2009 Preview: Tampa Bay Rays

There was no greater surprise in 2008 than the Tampa Bay Rays, the team who finished with the worst record in baseball in 2007, making it to the World Series. Led by a strong pitching staff and star rookie Evan Longoria, the Rays took the entire league by storm and came up just short, losing to the Phillies.

Projected Lineup:
C - Dioner Navarro
1B - Carlos Pena
2B - Akinori Iwamura
SS - Jason Bartlett
3B - Evan Longoria
LF - Carl Crawford
CF - BJ Upton
RF - Matt Joyce
DH - Pat Burrell

Projected Rotation:
#1 - James Shields
#2 - Matt Garza
#3 - Scott Kazmir
#4 - Andy Sonnanstine
#5 - Jeff Niemann

Position Battles:
#5 Starter - Niemann looks to have the job for the time being, but he has been extremely injury prone in the past. With a solid month or two in AAA, Wade Davis could force his way up.

2009 Outlook: The Rays play in baseball's toughest division, so proving that 2008 was not a fluke will be that much harder. BJ Upton's shoulder has healed and Carl Crawford will look to get back on track after injury woes kept him from getting going in 2008. The signing of Pat Burrell was a very good pickup because of Burrell's power and more consistent bat at the DH spot for the Rays.

The rotation will need to be fantastic for them to have any chance to repeat. Luckily, Shields, Kazmir, and Garza provide an excellent backbone. Each should get better in 2009, and that alone may be enough to keep them on top. Also, at some point the young David Price will be called up and will add to the already solid pitching of the Rays. The bullpen was led by Australian sensation Grant Balfour, he too will need to be excellent if they have title hopes in '09.

Projected Finish: 1st place, AL East.

2009 Preview: Boston Red Sox

In 2008 the Boston Red Sox were American League Wild Card winners and they were one win away from playing the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. It was a roller coaster year for the Sox from Big Papi's injury, to Dustin Pedroia's MVP year, to Beckett's injury, to the outstanding play of Kevin Youkilis, to a playoff berth, to finally a heart-breaking playoff exit. Also, Dice K and Jon Lester really stepped up for Boston's rotation, as they just kept on winning games for the team. It was an overall good year, with a devastating finish.

Prjoected Lineup:

C - Jason Varitek

1B - Kevin Youkilis

2B - Dustin Pedroia

SS - Jed Lowrie

3B - Mike Lowell

LF - Jason Bay

CF - Jacoby Ellsbury

RF - JD Drew

DH - David Ortiz

Projected Rotation:

#1 - Josh Beckett

#2 - Daisuke Matsuzaka

#3 - Jon Lester

#4 - Tim Wakefield

#5 - Brad Penny

Closer - Jonathon Papelbon

Position Battles:

SS - Throughout the season Lowrie and Julio Lugo should split at short stop and whoever has the hot bat should get more of the playing time. Lowrie should begin the season as the starter.

#5 Starter - Right now Brad Penny looks to have the job won, but that does not mean it will be his all season. The Red Sox have Clay Buchholz and John Smoltz, who they signed in the off season, so either one of them could fill in for Penny if he starts to not pitch well.

2009 Outlook: The Red Sox should fight for another playoff berth in 2009. They return the same offense that they had a year before, which consists of the AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, and Jason Bay who should really power the offense once again. One thing that will make a big impact on Boston is the health of David Ortiz. If he can stay healthy than Boston should have no real offensive problems, but if he gets hurt again than the team will need to do some rotating of players and hope someone steps up, like Drew did in 08.

The pitching staff looks the same as in 2008, with the addition of Brad Penny and Smoltz who look to add to the already good pitching staff. Dice K made some big strides last year and is now one of the premier pitchers in the league and is showing why Boston payed top dollar to sign him. Jon Lester also had a breakout season last year going 16 - 6 and pitching in real big games when Boston needed a win. The big key to the staff is Josh Beckett and his health. If Beckett can stay healthy than this staff can be one of the best in all of baseball, but if gets hurt than either Buchholz or Smoltz will have to step up.

Projected Finish: 2nd Place, AL East

2009 Preview: New York Yankees

2007 was the start of the Joe Girardi era for the New York Yankees and it did not start off so great. The Yankees finished 3rd in the division and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade. They were plagued by injuries and poor pitching. On the bright side, Mike Mussina had a brilliant year by winning 20 games for the first time in his career and Alex Rodriguez even though he did not play the whole season still put up great numbers. Outside of those two, everyone else on the team was pretty average and that led to their 89 - 73 record last season.

Projected Lineup:
C - Jorge Posada
1B - Mark Teixera
2B - Robinson Cano
SS - Derek Jeter
3B - Alex Rodriguez
LF - Johnny Damon
CF - Brett Gardner
RF - Xavier Nady
DH - Hideki Matsui

Projected Rotation:
#1 - CC Sabathia
#2 - Chien-Ming Wang
#3 - AJ Burnett
#4 - Andy Pettite
#5 - Joba Chamberlain
Closer - Mariano Rivera

Postion Battles:
CF - Brett Gardner won the spot in spring training but that does not mean that it is his all season. If he starts to falter, then Melky Cabrera will be eager to get in and prove that he is the starting center fielder.

2009 Outlook: This past off season the Yankees did what they do best, which is spend money. They went out and get CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Texiera in hopes of another return to the playoffs and another World Series Championship.

The offense looks as if it will be really good as long as everyone can stay healthy. They have a fairly old lineup and Alex Rodriguez is the first person to go down with an injury. A-Rod's injury should hurt them at the beginning of the season, but when he comes back he will put up the number that he always does. Jorge Posada is healthy and is hoping to improve on his awful 2008.

The pitching on paper looks as if it should be one of the best, but it is definitely the weakness of the Yankees. AJ Burnett is known for not staying healthy and so nobody knows how he will do. CC Sabathia started off really slow in the AL last year with the Cleveland Indians and then turned it on when he moved to the NL. So it should be interesting to see how he does back in the AL, in a very tough AL East. Joba Chamberlain has not proven to be a consistent solid starter yet, but he is still young. This could be the year that he turns it around and becomes the stud starter than everyone is expecting him to be. Finally, Mariano Rivera is old and skills are dimenishing, but he can still get the job done. If he can stay healthy, then the Yankees will be fine in the late innings.

Overall, this team could be really good or they can be an average team, but it really depends on players staying healthy and the consistency of the starting rotation. They will definitely be in the race for a playoff spot, but I do not know if they will actually make it.

Projected Finish: 3rd Place, AL East

2009 Preview: New York Mets

For the second year in a row the Mets went into the year as the favorite to win the NL East and blew a September lead, causing them to miss the playoffs. The root of their troubles was an awful bullpen which blew a whopping 29 saves in 2008. On the bright side, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Johan Santana continued to be among the best at their respective positions. The Mets also got exceptional contributions from their farm system as David Murphy, Nick Evans, and Fernando Tatis all filled in when Ryan Church went down with injuries.

Projected Lineup:
C - Brian Schneider
1B - Carlos Delgado
2B - Luis Castillo
SS - Jose Reyes
3B - David Wright
LF - Danny Murphy
CF - Carlos Beltran
RF - Ryan Church

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Johan Santana
#2 - Mike Pelfrey
#3 - Oliver Perez
#4 - John Maine
#5 - Livan Hernandez
Closer - Francisco Rodriguez

Position Battles:
#5 Starter - Livan Hernandez will get the first crack at the rotation, but he'll be lucky if he makes it through April. Freddy Garcia and Jon Neise will be next in line to join the rotation.

2009 Outlook: It's going to be an exciting year for the Mets, they're moving into a new stadium, they have an explosive lineup and two big free agent relievers in Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz who should sure up their bullpen. Carlos Delgado is coming off a career year, and at 36 2008 might have been his last great year, nevertheless, he should still be a lock for 25 homeruns and 100 RBI. David Wright is the best third baseman in the NL and Jose Reyes at least a top 3 shortstop--both of them should be great once again. Carlos Beltran has proven himself to be one of the top run producers and most exciting players in baseball today, he will be 32 in April but he definitely has a few great years left.

The rotation has some question marks. Johan Santana is arguably the best starter in all of baseball and a lock for at least 200 innings and about 15 wins. All of the rest of the Mets pitchers have qualities that could make them top 20 starters some day. Mike Pelfrey generates a lot of groundballs and has great stuff, but he has had trouble striking batters out in the big leagues. Oliver Perez can be absolutely dominating at times, but when he's not on his game, he's a disaster, if he ever gets his consistency problems worked out he will be great. John Maine has proved effective, but he is extremely inefficient; most games he struggles to reach the 6th inning, if he continues, he will put a lot of stress on that bullpen. The bullpen will be at least average this year, Putz and K-Rod were two of the best closers in the game over the last couple years, now they should be one of the best pairs of 8th and 9th inning guys in the game.

Projected Finish: 1st place, NL East.

2009 Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

After a disappointing playoff performance in 2007, the Phillies came into 2008 with optimism. While they had a bit of an up-and-down year, a late September winning streak and another Mets collapse catapulted the Fightin' Phils into the playoffs for the second straight year. Philadelphia cruised through the playoffs and defeated the Tampa Bay Rays for the World Series.

Projected Lineup:
C - Carlos Ruiz
1B - Ryan Howard
2B - Chase Utley
SS - Jimmy Rollins
3B - Pedro Feliz
LF - Raul Ibanez
CF - Shane Victorino
RF - Jayson Werth

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Cole Hamels
#2 - Brett Myers
#3 - Joe Blanton
#4 - Jamie Moyer
#5 - J.A. Happ
Closer - Brad Lidge

Position Battles:
#5 Starter - Coming into spring training, Manager Charlie Manuel said the battle would be between Happ, Chan Ho Park, Kyle Kendrick, and Carlos Carrasco. Over the last few weeks the Phillies have said that both Kendrick and Carrasco will start 2008 in the minors, leaving just Park and Happ. With set-up man JC Romero suspended for the first 50 games of 2009 for violating the substance abuse policy, Manuel might be tempted to use Happ in Romero's place as a reliever.

2009 Outlook: The Phillies will have one of the most potent offenses in the NL yet again. Raul Ibanez comes of from Seattle to fill the void left by the departure of Pat Burrell. He, Utley, Howard, and Rollins will anchor the lineup. Outfielders Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth have proven to be spark plugs, and should once again use their speed to help get themselves into scoring position.

The rotation has a lot of question marks, Cole Hamels pitched close to 250 innings including the playoffs in 2008; he is having trouble with elbow soreness this spring. Brett Myers has said that he wants to be a closer, he had a terrible first half of last year, but appears to be back on track. Jaime Moyer will be 46 this year, which means there is almost no chance of him coming close to his 3,71 2008 ERA. Blanton has shown flashes of dominance in the past, but his lack of strikeouts coupled with a high walk rate does not bode well for the future. The Phillies had the best bullpen in 2008, and should be among the league leaders again this year, Brad Lidge was a perfect 41 for 41 in save opportunities and it looks like his troubles in Houston are behind him.

Projected Finish: 2nd Place, NL East.

2009 Preview: Atlanta Braves

The Braves had a rough 2008, injuries to their rotation coupled with offensive struggles made it very tough for them to stay in games, as they ended the year at 72-90. Jeff Francoeur's troubles lead to some concern about his future, it's not too often that a 24 year old's offensive game completely falls apart, however if he can improve his plate discipline he may be in line for a big rebound in '09. Free agent signings Javier Vazquez, Derek Lowe, and Garret Anderson should help plug some holes.

Projected Lineup:
C - Brian McCann
1B - Casey Kotchman
2B - Kelly Johnson
SS - Yunel Escobar
3B - Chipper Jones
LF - Garret Anderson
CF - Jordan Schafer
RF - Jeff Francoeur

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Derek Lowe
#2 - Javier Vazquez
#3 - Jiar Jurrjens
#4 - Kenshin Kawakami
#5 - Tom Glavine
Closer - Mike Gonzalez

Position Battles:
CF - Three young guns, Josh Anderson, Gregor Blanco, and Jordan Schafer will battle it out in spring training. Schafer, a highly touted prospect, has the most upside of the bunch and appears to now have enough polish to be a productive at the major league level--he should come away with the job.

2009 Outlook: If Kotchman can hit for a little more power, and Francoeur can learn how to take a walk, they, and McCann, Jones, and Anderson should prove to be a solid lineup. Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson are one of the best offensive middle infield tandems in the National League and should continue to hit the ball well throughout the year.

Atlanta will feature a completely revamped rotation in 2009, headlined by veterans Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez. Kenshin Kawakami comes over from the Japan and should be a durable strike thrower with solid control. Mike Gonzalez should handle the closing duties to start the season, he's had injury troubles in the past and if he ends up on the DL, Peter Moylan or Rafeal Soriano should get the first crack at the ninth inning role.

Projected Finish: 3rd Place, NL East.

2009 Preview: Florida Marlins

The Marlins were simply a mediocre team overall last year, and the finished with a mediocre record at 84-77. Hanley Ramirez continues to make a great case for the game's most exciting player and Dan Uggla has proven himself as a consistent 30 homerun threat. Josh Johnson made an incredibly quick return from Tommy John Surgery and pitched well during the second half of the year. With lots of talent in the minor leagues, the Marlins should only go up from here.

Projected Lineup:
C - John Baker
1B - Gaby Sanchez
2B - Dan Uggla
SS - Hanley Ramirez
3B - Jorge Cantu
LF - Jeremy Hermida
CF - Cameron Maybin
RF - Cody Ross

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Rickey Nolasco
#2 - Josh Johnson
#3 - Chris Volstad
#4 - Anibal Sanchez
#5 - Andrew Miller
Closer - Matt Lindstrom

Position Battles:
1B/3B - If Gaby Sanchez can prove that he can handle the load at first base, then Jorge Cantu will probably play at third base. Young gun Emilio Bonifacio is also threatening at third base; if Sanchez struggles during spring training, Cantu could move over to first base, which would open up a place for Banifacio to play.

2009 Outlook: Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla will once again lead the offensive charge, if Cody Ross and Gaby Sanchez can continue to develop into everyday players the Marlins should have enough fire power to compete. Top prospect Cameron Maybin should get the bulk of the playing time in centerfield, he will provide power and speed right away, but he will probably struggle to hit for any sort of average.

The pitching will be led by Johnson and Rickey Nolasco, both can be very effective and are definitely among the better starters in the National League. Flame-thrower Matt Lindstrom should be effective out of the 'pen and sophomore Chris Volstad will look to improve upon his performance in 2008.

Projected Finish: 4th Place, NL East.

2009 Preview: Wasington Nationals

Coming into 2008, everyone expected the Nationals to be pretty bad...and they were as they finished the season with the worst record in MLB at 59-102. Injuries to Ryan Zimmerman, Elijah Dukes, and Lastings Milledge forced the Nats to use fringe players for a large amount of the season. A few weeks ago, word broke out about a scandel involving GM Jim Bowden and illegally signing Dominican prospects. On the bright side, Christian Guzman finally showed what he can do when he's healthy.

Projected Lineup:
C - Jesus Flores
1B - Adam Dunn
2B - Anderson Hernandez
SS - Christian Guzman
3B - Ryan Zimmerman
LF - Josh Willingham
CF - Lastings Milledge
RF - Elijah Dukes

Projected Rotation:
#1 - John Lannan
#2 - Scott Olsen
#3 - Daniel Cabrera
#4 - Jordan Zimmermann
#5 - Shaun Martis
Closer - Joel Hanrahan

Position Battles:
2B - Veteran Ronnie Belliard will fight with Anderson Hernandez for time at second base; it should come down to who had the better spring.

2009 Outlook: The Nationals had a controversial yet productive off-season, the signing of power hitter Adam Dunn should pay immediate dividends. Milledge, Zimmerman, Dukes, and Flores are all another year older and another step closer to becoming productive regulars and all-stars. They will still probably end up near the bottom of the offensive catogories, but that is to be expected from such a young lineup. Most of the hitters will need another year or two to deveolp, but once they blossom there could be a new power in the NL East.

As for the pitchers, Washington can make a very good case for having the absolute worst hurlers in the game. Their rotation will be "anchored" by Scott Olsen, the former Marlin who posted a 4.20 ERA last year and struck out just over 100 batters in 200 innings of work. Daniel Cabrera comes over from Baltimore; he has never posted an ERA less than 4.52 and is notorious for walking as many batters as he strikes out. There are two potential bright spot for the rotation, John Lannan posted a 3.91 ERA in 182 innings last year, while it was probably artificially inflated thanks to a .270 BABIP he is only 24 and expected to improve. Top prospect Jordan Zimmerman has pitched great this spring and profiles to be a #1 or #2 starter once he reaches his prime. The bullpen is also afwul, achored by Saul Rivera and Joel Hanrahan, who are above -average at best.

Projected FInish: 5th Place, NL East.

2009 Preview: Chicago Cubs

The Cubs looked poised to make a run at their first World Series title in a century in 2008. With Kerry Wood penciled in as the closer, and rookie catcher Geovany Soto showing signs of an offensive breakout, the Cubs appeared well-rounded and ready to dominate the NL Central. At the end of the season the Cubs were firmly entrenched in first place; Soto became a top-5 catcher, Wood became a 40 save closer, and Mark Derosa and Ryan Theriot had career years. After aquiring starter Rich Harden from the A's, Chicago had their sights set on the World Series. But, yet again, they were bounced from the playoffs by the red-hot Dodgers.

Projected Lineup:
C - Geovany Soto
1B - Derrick Lee
2B - Mike Fontenot
SS - Ryan Theriot
3B - Aramis Rameriz
LF - Alfonso Soriano
CF - Kosuke Fukudome
RF - Milton Bradley

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Carlos Zambrano
#2 - Ryan Dempster
#3 - Rich Harden
#4 - Ted Lilly
#5 - Sean Marshall
Closer - Carlos Marmol

Position Battles:
Closer - Carlos Marmol has incredible stuff and a closer mentality, but Kevin Gregg has experience. They both might get a shot during the season, but Marmol should have the job to himself by the all-star break.

2009 Outlook: The Cubs are going to struggle more than people think on offense. Losing Mark DeRosa especially hurts. Don't expect much out of Milton Bradley, he is perpetually injured as a DH, now that he has switched leagues, he's going to have to play outfield which will add stress and cause him to miss even more games. Derek Lee's power has gone down the drain, Ryan theriot's .307 batting average was mostly fueled by a .340 BABIP, Kosuke Fukudome consistently declined each month (.791 OPS pre all-star break, .640 post all-star break), and Fontenot hasn't proved he can hit leftys. Luckily, Soriano, Soto, and Rameriez should be able to shoulder the load.

Chicago's starting pitching could also end up being a question mark. Carlos Zambrano may be declining early due to the high amounts of innings he threw early in his career, once known as a strikeout pitcher, his K/9 now only resides aroung 6.7; as a result his ERA is now just under 4. Rich Harden has proved time and again that he cannot stay healthy for an entire season, and Ted Lilly is durable but he's on the wrong side of 30. Dempster could anchor the rotation if he can continue to throw strikes, he's 31, but 4 years of closing helped keep his pitches down, which could lead to some longevity as a starter. Jeff Samardzija, Marmol and Gregg should give the Cubs a nice bullpen core.

Projected Finish: 1st Place, NL Central.

2009 Preview: St. Louis Cardinals

2008 was a bit of a disappointment for the Cardinals as they were never really in contention the entire year. Chris Carpenter did not return to previous form and only pitched 15 innings last year. Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Chris Perez all established themselves as quality major-leaguers.

Projected Lineup:
C - Yadier Molina
1B - Albert Pujols
2B - Skip Schumaker
SS - Khalil Greene
3B - Troy Glaus
LF - Chris Duncan
CF - Rick Ankiel
RF - Ryan Ludwick

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Adam Wainwright
#2 - CHris Carpenter
#3 - Kyle Loshe
#4 - Todd Wellemeyer
#5 - Joel Pineiro
Closer - Jason Motte

Position Battles:
2B - There are questions about Schumaker's defense after converting from the outfield over the winter. If he can't handle it, Tyler Greene should get the first crack at a starting role.

3B - Troy Glaus is expected to miss the first 6-8 weeks of the season, but he should have his job when he returns. David Freese and Joe Mather are the frontrunners to fill in while Glaus is rehabbing. If neither of them can handle it, 2008 draft pick Brett Wallace could even get a chance.

Closer - Tony LaRussa has said that he will probably start the season with a closer by committee system which would include Jason Motte, Chris Perez, and Ryan Franklin. Either Perez or Motte could wrestle the job away by mid-season.

2009 Outlook: St. Louis' offense should have no problem scoring runs thanks to Albert Pujols, Ryan Ludwick and Troy Glaus. Pujols' elbow still has some question marks surrounding it, but that shouldn't stop him from putting up MVP-like numbers yet again. If Khalil Green can find his 2007 power and make more contact, they should especially tough.

The Cardinals pitching staff is a bit more of a question mark, IF Wainwright and Carpenter can stay healthy for a full year, IF Loshe and Wellemeyer can prove 2008 was not a fluke, IF their closer situation gets worked out then might a a chance to make a playoff run.

Projected Finish: 2nd Place, NL Central.

2009 Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays had a very good year in 2008, but the fact that they play in the incredibly tough AL East took away from their good season. Roy Halladay was unbelievable for Toronto by winning 20 games and having a sub 3 ERA. AJ Burnett finally stayed healthy and showed how good he can be by winning 18 games and having 231 strike outs. Also, the baseball world was introduced to 20 year old Travis Snider and he did not disappoint. Snider hit .301 in 78 ABs, had 2 homeruns, 13 RBIs, and 9 runs. He made the most of the short time that he was in the majors. If the Blue Jays were in the NL West they would have won the division with their 86 - 74 record.

Projected Lineup:
C - Rod Barajas
1B - Lyle Overbay
2B - Aaron Hill
SS - John McDonald
3B - Scott Rolen
LF - Adam Lind
CF - Vernon Wells
RF - Alex Rios
DH - Travis Snider

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Roy Halladay
#2 - Jesse Litsch
#3 - David Purcey
#4 - Scott Richmond
#5 - Casey Janssen
Closer - BJ Ryan

2009 Outlook: The Blue Jays lost AJ Burnett in the off-season and that is a big loss for them because when he is healthy he is one of the top pitchers in the league. Roy Halladay should get close to 20 wins again and pitch well, Litsch should get to double digit wins, but nothing special, and David Purcey could get double digit wins as well, but again nothing special. After those three it is really down hill in the pitching department. Scott Richmond and Casey Janssen could get roughed up a lot in 2009 and that is going to hurt Toronto big time. They need as many wins as possible to compete with Tampa, Boston, and New York.

The offense looks as if it should be really good in 2009. Travis Snider will have more experience and only get better as the season goes on. Two big questions that Toronto has are with Alex Rios and Vernon Wells. Can Vernon Wells stay healthy and can Alex Rios make up his mind? Alex Rios either steals a lot of bases and does not hit homeruns or he hits homeruns and does not steal bases. He switched midway through the 2008 season. If Wells can stay healthy and Rios choses what he wants to do, then the offense will be ok, but the pitching will still hurt the team.

Projected Finish: 4th Place, AL East

2009 Preview: Baltimore Orioles

2008 was a bad year for the Orioles, plain and simple. They lost nearly 100 games, the pitching was awful, and every Sunday was an embarrassment in Baltimore. The only real positive was the offense they created, but even that could not cancel out the terrible pitching. The Orioles look to try and improve on their 68 - 93 record in 2008.

Projected Lineup:
C - Matt Wieters
1B - Aubrey Huff
2B - Brian Roberts
SS - Cesar Izturis
3B - Melvin Mora
LF - Felix Pie
CF - Adam Jones
RF - Nick Markakis
DH - Luke Scott

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Jeremy Guthrie
#2 - Koji Uehara
#3 - Chris Waters
#4 - Rich Hill
#5 - Radhames Liz
Closer - George Sherrill

Position Battles:
#4 and #5 Starters - Mark Hendrickson and Adam Eaton have a chance at the last two spots in the rotation. Whoever has the better spring should get the job.

Closer - George Sherrill struggled in the second half of last year and Chris Ray is returning from Tommy John Surgery, so they may split the closer duty throughout the season.

2009 Outlook: People have some reason to be excited in Baltimore, but not because of the performance of the team, but because of one player. Matt Wieters. He is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and he has everyone talking. Wieters is a switching hitting catcher who can hit for power and average and play his position well. Other than Wieters the team does not really look any better than it did last year. Jeremy Guthrie is their number one starter, so that shows you that the pitching staff is still not very good and the offense consists of either old players (on the decline) or young players that have not panned out. So it does not really look like another good season for the Orioles, especially playing in the AL East.

Projected Finish: 5th Place, AL East

2009 Preview: Minnesota Twins

2008 was a heartbreaking year for the Twins, losing the AL Central by one game. The team was led by Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau who both had excellent years offensively. The rest of the team did not flash big numbers, but they were good enough to keep them in contention for the playoffs all the way to the last game of the year. The pitching staff of the Twins was very underrated and had 4 starters win at least11 games (Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn, and Glen Perkins). Solid pitching combined with the excellence of Morneau and Mauer led Minnesota to their 88 - 74 record and 2nd place in the AL Central.

Projected Lineup:
C - Joe Mauer
1B - Justin Morneau
2B - Alexi Casilla
SS - Nick Punto
3B - Joe Crede
LF - Delmon Young
CF - Carlos Gomez
RF - Denard Span
DH - Jason Kubel

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Scott Baker
#2 - Francisco Liriano
#3 - Kevin Slowey
#4 - Nick Blackburn
#5 - Glen Perkins
Closer - Joe Nathan

Position Battles:
#5 Starter - Phillip Humber will challenge for a spot in the rotation this spring, but most likely he will stick to the bullpen and Perkins will be in the 5 spot.

2009 Outlook: Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau should continue their outstanding play in 2009 and lead the team in offense, but they will not be alone. The Twins outfield is very young and has a lot of potential. Carlos Gomez is a speedy center fielder who will steal a lot of bases and should score a lot of runs at the top of the lineup. Delmon Young was a highly touted prospect with Tampa Bay and now he is with the Twins and we are still waiting for his big breakout, which I would not be surprised if that happened this year. He should hit for good average, steal bases, and hit for power and hopefully this is the year that it happens because this kid has a world of talent. Denard Span finally got his chance to play in 2008 and he will look to continue to build on the success that he had. Overall, the offense could be a force to reckon with next year.

The pitching could be even better in 2009 than it was in 2008. The Twins will return all their starters and if Fransisco Liriano can stay healthy, then he should make that rotation even better. The whole group is very underrated, but they get the job done by keeping the team in games. I believe each starter will improve on their win total from the previous year.

Projected Finish: 1st Place, AL Central

2009 Preview: Milwaukee Brewers

There was a lot of optimism in Milwaukee heading into 2008, Prince Fielder was coming off of a 50 homerun campaign, Yovani Gallardo and Ryan Braun had burst onto the scene and looked like future superstars, and the rest of the lineup, especially JJ Hardy and Corey Hart had surprising years. Gallardo tore his ACL in spring training, and Fielder struggled mightily over the first two months of the season, but thanks to fantastic performances by Braun, Hart, and Ben Sheets, the Brewers remained in contention. After trading for all-star CC Sabathia, the Brewers blossomed; Sabathia pitched 7 complete games and led Milwaukee to it's first playoff appearance since 1983.

Projected Lineup:
C - Jason Kendall
1B - Prince Fielder
2B - Rickie Weeks
3B - Bill Hall
SS - JJ Hardy
LF - Ryan Braun
CF - Mike Cameron
RF - Corey Hart

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Yovani Gallardo
#2 - Dave Bush
#3 - Manny Parra
#4 - Braden Looper
#5 - Jeff Suppan
Closer - Trevor Hoffman

Position Battles:
Middle Infield - Alcides Escobar is ready for the major's defensively, and should be a solid offensive producer right from the get-go. He is currently blocked by Hardy; there are rumors that either Hardy or Rickie Weeks could be traded to open up space for Escobar. If Weeks is traded, Hardy will move over to second base.

3B - After a fantastic season, Mat Gamel is now breathing down Bill Hall's neck. Gamel is not ready to play full-time and is a butcher at third base, but Hall has steadily regressed from his 30 homer campaign a few years ago, he is now a border-line player and a change of scenery could do him some good.

2009 Outlook: Milwaukee's rotation took a major hit when they lost both Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia, who are without question two of the best starting pitchers in the game today. The Brewers made no impact signings to fill their void in the rotation, as a result they will have trouble staying in games when their offense doesn't produce.

Milwaukee's lineup is certainly potent, led by Braun and Fielder, they should be one of the best in the big leagues. The additions of Escobar and Gamel will help, unfortunately it won't be enough to make up for the loss of Sheets and Sabathia.

Projected Finish: 3rd Place, NL Central

2009 Preview: Chicago White Sox

The 2008 season was a very good one for the Chicago White Sox. They won the division and had a couple of players really break out throughout the season in Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez. Carlos Quentin was having a monster year and was in the AL MVP talk, until he went down with an injury late in the year. Alexei Ramirez was in contention for the AL Rookie of the Year last year with his play at second base and with his amazing bat. Also, the pitching staff stepped it up last year and players like Gavin Floyd, Mark Buehrle, and John Danks really pitched well for the White Sox. The underrated pitching staff and the break outs of Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez fueled Chicago to an 89 - 74 record and the AL Central title.

Projected Lineup:
C - A.J. Pierzynski
1B - Paul Konerko
2B - Chris Getz
SS - Alexei Ramirez
3B - Dayan Viciedo
LF - Carlos Quentin
CF - Brian Anderson
RF - Jermaine Dye
DH - Jim Thome

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Mark Buehrle
#2 - John Danks
#3 - Gavin Floyd
#4 - Clayton Richard
#5 - Bartolo Colon
Closer - Bobby Jenks

Position Battles:
2B - Right now it looks as though the job is going to go to Gentz, but Brent Lillibridge or Jayson Nix have a chance to win the position in spring training.

3B - Dayan Viciedo is a Cuban rookie trying to make the team at the age of 20 and he is good enough to actually do that. Josh Fields and Brent Lillibridge could take the spot if Chicago feels that Viciedo needs some time in the minors first, but do not expect that to be long.

#5 Starter - If Bartolo Colon is not fully healed from his surgery the obviously he will not be in the #5 spot, but Lance Broadway or Jose Contreras could fill that spot.

2009 Outlook: This team will be very good on offense. Carlos Quentin should have another really good year, Alexei Ramirez should continue to get better and establish himself as one of the best middle infielders in the game, Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye should continue to produce power. Dayan Viciedo can provide a spark for the offense and add more power to the already powerful lineup, which might not be right away, but at some point in the season it will happen.

Age and the pitching staff are the the weaknesses of this team. Thome, Dye, Pierzynski, Dye, Colon, and Contreras are 30+ years old and so that could start to be a problem for the team. Also, the pitching staff could hurt Chicago because Contreras, Colon, Broadway, and Clayton Richard are not the most reliable pitchers right now and they really need to pitch well for this team to make the playoffs this year.

I think that the race for first in the AL Central will be a very close battle, but I do not know if the White Sox have it in them again this year. It will be tight at the end though, I believe that.

Projected Finish: 2nd Place, AL Central

2009 Preview: Cincinnati Reds

The Reds had a lot to be excited about entering the 2008 season, they had the top minor league prospect in Jay Bruce, and 3 others with all-star potential in Joey Votto, Homer Bailey and Johnny Ceuto. Their Ace, Aaron Harang was coming off a career year and they had brought in Dusty Baker during the off-season to help lead the team back to the play-offs. What followed was a bit of a dissapointment, Bruce and Bailey started back in the minors, Harang couldn't find the strikezone, and Baker conflicted with management over how to handle the team's young players. On the bright side, Edison Volquez became a dominant force in the NL and should stay that way for a long time.

Projected Lineup:
C - Ramon Hernandez
1B - Joey Votto
2B - Brandon Phillips
SS - Alex Gonzalez
3B - Edwin Encarnacion
LF - Chris Dickerson
CF - Willy Taveras
RF - Jay Bruce

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Edison Volquez
#2 - Aaron Harang
#3 - Bronson Arroyo
#4 - Johnny Cueto
#5 - Micah Owings
Closer - Francisco Cordero

Position Battles:
SS - Alex Gonzalez was the starter until he missed all of 2008 with a compression fracture in his knee. If he has setbacks or struggles, both Jeff Keppinger and Jerry Hairston could see playing time.

#5 Starter - Micah Owings is the front-runner for the position, but strong play out of Homer Bailey could send Owings to a relief role or the minor leagues. Bailey, once a top prospect, has struggled over the last two years, but has shown improved velocity and control-- he may be poised for a breakout.

2009 Outlook: The Reds have built a promising young lineup anchored by Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, and Jay Bruce. They will have no problem scoring runs, and Veteran Ramon Hernandez will give them a viable catching option for the first time in a few years.

Cincinnati's rotation had a bit of a roller coaster ride in 2008, they saw the emergence of Edison Volquez as one of the NL's top pitchers, but Aaron Harang regressed badly; Johnny Ceuto was inconsistent all season and should straighten out now that he has a year of experience under his belt. Their bullpen is a different story, outside of Francisco Cordero the Reds don't have a solid relief pitcher. A bullpen anchored by David Weathers won't get you very far these days.

Projected Finish: 4th Place, NL Central

2009 Preview: Cleveland Indians

In 2008 injuries plagued the Cleveland Indians. Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner, who are a huge part of the Cleveland offense, had awful years and ended up being sidelined for the rest of the year due to injuries. Also, Fausto Carmona's season was thrown off by a hip injury that really affected his pitching. Even though those three did not have the best years, they were saved by Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore who had fantastic seasons and were the real keys to the Indians going 81 - 81 last year (when it could have been a lot worst).

Projected Lineup:

C - Victor Martinez

1B - Ryan Garko

2B - Asdrubal Cabrera

SS - Jhonny Peralta

3B - Mark DeRosa

LF - Ben Francisco

CF - Grady Sizemore

RF - Shin-Soo Choo

DH - Travis Hafner

Projected Rotation:

#1 - Cliff Lee

#2 - Fausto Carmona

#3 - Carl Pavano

#4 - Jeremy Sowers

#5 - Anthony Reyes

Position Battles:

C - Victor Martinez was not completely healthy last year, so if that is the case again then Kelly Shoppach will take his place. Also, due to what happened last year with Martinez's health, the Indians will give him less starts at the catcher position and give him some random starts at DH and 1B to try and keep him as healthy as possible. So Kelly Shoppach will get more starts at catcher than a normal back-up catcher would.

#3-#5 Starters - Jeremy Sowers did not have a good year last year, so he is on thin ice this coming season. The fact he is a left-handed pitcher helps him because the rest of the rotation is righties, but he really needs to step it up if he wants to keep his spot in the rotation. Also, Anthony Reyes was not able to finish the season last year due to injury, so that is something to watch out for this year.

2009 Outlook: The Cleveland Indians went 81 - 81 with many injuries to their team, so if they can stay healthy in 2009 the team will be much improved. Sizemore will be the anchor of the offense once again and should put up incredible numbers, while Cliff Lee will lead the pitching staff. If Fausto Carmona can stay healthy, then he will make a good number 2 starter and really help that staff because if the team has one weakness, it is the bottom of the rotation. Also, if Kerry Wood can stay healthy and be the closer all year, then that pick up in the off-season would end up being very beneficial, because Kerry Wood has shown he can be a very good closer. I think this team has the players to be an above .500 team, but I think they are just missing a couple pieces to be a sure playoff team.

Predicted Finish: 3rd Place, AL Central

2009 Preview: Houston Astros

After a mediocre start to their season, the Astros traded aggressively at the deadline, adding Randy Wolf and LaTroy Hawkins which was apparently enough to boost them into contention. Unfortunately, the late-season push was not enough as they finished just 3.5 games out of the wild card spot with a record of 86-75.

Projected Lineup:
C - J.R. Towles
1B - Lance Berkman
2B - Kaz Matsui
SS - Miguel Tejeda
3B - Geoff Blum
LF - Carlos Lee
CF - Michael Bourn
RF - Hunter Pence

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Roy Oswalt
#2 - Wandy Rodriguez
#3 - Brandon Backe
#4 - Mike Hampton
#5 - Brian Moehler
Closer - Jose Valverde

Position Battles:
#5 Starter - Moehler and Russ Ortiz will fight for a rotation spot in spring training; the best of the two will get the first crack at the #5 job, but it's likely that both will get a fair amount of starts.

2009 Outlook: Owner Drayton McClane's "win now" mentality has completely drained Houston's farm system, and it looks like that will finally catch up with them as their #3-5 pitchers are either injury prone or AAA material. Roy Oswalt successfully reinvented himself last year, transitioning from a strikeout pitcher to a groundball pitcher as he can no longer blow fastballs by hitters the way he did 5 years ago. Wandy Rodriguez improved dramatically, but sat out the first half of 2008 with a groin injury, he and Oswalt should prove to be an effective 1-2 combo.

Carlos Lee was on pace for career numbers before injuries got the best of him; he, Lance Berkman, and Hunter Pence will give the Astros a strong heart of the lineup. If Michael Bourn can improve from his abysmal 2008, and J.R. Towles can handle the load at catcher, Houston will have one of the more potent lineups in the National League--too bad their pitching will struggle to keep them in games.

Projected Finish: 5th Place, NL Central

2009 Preview: Detroit Tigers

The Tigers were supposed to be the team to beat in the AL in 2008; but an all-around slow start, Curtis Granderson's broken finger, and the disappearance of Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman as staff anchors led to a hole from which the team could not rebound; even with a great second half from Miguel Cabrera. Detroit fell well short of expectations last year and finished dead last in the AL Central with a 74 - 88 record.

Projected Lineup:
C - Gerald Laird
1B - Miguel Cabrera
2B - Placido Polanco
SS - Adam Everett
3B - Brandon Inge
LF - Carlos Guillen
CF - Curtis Granderson
RF - Magglio Ordonez
DH - Gary Sheffield

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Justin Verlander
#2 - Armando Galarraga
#3 - Jeremy Bonderman
#4 - Edwin Jackson
#5 - Zach Miner
Closer - Brandon Lyon

Position Battles:
#5 Starter - It will be a battle in spring training between Zach Miner, Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson, and maybe even Rick Porcello (doubtful). Whoever has the better spring should get the spot and it appears all these starters (with the likely exception of Porcello) will get starts throughout the season.

Closer - The Tigers have thought of Joel Zumaya as their future closer for a few years now, but poor health has prevented him from reaching their expectations. The closer right now is Lyon, but he by no means has the job locked up; Zumaya, Fernando Rodney, or Freddy Dolsi could all get some opportunities for saves.

2009 Outlook: Detroit is a solid team and the offense looks excellent on paper again, but after their collapse last year, who knows what will happen once the real games get underway. I believe the team will improve upon last year's record because they are too talented to finish last in back-to-back years. Miguel Cabrera caught fire at the end of last season and the Tigers are hoping that fire returns at the beginning of the 2009 season.

The Tigers glaring problem, which is keeping them from being an elite team, is their pitching. Justin Verlander, a Cy Young candidate in years passed, fell apart leaving Detriot with no true "ace" coming into 2009; no guy that is going to go out and put fear in the other team. They have a bunch of average to below-average pitchers, unless Justin Verlander can rebound, they may have one of the worst staffs in the American League. Once they fix their pitching, they will be real contenders at making a run in the playoffs, but I do not think this is their year.

Projected Finish: 4th Place, AL Central

2009 Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates

Let's face it, the past 15 years have been rough for Pirates fans; and 2008 was no exception, Pittsburgh finished dead last in the NL Central compiling a record of 67-95. Last year wasn't all bad for the Pirates though, we saw the breakouts of Nate McLouth, Ryan Doumit, and Paul Maholm; and hey, at least they didn't lose 100 games.

Projected Lineup:
C - Ryan Doumit
1B - Adam LaRoche
2B - Freddy Sanchez
SS - Jack Wilson
3B - Andy LaRoche
LF - Nyjer Morgan
CF - Nate McLouth
RF - Brandon Moss

Projected Rotation:
#1 - Paul Maholm
#2 - Ian Snell
#3 - Zach Duke
#4 - Tom Gorzelanny
#5 - Ross Ohlendorf
Closer - Matt Capps

Position Battles:
#5 Starter - The winner of this battle will be the lesser of 2 evils at the end of spring training. Neither Ross Ohlendorf or Jeff Karstans should be starting in the majors, but until some much needed depth works its way up from the minor leagues they're Pittsburgh's best options right now.

OF - With hot prospects Andrew McCutchen and Steve Pearce waiting in the minor leagues, and Eric Hinske coming over from Tampa Bay, the Pirates will potentially have 6 major league ready outfielders for 3 jobs by mid-season. When McCutchen is called up he and McLouth will play everyday, but it's still a bit of a mystery how left field will shake out.

2009 Outlook: There's no way around it, it's going to be another rough year in Pittsburgh, but with a new front office regime, now in it's second year, it appears that the tide might be turning. The Pirates farm system is now fairly strong and possesses the marquee prospects in Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, and Jose Tabata. Unfortunately, neither of them will make much of an impact in 2009.

Projected Finish: 6th Place, NL Central