plenty in prospect payroll in order to make sure the #3 draft pick is signed and in our minors this season and hopefully land an Int'l player or two. We expect to be at the bottom of the division again this season but hope to be farther away from last season's record.

Cincinnati Reds
Key Additions: C Burt Washington, 1B Greg Monroe, 3B Chad York, LF Bert Root, CF Charles Peterson, SP Delino Guerrero, RP Don Plant, RP Elvis Janssen, RP Earl King

Key Losses: OF Harold McKnight, 3B Sam Schwartz, 1B Robert Rogers, 2B Hi Jensen, 2B Erik Swift, SP Jimmie Aparicio

Offensively this team is built to give Montreal a run for their money. Hopefully 800+ runs is not a pipe dream. Signing Peterson for CF gave us the ability to move Travis Evans to 2B where we feel he is a better fit. RF Theo Mathews is a good player who had a down season last season…SS Branch Pressley is working hard to hone his defense and his offense makes him an above average SS. The bench is strong as we can bring Seth Heiserman or Larry Browning off the bench late in games to provide power and contact. Defensively the team is much improved at most positions. The worry remains as to how much of a disaster the COF will be.

Losing 10 complete games from last season will be rough, but that’s why we went out and added around 200 innings to the bullpen. Janssen was miscast as a starting pitcher the last 3 seasons and a move to the bullpen will only help him out. King will struggle some with his control, but he should be able to save the bullpen during losses and Don Plant is just really good at what he does. This in addition to returning RP Heving, Franklin, and Paz being solid as well.

Last season was a soul-crushing (not really) experience. The Reds produced the best season Cincinnati fans had seen and yet failed to make the playoffs because, well, let’s face it, Montreal is really good and Milwaukee and San Diego took care of business.

Cleveland Indians
The Indians are feeling pretty confident heading into season 10. The starting 8 is comprised of mostly returning young and improving veterans like Babe Coggin in CF, Ebenezer Well at 3B, Lou Anderson at short and Doug Osborne in RF. Two key additions by trade are Eduardo Ayala behind the plate and Bartolo Moreno at 2b. DH is well covered by the slugging Randy Washington. This team should hit and play the field with the best. The strength of the team however, should be the starting rotation of Rod Maurer, Denny Andrews, Harpo Drabek, Fred parker not to mention rookie sensation Bill Serrano. The bullpen is a little think but with a solid starting 5 and Cookie Alfonso closing games the Tribe is expected to compete for first in a very tough division.

Detroit Tigers
Coming off back-to-back 100 win seasons, and with their core players intact, Detroit moved cautiously in the off-season. The only real hole on the roster was in the rotation, replacing the underperforming Dale Tresh, who was as glad to leave Detroit as Detroit was to get the comp pick back for him. Failing to find a trade that made sense within the overall plan, and with the top FA pitchers demanding more money than was in the budget, we instead focused on a couple of aging, but still high quality FA pitchers. Walker Bryant and R. J. Manto do not have the stamina that most teams want for starters, but they have the chance to be dynamic in a tandem role, and signed for reasonable money. The hoped for upgrade at catcher never materialized, but Carlos Vidal ishould be ready with a just a little more seasoning in AAA, and should be adequate in a platoon role. Other than that, management was very happy with the core of the team, and are counting on continued development from some of the younger members of the roster and a few breaks going the right way. Given that, a return to the Series looks to be well within reach.

Houston Astros
Key Losses – Robinzon Bournigal (2B), Jamie McMahon (SS) and Ross Wilkerson (LF), R.J. Manto (SP), Don Plant (RP), Delanor Prince (RP)

Key Additions – Jose Viriato (LF), Pat Hickman (2B), Lee Cash (SS), Rick Coveleski (RP), Lew Bridges (RP), Bernie Speier (SP)

The Astros won their second consecutive division title in season 9 and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. With the taste of playoff fever in their blood, the front office has made some bold moves this offseason in order to try and get the team to a championship level. These moves could results in big rewards, but also represent big risk. The biggest splash of the offseason was the free agent signing of Bernie Speier. The best pitcher over the last decade was able to secure a $70 Million dollar deal over 3 years. Nobody doubts the 36 year old still has the talent to be an ace, but there are major injury concerns with the mileage he has put on his arm over the years. In addition, the Astro’s other ace, Darrell Vitiello, also is a significant injury risk. Rick Coveleski was also a key addition to the pitching staff, via trade, to help solidify the bullpen.

On the offensive side, the team was able to obtain Jose Viriato via trade to help strengthen the depth of their line up. Like their big pitching addition (Speier), Viriato is in the twilight of his career, but there is no doubt he can still contribute at a high level. The Astros will also get a boost from the number one overall pick in the season 7 draft, Pat Hickman after the 20 game mark. Hickman will provide a much needed power bat to provide protection for perennial MVP candidate Moises Gonzalez. I can’t close this preview without mentioning the impact that Ugueth Cortes has on this team. He will never be an All Star, he will never be a Silver Slugger, but he is the engine that makes this lineup go. Cortes has recorded a .337 batting average in his first three seasons in the majors.

Milwaukee Brewers
Eleven players left the team via free agency including declined team/mutual options. Among the departed: Starting Pitchers: Hippolito Ramirez, Josias Gonzalez and Bruce Hamilton, Relief pitchers: Haywood Cannon, Mo Watson and Clay Choo. Also, David Macias who split time at third base and in center field and Junior Tabaka and Pablo Maranon who saw significant playing time coming off the bench last season.

A couple players will be bubble up from the farm but most players will be replaced from free Agency. The key additions include Dale Tresh and Aurelio Uribe who will join the starting rotation and Hal Bell who will become the everyday third baseman.

With The Expos having a couple seasons in their window of dominating the NL North the Brewers are content to use this season as a rebuilding season. I’m expecting a step back this season; we will still be very competitive but I won’t be surprised if we miss the playoffs. Making the playoffs this season is still a goal, though it is a “stretch” goal for this season whereas it was “threshold” last season.

Minnesota Twins
Taking over rebuilding teams has been something that I have always enjoyed. Having taken over for Iceman who left due to win requirement, Ive set out to do something that has yet to happen in The MLB, win the division. Will it happen this year? I bet not but watch out around season 12 in the AL Central.

The first order of business was to start to shed the salaries that Ice took on trying to meet the win requirement. Via trade was allowed to dump salaries of guys like Janssen and Easterly while bringing in potential ML starting prospects.

For the season 10 Twins will be lead by youngsters 1B TJ Payne, new addition C Waly Parra,Rf Victor Marquez and the vet 3b Al Javier. The rotation is lead by Geraldo Cabeza and company who look to keep the ship afloat until the 3 headed monster of Adam Parnell, Victor Nance, and Yamil Amaro are ready to take the slab at Target Field.

If the heart of the order can improve on thier hitting stats we will be looking for 65-70 wins this season.

New Orleans Jazz
Taking over the New Orleans Jazz franchise was agreeing to running, arguably, the worst franchise in MLB's early history. In the seven prior seasons, the Jazz had never made the playoffs. They only had one season with a winning record. The team had finished last place in five of seven seasons, and third place the other two. In our first season (season 8), we improved the team's record by a moderate 2 games. The farm system was strengthened greatly though. In our second season (last season) the team took a big step forward, improving by 9 wins. This season, we should take an even bigger step forward. A number of veterans were brought in to improve the squad. Robert Rogers will anchor the DH position. While not a big power hitter, he will be a tough out. SP Willie Lemon will solidity the middle of the starting rotation, and provide a workhorse starting pitcher that was sorely missing on last season's squad. Josias James was traded to the Red Sox for 5x All Star Larry Leach. Leach will be the team's #1 starter and provide leadership to a pitching staff loaded with young players. Two impact rookies will also be making their debuts this season. Benito Infante will be replacing the departed James at 3B and Japanese pitching sensation and bonus baby, Hideki Ni, will also be making his long awaited debut. Both should have great careers and make an immediate impact. While the team probably doesn't have quite enough to catch Kansas City and win the division, we hope to be a player in the Wild Card. Expectations are to set the franchise record for wins in a season, 84 and make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

New York Mets
Looking like a long year at shea stadium keeping figures crossed for young hitters Bailey, Rivers and Urbina come thru with a good defense hope to be respectable

New York Yankees
The NY Yankees broke out to claim their first division title. The cheer was short lived as they ere promptly removed from the playoffs by their division rival. Gupper Steinbrenner and company seek to build on the success of the previous season. Goal number one in the offseason was to re-sign Javier Mercado which they were able to do. That sets up a brutal lineup for opposing pitchers as they attempt to navigate the Greenwood-Aoki-Mercado-Withers-Goreki middle of he line up. The top of he rotation remains strong and management has suggested they may bring up hot pitching prospect Ivan Wise this season if needed. The bullpen remain a concern. The Yankees have lofty goals for the season.

Philadelphia Phillies
With 15 new faces on the 25 man roster, the new Phillies ownership hopes to contend for the playoffs this season. Longtime Phillies 2B Thomas Bailey and LF Byron Sullivan got some help on offense with the additions of 1B Alex Hart and youngster 3B Henry Lennon. New starting C Rafael Olmedo is a huge upgrade defensively over Heathcliff Haney who will take a shot at RF this season. Pitching has been revamped in Philly and high expectations are on newcomers Stubby Easterly and Felix Hamels . 24 year olds Sam Phelps and Jose Viriato round out a very solid rotation. RP Cam Shouse was signed in the offseason to help relief stud Ned Gold and hopefully stabilize that bullpen. Despite only having 68 mil in payroll, anything short of making the playoffs this season would be a disappointment in Philly. However, with the 8th pick in the draft this year and a pretty young ML team, the Phillies are in a good position for the future as well.

San Diego Padres
The off-season was eventful for the Padres. New ownership led to a cleanout of the organization and a retooling of the ML roster. Free agent acquisitions Neftali Barrios and Frank Hunter and a mega deal in which 6 players were sent to Boston for Phil Gao should help the offense create runs. Free agent Hipolito Ramirez should upgrade the starting staff and FA Yusmeiro Sosa and trade acquisition Al Campos should bring respectability to the bullpen. Phil Lowery remains to anchor the starting staff, Mack Lankford will close games out and veterans Matty Sanchez, Ringo Johnson and Bob Daniels will contribute offensive support with youngsters Wes Sheehan, Gerrit Gibson & Gerardo Perez continuing to improve. Season ticket packages are flying off the shelves in anticipation of another playoff run in San Diego, but a shaky bullpen could present a problem over the long haul of a season.dres

S9 Draft Review

1. LHP Adam Parnell (MIN)
Parnell has great control, great velocity, and a great stamina/durability combination. He has a solid repertoire of pitches and does an excellent job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone against both RHB & LHB.
Iceman67 says: Once again looking for pitching help, the Minnesota Twins selected Adam Parnell with the first pick of the draft. "We may have finally found our ace. With outstanding L/R splits, Parnell is on the fast track to big leagues. We look forward to that time when he will anchor the rotation for years to come."
hurricane384’s take: This is a great pick and was a no-brainer.

2. RHP Wilton Rosen (NY2)
Relief pitcher who has great control. Great velocity. Good stamina/durability combination. Good pitches. Does a good job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
jgnjr says: came down between Lance Misch and Wilt Rosen needed a future closer Misch has more upside Rosen was the easier sign
hurricane384’s take: I hate taking RP this early, but he’s a solid pitcher and there wasn’t much of a choice as far as this draft is concerned.

3. RF Ruben Aguilar (NO)
Great power. Will dominate LHP. Solid against RHP. Great eye. Makes solid contact overall. Great speed will be a liability if he’s allowed to run with his poor baserunning.
mongoose_22 says: Aguilar should be our DH/1B of the future. He projects into an average defensive first baseman with good speed, durability and health. He should always be amongst the league leaders in walks and pitches seen with his highly developed batting eye. His batting eye, combined with good power and adequate contact and splits, will hopefully allow him to develop into a middle of the lineup player who can hit 3rd through 5th in the order.
hurricane384’s take: This is a very good pick, would be twice as good if the splits were flipped, but he’s still going to hit a lot of home runs and beat out some IF hits.

4. LHP Lance Misch (NO)
Great control. Does a great job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Lacks ideal velocity but has good pitches and keeps the ball down in the zone. Great stamina and durability combination.
mongoose_22 says: Maybe a reach at #4 for a reliever, but there were very few players in the class that we really liked (other than Adam Parnell ,Minn got a stud). Misch should be an All Star caliber set-up man capable of pitching 80+ very good innings every season. At 22 years old, after 4 seasons in college, he is already pretty polished and could be a serviceable major leaguer right now. While he's certainly not a fireballer, he is tough on righties and very tough on lefties and features pinpoint control with a very good sinker that will be very hard for hitters to elevate out of the park. He also boasts a secondary curveball that while it needs some work now, should develop into a #2 pitch to keep hitters off balance. He's on the fast track to the bigs and we expect him only to spend about two seasons or so in the minors.
hurricane384’s take: Misch is going to be a great relief pitcher, although I still hate taking a RP this early in the draft, at least Misch is going to come close to being worth it.

5. RHP Alfredo Norris (CH1)
NOT SIGNED

6. P Miguel Peron
NOT SIGNED

7. SS Alfredo Terrero (CIN)
Great contact with solid power. Does better against LHP than RHP. Solid eye. Lacks ideal defensive ratings for SS. Great durability.
hurricane384 says: I really like this pick for us, Terrero will never play SS in the Cincinnati organization, but could provide GG-type defense to go along with SS-type offense at 2B.
hopkinsheel’s take: Terrero projects to be more of a 3B than middle inflieder, which is perfectly fine b/c it’s not easy to find good hitting 3B who can really field the position. If Terrero develops into that type of ballplayer, than the Reds will have utilized their #7 selection very wisely. However, if his bat doesn't develop too much then they'll be stuck with a utiliy type player and you never want to waste a top 10 pick like that.

8. SS Jake Mayne (CLE)
Great contact with solid power. Does a solid job of driving the ball. Decent eye. Decent speed. Lacks ideal defensive ratings for SS.
abesmem says: The Indians are very happy with their 1st round pick, Jake Mayne. I had him ranked 2nd overall and did not expect him to be around for the 8th pick. While not projected as a SS, he should make the majors as an above average 3B or excellent defensive RF. Regardless; his principle asset will be as an offensive weapon. He makes great contact and above average power. He’s a lefty bat that can handle RH and LH pitching with an above average eye and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. His durability and health are both great. He is starting out in Low A as a third basemen and should be in the Majors within 2 to 3 years.
hurricane384’s take: I like this pick. Slide him to 2B and you have an instant SS candidate…move him to 3B and he might add GG to that.

9. RHP Otis Cooper (STL)
Great control. Does a solid job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Solid stamina & durability. Good pitch combination and decent at keeping the ball on the ground.
dwboyce says: There were very few starting pitchers available in the draft, and we felt lucky to land a potential starter with the ninth pick. It came down to a choice between Enrique Johnson and Otis Cooper, and we went with the latter although we would have been happy with either player. We like Cooper’s advanced command and his excellent collection of pitches, especially his four-seamer and slider. As our ball stadium tends to depress hitting anyway, Cooper’s marginal effectiveness when batters make contact didn’t bother us as much, so in the end his advanced control was the differentiating factor. We also like his youth, giving him maximum time to develop in our minor league system as a college player, and his durability will allow him to pitch often.
hurricane384’s take: Solid pitcher who in a good draft would likely fall around 20.

10. 2B Vernon Stewart (WAS)
Very solid offensive player all the way across the board. Will hit for power, contact, and walk some. More of a COF than a 2B though.
hurricane384’s take: This is a very good offensive pick even though his overall rating doesn’t say it. I like this pick a lot.

11. CF Pat Howard (PHI)
Solid range with a great glove. Great speed. Makes contact a lot and can get on base via the walk. Average power. Struggles to consistently drive the ball, especially against RHP. Lacks baserunning skills that one looks for with that speed.
sowden says: With the 13th pick the Phillies nabbed Pat Howard. A strong contact hitting center fielder with a decent eye. With an overall rating of 88 Howard will be manning the Phillies CF position for years to come.
hurricane384’s take: When you can find a CF who isn’t a terrible liability offensively and can patrol the OF well, you have to overlook his warts.

12. LHP Vic Nicasio (NY1)
Struggles against RHP. Solid control. Good stamina/durability combination. Groundball pitcher. Great pitch repertoire.
mcgupp says: The Yankees are pleased to grab a quality starting pitcher in the middle of the first round. Vic Nicasio has two good Yankee Stadium qualities, he's a lefty and effective against lefties limiting the short porch in RF, and he's a ground ball pitcher. Hopefully those qualities serve him well in the Bronx
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick. His vsR worries me, but the other ratings might make up for it and allow him to be a contributor at the ML level.

13. RHP Shayne Weaver (BAL)
Solid stamina/durability combination. Decent at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Good pitch grouping. Great control. Injuries are not a concern.
hopkinsheel says: We have no idea what to think of Weaver. Our College Scouting team had him pegged much higher than our advanced scouts. We're hoping we can progress into a middle of the rotation SP, but probably more suited for back end/long relief. Disappointing get for the 13th pick.
hurricane384’s take: This is a solid pick, worst case he gives you a ML LRA…best-case #3 SP.

14. CF Manny Park (TB)
Great defensive CF who can run like a cheetah. Better against LHP than RHP. Good eye. Good power. Solid contact. Solid baserunning skills.
mexd781 says: Tampa Bay was very excited to see Manny Park fall to them at the 14th Pick. There were questions going into the draft about his signability and work ethic. Manny has the potential to be a gold glove at 2B or CF and has the speed and overall bat to be a very good offensive player. The TB front office is just hoping that their minor league coaches can help Manny grow up and reach his full potential.
hurricane384’s take: This is a great pick. To be able to pick up a potential GG CF who can excel offensively at the 14th pick is beyond a great pick.

15. LHP Brad Vaughn (TOR)
Great stamina/durability combination. Great control. Struggles at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone, especially against RHB. Flyball pitcher without velocity. Solid pitch combination.
foxspor54 says: Brad Vaughn- ranked 50# overall by central baseball scouting bureau at WIS, Toronto scouts drooled at his 5 pitch repertoire and moved him up on the board. All goes well he should be in the majors in a few seasons.
hurricane384’s take: This is the kind of pitcher I try to stay away from…he’s going to give up a lot of HR’s, not strike anybody out, and struggle against RHB.

16. RHP George Hall (CH2)
Solid durability/stamina combo. Great control. Dominant against RHB. Great velocity. Keeps the ball down. Lacks a little in the pitches department to be consistently dominant.
byers61 says: With the 16th pick in the draft, the White Sox selected future closer George Hall . He projects to an OVR 82 rating, superior control, and excellent against righties. One wonders how he will use his 98 velocity, since his only pitches to brag about are a slider and forkball. Regardless, the White Sox are glad to add Hall to their future plans.
hurricane384’s take: I would love to have a reliever like this on my team. He’ll blow batters away consistently and make the opposition earn their wins late in the game.

17. 2B Courtney Coppinger (LAA)
Solidly average offensive player. Great eye though. Decent speed. Not a great defender.
mskakunan says: With the 17th overall pick, the Angels selected Courtney Coppinger. His excellent plate discipline will make him a solid major league hitter who should be decent as a second baseman or left fielder. He shouldn't take long to arrive as he is 22 and probably ready for AA now. He was third on our board so we were happy to get him.
hurricane384’s take: This is a pick that you can’t argue with but you don’t get too excited over either.

18. LHP Rick Saunders (ATL)
Lacks ideal velocity or groundball ability. Great top 2 pitches, terrible other 2. Lacks ideal stamina to be a difference maker in the rotation. Great control. Does a solid job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
kilgore says: The Braves were pleased to snag LHP Rick Saunders with the 18th pick. We have him ultimately pegged as a middle relief pitcher, though he'll be a starter as he begins his career at the High A level in hopes that he can further develop his splitter and changeup to complement a quality 4 seam fastball and a slurve that is projected to be eventually be elite at the ML level. His control is already well above average, and should continue to improve as he progresses up the ladder. The biggest downside is his tendency to leave the 4 seam fastball too close to the top of the zone at times, making him vulnerable to the long ball.
hurricane384’s take: Should make a solid bullpen arm.

19. LHP Lance Henley (SEA)
Great stamina durability combination. Does a good job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Good control. Solid velocity. Solid GB. Good pitches.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick. He’ll hold down the back end of the Seattle bullpen for a long time.

20. CF Brian Sutton (ARI)
Good defensive ratings. Solid contact. Decent power. Struggles against RHP more than LHP. Decent eye. Decent speed.
llcc says: Brian Sutton, is my number one pick. He is a good field avg hitter who will make it to the majors in about 3 years.
hurricane384’s take: Another solid pick as Sutton can play defense and that seems to be the hardest thing to find in CF. The offense is the cherry on top.

21. RHP Henderson Cooke (CIN)
Decent durability stamina combination. Great control. Solid pitches. Doesn’t keep the ball down. Good velocity. Dominates RHB.
hurricane384 says: We’re very happy to add Cooke to this year’s draft class. Although we are worried about his ability to keep the ball in the park, we believe his peripheral ratings will help to off-set that problem.
hopkinsheel’s take: Cooke should end up being a really solid bullpen addition down the road. He has a unique blend of STA/DUR which will be interesting to see how many innings he can throw. Wish his vL was a bit higher, but his vR looks really strong and coupled with his other ratings, he is a nice pick.

22. SS Sparky Lowry (HOU)
Very good defensive ratings. Solid speed. Solid contact. Dominant against LHP. Really struggles with RHP. Solid power. Good eye.
drichar138 says: I took Sparky Lowry in the first round. Hoping his low makeup doesn’t ruin his chances of living up to his potential. In the end, I know I had to take a chance this late in the draft and if everything falls right he could be really good platoon CF vs LHP.
hurricane384’s take: First true SS off the board and he’s a doozy…he’d be an all-star if the splits were flipped, but he’ll still be worth a starting spot with his defense.

23. LHP Ted Frederick (SD)
Does a great job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Solid pitch combinations including a dominating 1st pitch. Great stamina & durability. Lacks ideal control. Good job keeping the ball down.
hurricane384’s take: Definitely worth taking a chance on this late in the 1st round…has the stuff to dominate at times and the control to really piss you off at other times.

24. SS Achilles Votto (COL)
Lacks ideal defensive ratings. Good contact and power. Better against LHP than RHP. Solid eye. Average speed.
hurricane384’s take: Not a true SS, but definitely could be a good 3B or 2B. Not sure his offense will make up for his defense enough to justify putting him at SS.

25. RHP Andrea Blasingame (LA)
Great control. Does a tremendous job at keeping batters from hitting the ball squarely. Has a starter-type repertoire of pitches. Lacks ideal stamina/durability combination and doesn’t throw hard.
rawkdk27 says: Our first need was a position player as we really lack any solid ML level prospects. But with the lack of depth in this draft for position players, we targeted a RP and Blasinggame has closer type stuff but lacks great durability.
hurricane384’s take: I’m not sure what to make of this pick…he’ll struggle to get the innings to develop fully as well as to be truly dominant…but man, he should be good when he’s in the game.

26. CF Nomar Pendleton (LA)
NOT SIGNED

27. LHP Enrique Johnson (OAK)
Solid stamina/durability combination. Solid control. Good splits. Throws hard. Good pitch combination.
train says: Pretty pleased with this year's draft results. I had Johnson ranked in my top 5 and got him at 27. He will likely have control and stamina issues, which always worry me for a SP but I couldn't pass up projected 80's splits and a similarly-rated pitch#1. I had a couple of comp picks as well that look to be future contributors as well, so this was a good draft.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick this late in the draft as he should be a good LRA or a solid back of the rotation starter.

28. CF Hulk Smart (KC)
NOT SIGNED

29. 2B Abraham Malloy (TEX)
Great contact. Solid splits. Solid eye. Good range. Decent glove. Weak, inaccurate arm. Good speed. Good baserunner.
jcairns says: The Texas rangers are happy with our selection of Abraham Malloy . we feel his talents will fit perfectly into our lineup for seasons to come
hurricane384’s take: Solid draft pick in the late part of the round. Definitely can contribute in multiple ways.

30. RF Darrell Allen (MIL)
Solid power and contact. Better against RHP than LHP. Good eye. Solid defensively. Great speed and baserunner.
s_gammon says: Darrell Allen was one of the top college non-pitchers in this years draft and I was glad to snag him with the 30th pick. I believe he will be a high quality lead off hitter with his great speed, good eye and decent contact and splits. he'll even provide a bit of pop. He should be ready to take over in RF when the incumbant RF's contract wraps up.
hurricane384’s take: If you aren’t hung up on power being a necessity to play the COF, Allen could definitely contribute. He’ll steal a ton of bases and walk quite a bit. Play decent defense. Decent pick.

31. P Marco Garcia (SF)
NOT SIGNED
AllSox says: 1st round pick Mario Garcia turned down an $8 million signing bonus to go to college. College was a lot of fun, but $8mill?

32. SS Wilton Stanley (DET)
Decent defense. Solid splits. Decent speed. Lacks ideal contact or power.
dakar says: Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an offical with the Tigers privately admitted that management was hoping that first round pick Wilton Stanley would refuse to sign with the club and go to college. "Sure they say all the usual things like how excited they are that this kid fell to them in the draft, and they expected to see him taken in the first 10 picks. Seriously though, he will never play an adequate SS, and his bat has backup written all over it if he can't handle the middle infield." When asked if he considered it a blown pick, the insider replied: "Hey, this draft just sucked. Its not like they overlooked anyone who was significantly better."
hurricane384’s take: Not much to say about this guy…destined to be a utility player as his defense isn’t good enough to play SS and his offense isn’t good enough to warrant playing full-time at any other position.

33. 3B Hank Faulkner (LA)
NOT SIGNED