NL South Preview, Season 18

Oklahoma City Twins (NL) garlogic View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 90-72, Division Champions, lost to the New York Yankees in the Play-in Series
EXP W%: .536 (projected out to 87-75 over 162 games)
Notable acquisitions: LF Marino Reyes, P Moe Farley
Notable departures: P Vic Lopez, 1B Juan Lira, CF Bernie Crespo, LF Mendy Knight

In one of the most predictable player pairings (try saying that three times fast) in Gleeman World history, the Twins traded for the speedy Marino Reyes. He'll fit right in as the best baserunner on the fastest team in baseball (7 different players stole 30+ bases last season). It won't amount to a ton of runs, but it might be enough to support the National League's top run prevention unit. The pitching staff doesn't walk anybody (2nd fewest issued in the NL), the defense converts balls in play into outs (fewest hits allowed, below average strikeout rate), and they don't give up the long ball (once again, 2nd fewest allowed in the NL). Part of that is from the park, but most of that is simply from the design of the team. You know the Twins will always struggle to score, and that they'll always prevent runs. The problem here is that they've had stretches where their offense wasn't just bad, but awful (not 2010 Mariners awful, but awful enough), to the point where no level of pitching could salvage them. This squad is better than that, but I'm not altogether convinced that they won't regress a bit.

Prediction: 85-77, Division Champions

Iowa City Comics (NL) gusta487 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 82-80, tied for 2nd place
EXP W%: .483 (78-84)
Notable acquisitions: P Alex Rojas, P Grant Westbrook, 1B Charles Shibata
Notable departures: CF Branch Laker, SS Leonardo Nen, P Happy Magadan, C Damion Chen, P Davey Jacquez

Last season, the Comics made a 13 game jump over S16 to post their first winning season in 10 (Gleeman World) years. Despite this, they still look to be somewhat of a long shot in contending this season, even within a weak division. Much of that stems from the curious decision to trade away CF Branch Laker, the team's best position player, in return for a couple of relievers. Granted, the pen looks to be much improved as a result, and Laker didn't hit all that well last season. However, Eduardo Oliva's glovework in CF is much worse than Laker's, and the move might force someone like Ken Petrov into action; while a fine bench player, he's stretched as an everyday option. The acquisition of Shibata is a bit strange as well. While a fine hitter, Shibata is exactly what Iowa City doesn't need: a left-handed hitter defensively limited to 1B (Jamie Zheng, Nash McCartin). The rotation is top-heavy; Fausto Rosado is a stud, and The Other Rosado (as he'll forever be known as) was outstanding last year; although scouts are still waiting for the other shoe to drop, it's hard to deny his performance so far. Alan Womack and Walt Aldred, however, have both proven to be filler, and Hideki Sakamoto is coming off of an awful rookie season. One would think Sakamoto is a prime bounce-back candidate; on the other hand, The Other Rosado looks primed for a date with Ms. Regression. As it stands, the team should be competitive. Just not competitive enough.

*By the way, how are Sean Watkins and Vern Ryal still in HiA?

Prediction: 78-84, 4th place

St. Louis Greys (NL) broadwayevns View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 82-80, tied for 2nd place
EXP W%: .529 (86-76)
Notable acquisitions: 1B Chipper Velandia
Notable departures: 2B Solly Alexander, P Del Martin

The inevitable changing of the guard in St. Louis is right around the corner; faces of the franchise John Carroll and Bronson Ritz are clearly closing in on the twilight of their careers, nearly ready to be replaced by the kiddie corps. There's not much to say about this team as opposed to last season's team; the same familiar faces are still there, though it's not clear how much Carroll or Ritz have left at this point. The problem here is that for the first time in franchise history, the Greys don't have any star power to augment their modestly talented roster. The end result is a vanilla squad that should hold their own, but don't have much hope for anything more than that. Maybe young 1B Tuck Mathis rebounds from a disappointing rookie campaign. Maybe Carroll and Ritz have one last hurrah in them. Maybe a few of their players find God and clean living and decide to have career seasons. It's all the Greys can hope for this season. As noted above, the Greys do have some young talent in the minors (C Warren O'Connor and IF Homer Bird look ready). Should they be called up, they could easily make the division race more interesting. Regardless of who comes out of this division, though, that team will likely be the worst playoff team in the NL.

Prediction: 83-79 (if O'Connor + Bird are promoted), 2nd place

Nashville Havoc (NL) scottlaz View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 79-83, 4th place (as the Monterrey Conquistadores)
EXP W%: .494 (80-82)
Notable acquisitions: 3B Vladimir Pichardo, P Clark Murphy
Notable departures: P Danny Brower, P Rigo Gutierrez, P Max Moehler, 3B Jim Kirk

The surprising resignation of Monterrey's longtime GM evelandz23 coincided with the relocation of the Conquistadores. As a result, the franchise, now in Nashville, has been re-branded as the Havoc, run by scottlaz, the recently-deposed head honcho of the now-Santa Cruz Slugs. The Havoc fit right in with the rest of the division; they're hardly a bad team, but they don't figure to scare anyone, either. Losing Max Moehler doesn't figure to hurt as badly as one might think, as he was largely ineffective last season. Vladimir Pichardo should be an upgrade over recently departed Jim Kirk, too. Furthermore, the franchise is only a season removed from back-to-back 90+ win campaigns, with much of the same core group of players. It's hardly a great team, but it's not outrageous to think that they can compete. Just don't expect too much past that.

Prediction: 81-81, 3rd place

NL East Preview, Season 18

Chicago Jayhawks (NL) thorku View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 101-61, Division Champions, lost to the Milwaukee Twindyans in the NLCS
EXP W%: .595 (projected out to 96-66 over 162 games)
Notable acquisitions: P Jim Gonzalez, P Quilvio Rodriguez, P Sparky Rando, P Wilfredo Trajano, SS Phillip Combs, SS Corey Boehringer
Notable departures: SS Glenallen Simontacchi, P Bartolo Estrada, P Orber Benitez, P Stuart Burnett, P Ted LeCroy (pending, via trade with Washington)

The Jayhawks once again look like the class of the NL East, though they look less formidable than in years past. First, the departure of Glenallen Simontacchi leaves the Jayhawks without a legitimate starting SS. New acquisitions Phillip Combs and Corey Boehringer aren't awful hitters, and incumbent Maximo Bailey can pick it, but each of them profiles better as a backup. Replicating Simontacchi's S17 performance shouldn't be too difficult; his .638 OPS last season was the second worst of his career (the worst, a .630 OPS back in S13, was at least partially a product of playing in Tacoma's pitcher-friendly ballpark), and his defense is easily worse than any of Chicago's current options. On the pitching side, it'll be far tougher to duplicate the performance of Estrada, Benitez, and Burnett; the trio combined for over 430 IP and an ERA ~ 3.60. The Jayhawks decided to fill the holes with quantity; bringing in Rodriguez, Gonzalez (a longtime Jayhawk), Rando, and Trajano ensures that they'll have arms to fill in for the departed. The problem is that they're simply not as good. Complicating matters is the squad's heavy reliance on ace Marty Melhuse, who's immensely talented but always one pitch away from ending up on the surgeon's table. There's not much help left in the farm system, either, so an injury to any of their ML pitchers will be a challenge to replace. The 'Hawks still have the most talented team in the division, but there's a lot that can go wrong.

Prediction: 94-68, NL East Champions

New York Yankees (NL) goosegoslin View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 87-75, Wildcard, lost to the Milwaukee Twindyans in the NLDS
EXP W%: .561 (91-71)
Notable acquisitions: 1B Walt Lambert (OK, he was technically a Yankee last year, but only for 22 games)
Notable departures: P Birdie Cornelius, CF Felipe Cordero

While they've made the playoffs in three straight seasons, one could label the Yankees' revival as a bit of a disappointment, finishing their past three seasons with 87, 86, and 87 wins. The Yankees have traditionally built their teams around strong pitching (Haywood Towers, Brian Murata, Andres Silva, Jay Cosby, etc). However, faced with the dilemma of only being able to re-sign one of their two departing stars, GM goosegoslin elected to spurn Cornelius, instead offering Lambert a generous 5 year, $110MM contract. Even with his inclusion, it's still a stretch to call this a great lineup; Lambert is a very good hitter, but no one would mistake him for an elite talent. Still, they should score their share of runs. Unfortunately, they might end up giving back most, if not all of their gains in run prevention. The Yankees have a plethora of middling 5th starter options* sitting in AAA right now, but nothing approximating a replacement for one of the best pitchers in the league. Adding Lambert makes the offense better, but losing Cornelius makes the offseason a wash at best for the S18 fortunes of the Yankees. Expect them to tread water.

*As an aside, does any team churn out as many of these guys as the Yankees? Dewayne Christians, Juan Leon, Rico Garces, Slash Ardoin, Hod Kroon...

EDIT: I forgot that P David Calderon was injured for all of S17. Having Adams at SS will help, too, although I don't really think he's all that great. I'll boost the team from 86 wins to 90.

Prediction: 90-72, 2nd place (WC possible? I haven't assessed the NL West; I think at least one WC will come from there)

Scranton Nard Doggs (NL) schnoogens View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 79-83, 3rd place
EXP W%: .500 (81-81)
Notable acquisitions: P Norm Ellenwood
Notable departures: LF Marino Reyes, 3B/OF Victor Thomas, P Roosevelt Anderson, SS Santiago Chantres

After spending most of last season in contention, the Nard Doggs faded badly down the stretch, finishing below .500 and notching a 4th consecutive season of mediocrity. Scranton could be looking at a 5th; the Nard Doggs did little to improve the team this season, choosing instead to shed some payroll and play for the future. GM schnoogens aggressively shopped the expensive Marino Reyes, dumping $15MM of his $20MM on the Oklahoma City Twins. He then let Thomas, Anderson, and Chantres walk, filling in holes through internal promotions and the lone signing of starter Norm Ellenwood. He'll join a solid but thoroughly unexciting rotation, headed by appropriately named workhorse Mule Hardy. Star reliever Sammy Gonzalez is outstanding, but the rest of the pen is shaky. Calvin Faulk and Jake Henry are excellent players, and Jacob Sauer can hit righties, but they don't have much of a supporting cast surrounding them; additionally, aside from the two aforementioned stars, none of the starters penciled to play on Opening Day are good defensively, either. No, Scranton shouldn't be awful, but the Nard Doggs have clearly taken a step backwards.

Prediction: 71-91, 3rd place

Washington D.C. Bureaucrats (NL) themoff02 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 67-95, 4th place
EXP W%: .397 (64-98)
Notable acquisitions: P Toby LeCroy (pending, via trade with Chicago), P Del Martin, C Willie Hogan
Notable departures: P Gerard Tomlinson, P Howard Murphy, LF Jim Brown

Once the premier franchise of the National League, the Bureaucrats blew it all up last season. It was just as ugly as expected. Year 2 of the rebuild likely won't be any better. Most notable was the departure of veteran pitcher Gerard Tomlinson. Prodigal son Toby LeCroy and free agent Del Martin will help, but probably not enough, and the offense is miserable. Face of the franchise Al Iglesias is going to be a lonely, lonely man.

The big question isn't whether this team will contend, but whether they'll avoid stinking enough to prevent ownership from blowing it all up and firing the mastermind behind the 4-time champions, themoff02. It's certainly something worth following.

Prediction: 60-102, 4th place

NL North Preview, Season 18

Milwaukee Twindyans (NL) coolio4433 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 96-66, lost to the Minnesota Fatboys in the World Series.
EXP W%: .618 (projected out to 100-62 over 162 games)
Notable acquisitions: none
Notable departures: none

The Twindyans culminated their most successful regular season since S8 with a somewhat surprising playoff run that ended in a World Series loss to the 3-time champion Fatboys. Whether it stemmed from complacency, a desire to keep the same faces around, or an unwillingness to spend in the free agent market, management elected to return every member on the 25 man roster. Given that the team's 96 wins last season were actually 4 wins below its expected winning percentage, there's little doubt that the Twindyans will contend again. There are some warning signs; 7 of the returnees are 34 or older, and scouts suggest sluggers Kareem Duckworth and Jin-Chi Choi may not age particularly gracefully. There isn't much help coming through the minor league pipeline, either. However, these issues are hardly relevant for the upcoming season. This is a playoff team.

Prediction: 98-64, NL North Champions

Columbus Santa Marias (NL) mrincubus View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 71-91, 2nd place
Exp W%: .436 (71-91)
Notable acquisitions: none
Notable departures: OF Joaquin Cordero, 3B Del Tavarez, P Sam Roberts, P Gary Hermanson, P Carlos Santiago, P Chili Coles

The Santa Marias, after another dismal season, have decided to blow it all up and start from scratch. Gone are several core veteran players, replaced by a smattering of modestly talented (and even that's a stretch) kids tasked with the job of keeping the franchise from plummeting to new lows. LF Willie Espinoza might be the only above average position player in a punchless lineup (.688 OPS in S17), and GM mrincubus may end up moving him at some point during the season. The pitching, supposedly the team's strength, took a significant hit; innings-eater Chili Coles opted for free agency, and the team's best pitcher, Sam Roberts, was flipped to Minnesota. With no talent coming in to replace any of the holes, this could get ugly quickly.

Prediction: 64-98, 3rd place

Cleveland Redbirds (NL) bkukowski View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 67-95, 3rd place
EXP W%: .425 (69-93)
Notable acquisitions: CF Branch Laker, 3B Del Tavarez, SS Leonardo Nen, P Birdie Cornelius, P Max Moehler, P Gerard Tomlinson
Notable departures: P Alex Rojas, P Grant Westbrook, P Dennis Cohen, P Ted Roskos, 3B Sting Berger, P Aaron McGowan

The Redbirds turned out to be the surprise team of the offseason, trading for 2-time All-Star CF Branch Laker and defensive whiz 3B Del Tavarez, then committing a combined $161.5MM on three starting pitchers through free agency. Sluggers Brent O'Donnell and Tony Guerrero return, along with the rest of the supporting cast, to form an offense that should be at least adequate. The pitching goes from terrible (4.70 ERA, 2nd worst in the NL) to a point of strength. Cornelius is a legitimate ace, Moehler will give the Redbirds quality innings, if not quantity, and Tomlinson is more than an innings-eater. And while the bullpen could be a problem, it's hardly a disaster, and they do have prospects waiting in the wings at AAA to take over, should somebody falter. It's not a team built to last, but look for them to challenge for a wildcard slot this season.

Prediction: 91-71, WC

Hartford Dark Blues (NL) tjefferson View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 17 Record: 60-102, 4th place
EXP W%: .349 (57-105)
Notable acquisitions: 1B Matt Governale
Notable departures: CF Shane Raben, P Kenneth Thomas, P Paul Wilson, P Jay Piazza, SS Brian Hendricksen, P Javy Gomez, P Jesus Santos

The Dark Blues were, by any measure, the worst team in the National League in S17. Understandably, GM tjefferson jettisoned many of the players that received the most playing time, including disasters Javy Gomez (146 1/3 IP, 6.83 ERA) and Jay Piazza (86 2/3 IP, 6.65 ERA). Unfortunately, the replacements don't figure to be a whole lot better. Pretend you know nothing about the team. If someone told you that the 25 man roster on Opening Day would consist of 4 waiver-wire castoffs, and 5(!) Rule 5 draft picks, how good would you think that team was?

Exactly.

Additionally, not every player leaving Hartford was terrible. The Dark Blues lost their best position player in Shane Raben and a quality reliever in Thomas. The lineup isn't a complete disaster; Esteban Lecuona was terrific last season, and both Enrique Melendez and Ronnie Malloy can hit as well. However, the National League's worst pitching staff doesn't really look any better this season, the lineup still has far too many holes, and there's absolutely no depth anywhere, should anyone get hurt. There's no reason to think that this team will improve on last season's record, and that's saying a lot.

Prediction: 53-109, 4th place

AL Season 14 Preview

The Contenders (Ranked in Order)


Minnesota-The loss of Abraham Davis to free agency and Orber Benitez to injury in Buffalo and the expected addition of two power arms in the form of Marlon Rose and Rick Tyner to their rotation powers the Fatboys back to the top of the pecking order in the AL. Their offense will be almost completely in tact and their main departure, Louis Quantrill, is being replaced by the vastly more talented Rose. That offense is getting up there in age though.


Buffalo-They still have Vinny Wang, Clay Young, and one of the best offenses in the majors, but the loss of Benitez and Davis (even if Davis was, along with Young, surprisingly ineffective last season) is a blow to this team and knocks them one peg below the Fatboys.



New York Metropolitans-After having the 5th worst offense in the AL last season, the Metropolitans went on a Bizarro-Wilpon-esque spending spree this offseason and added the best hitter and best shortstop on the market to their already talented team. Although this team will not have a great OBP, they will have a dynamic rotation, the most valuable pitcher in the league in Crash Miller, and an offense that will hit some dingers and steal bases like the dickens. The Mets will be a team that is much more dangerous in the playoffs than in the regular season.


Philadelphia-The reigning AL champs return one of the more dynamic lineups in the league, but the loss of Bill Cameron hurts as does the loss of their DH last season, Hector Soto. Their pitching staff, while posessing a dynamic weapon in Ismael Molina, remains a liability.

Los Angeles-A sneaky good team from last season and my "lead pipe prediction for the season", The Hangars added two solid additions in Hector Diaz and Daniel Thompson to an already above average offense. The pitching staff will have former #1 pick Carl McMurty for a full season which should only help the number three staff from last season. If any team is poised to jump into the upper crust of the AL this season, it is the Hangars.

Potential Division Winners, But Luck Required(Ranked)

Tampa Bay-The likely favorite in the AL South and a perennially solid team, there is no reason to believe that this team will perfom much differently than the 90 win team that it has consistently been over the last six seasons, good or bad.

Florida-This could be the surprise team in the AL in season 14. The addition of Bill Cameron will greatly bolster an offense led by Ronald Leverault, and Louis Quantrill will be a solid option in the rotation. Could this be a replay of the JMilesky/Rockitsauce experience from seasons 10/11?

Decent enough but...not likely to reach the playoffs(Not Ranked)


Richmond-Not a bad team, and better than their record last year, but there is no reason to believe that they will challenge Tampa Bay or Florida for a division championship this season.


Las Vegas-Alex Bravo and Walt Lambert form a dynamic duo, and the additions of Danny Brower and Dale Stewart help, but it is difficult to forecast this team to win much more than 85 games in season 14.


Fargo-They lost Mariano Reyes who is one of the more valuable players in the league, but they added a number of smaller pieces who could make up for the loss of Reyes, but probably won't.


San Francisco-No reason to think they will be terrible or be a contender.





In the Prospect Business...(Not Ranked)


Syracuse-JMilesky returns to his old team with an Isiah Thomas-esque collection of bad contracts. Should be fun!


Boston-Rebuilding project year four commences.


Pittsburgh-A full season of Rafael Cairo will be exciting, but otherwise it is tough to forecast this team to do much more than last season.


Little Rock-Still a season or two away, but this team is primed to do great things in the very near future.


Cheyenne-They have a couple of good prospects in AA, but this team is still at least one year away from contending.

NL Season 14 Preview

For the sake of organization, I'll rank the teams in order, as a "power ranking:"

#1A and 1B:

Washington D.C. Bureaucrats (NL) themoff02 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Salem Sidehill Gougers (NL) anonymous26 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

It's difficult to pick a clear favorite from the two giants of the NL, so I'll take the easy route and crown them both #1. The Sidehill Gougers finished 4 wins better and had a slightly better run differential, but were eliminated in the DCS, while the 'Crats won it all. Both teams did little to improve their roster, but lost no one of consequence, simply cycling backups and role players through free agency. Salem boasts one of the best pitching staffs in Gleeman World history; the Greys' John Carroll may have won the NL Cy Young, but Gouger pitchers secured the next four slots on the ballot. The 'Crats showcase the league's most dynamic offense, bludgeoning the ball to the tune of .281/.349/.444, scoring a league-best 935 runs - all without attempting a single stolen base.


#3:

Tacoma Down Pour (NL) mrauseo View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The gap between the top two teams in the NL and the rest of the field is almost laughable. The Downpour are a good team, to be sure, and they've had a very productive offseason. The signing of Abraham Davis should turn out to be interesting; moving from neutral Dunn Tire Park to spacious Cheney Stadium could prove to be critical for the flyball-heavy righty. Ernest Crawford is an excellent caddy for Wilt Knotts, and Daryl Morgan will likely prove an improvement over Glenallen Simontacchi's enigmatic past performance. Bringing in productive flex pitcher Jacob Stewart can't hurt, either. Yet despite all of these improvements, the Downpour simply lack the amount of top-tier talent that both Washington and Salem possess, making them clearly a notch below.


4.

Chicago Jayhawks (NL) thorku View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Jayhawks did even less to their ML roster than either the Sidehill Gougers or Bureaucrats, choosing to stand pat this season (their disturbing trend of trading for minor leaguers closely affiliated with the porn industry notwithstanding). The 'Hawks can hit, although some of that is a Wrigley mirage; they posted a league-leading .805 OPS last season, but could only muster a .737 showing on the road, good for 6th in the NL. Their team ERA is similarly misleading; while finishing well below the league average in that category, they actually managed a 3.64 ERA on the road, 4th best in the National League. In short, the Jayhawks are deceptively balanced, and look like one of the early favorites to grab one of the two coveted NL wildcard spots.


5.

Monterrey Conquistadores (NL) evelandz23 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Conquistadores finished an agonizing one game behind the NL South champion Twins, ending what turned out to be a disappointing year for a franchise coming off of a franchise-best 99 wins in Season 12. Despite this, Monterrey GM evelandz23 decided not to make any major moves, simply swapping minor pieces during the offseason. The focus will largely be on the pitching staff, which has great front end talent but questionable depth. Max Moehler and Ismael Colome are very good, but Juan Oliva's season smells fluky, and the rest of the rotation looks a bit dicey. Similarly, the bullpen is all over the place; mopup pitcher Desi Liriano somehow ended up throwing 77 awful innings, for instance. There's plenty of talent here, though, and there's no reason why the Conquistadores can't wrest the division crown back in Season 14.


6.

Boise Mashers (NL) mutineer View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Despite finishing with the 3rd best record in the NL last season and essentially returning the same roster, Boise will be hard-pressed to make it back to the playoffs. That's partly due to the strength of the division, but partly due to regression; prior to Season 13, Boise floundered at or below .500 for three straight years, including back-to-back 74 win campaigns in Seasons 11 and 12. Then, after adding Pat Badilla and Raul Rivera, the Mashers improved 18 games. As well as those two players performed, their efforts weren't worth nearly that much. Moreover, the team's performance is likely to deteriorate because of the age of its players. More than half of the roster is at least 32 years old; four of those guys are at least 38. Only one player falls under the age of 27. The Mashers still look good enough to play meaningful games late into the season, but the proverbial window of opportunity may be closing in a hurry.


7.

Oklahoma City Twins (NL) garlogic View Hardball Dynasty Profile

In a surprising turn of events, the Twins, not the Greys or Conquistadores, ended up winning the NL South for the first time since Season 4. It won't be easy to repeat, though; the Twins ended up outperforming their expected winning percentage by 7 games last season. Regression, meet Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City, meet regression. The team lives and dies by the same principles it always has. On offense, they slap the ball around and draw walks, then start running and don't stop. On defense, their pitchers throw strikes while their ridiculously athletic fielders gallop across the field, gobbling up every grounder and flyball in sight. It makes for a peculiar brand of baseball that evokes memories of years past. Will it work again this year? It's possible, and big-ticket FA acquisition Sting Berger will make them better, along with full seasons from their emerging youth corps. Regardless of their success last year, though, they don't appear to be the division favorites coming in.


8.

St. Louis Greys (NL) broadwayevns View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Greys fell flat on their faces, finishing 13 games out of first, well out of contention. The bats turned ice-cold; almost every player on the roster played worse than his established level of performance. The pitching was fine, led (as usual) by stocky ace extraordinaire John Carroll. With OBP machine Solly Alexander joining youngster Russ Sullivan atop the lineup, the Greys' offense should (in theory) rebound, especially if aging slugger Matt Governale can prove last year's performance was a fluke, not a trend. It may be difficult to project St. Louis to regain its perch atop the division given last season's debacle, but expect them to at least be in the mix, if nothing else.


9.

Milwaukee Twindyans (NL) coolio4433 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

In a statement move, the Twindyans acquired former #1 overall pick Jin-Chi Choi from Anaheim for a couple of prospects. They also signed former Anteater SS Guy Wise to a utility role, adding a bit of depth and flexibility to the roster. It's not enough to make Milwaukee a good team, but as they proved last season, you don't have to be good to win the NL North. The Twindyans were actually outscored by 9 runs en route to taking the division. Not exactly impressive. Look for more of the same this year; this year's Twindyans are better than last year's model, but they still look like fodder for the top wildcard team in the playoffs (if they get there at all).


10.

Ottawa Otters (NL) parnold1 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Milwaukee's biggest challenger, and the only team in the NL North to finish with a positive run differential. The Otters look primed to duke it out again with the Twindyans in the battle for mediocrity. Solid pitcher Alex Sano is gone, now replaced by relievers Galahad Christiansen and Alex Rojas; they're probably game enough to make this a wash. The Otters also replaced underachieving position players Theo Coleman and Bo Brown with platoon SS Miguel Alvarez. None of these moves do all that much to change the ability level of the team; while they technically outperformed Milwaukee last season in terms of run differential, the Twindyans did more to improve their squad this offseason.


11.

New York Yankees (NL) goosegoslin View Hardball Dynasty Profile

One of the youngest teams in Gleeman World, with only two players on the wrong side of 30. The Yankees, led by blossoming ace David Calderon, should be solid in run prevention; losing veterans Cozy Bolling and Galahad Christiansen won't hurt too much given their modest performances, and the Yankees have a truckload of able-bodied (if unspectacular) pitching prospects at AAA. The offense, however, is another problem; the Yankees scored the 3rd fewest runs in the NL, ahead of only the lowly Comics and 'Nard Doggs, and they've done nothing to address the issue. Godspeed, Danny Payton.


12.

Sioux Falls Gunslingers (NL) tyle0056 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Despite being listed just under their NL North competition in the preliminary rankings, the Gunslingers don't appear to be a threat, even in a division this weak. That's because their respectable regular season record masks the league's 4th worst pitching staff (by RA) and 4th worst offense (by RS), and it's hard to say they've improved all that much. Sure, they've brought in solid FA starter Otis Upshaw, and trading for Pat Bowen should bolster a bullpen that at times looked like Rob Hutch, Carlos Santiago, and a bunch of Little Leaguers. Getting to start Willie Espinoza for a full season is nice as well. However, the Gunslingers also lost solid SP Placido Coronado and OBP-heavy 2B Solly Alexander. Coronado's been replaced, but there doesn't appear to be a legitimate solution to man the keystone on the roster.


13.

Montreal Redbirds (NL) bkukowski View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Formerly the Vancouver Vigilantes, longtime GM scottie3234 voluntarily resigned over the offseason. Since then, the franchise now has a new locale (Montreal), moniker (Redbirds), and GM (bkukowski). It'll be a long road back to respectability for the new franchise, as they inherit a pitching staff that allowed 953 runs, 2nd worst in the NL. To remedy the situation, Montreal opted to do some spring cleaning, bringing in pitchers Glen Leon, J.C. Carroll, Henry Gilmore, and Bernie Nunez, among others, while also calling up relief prospect Wellington Martinez. Furthermore, the Redbirds agreed in principle to trade for Anteater star Sal Roosevelt at a later point during the season, which should provide a huge shot in the arm for the beleaguered cadre of pitchers. Montreal also acquired Gustavo Rojas, Mateo Gonzalez, and Willie Sanchez, all solid big leaguers in their own right. It's not enough to bring them to contention, even in the weak NL North. It might, however, give them a chance to pass Sioux Falls and climb out of the cellar.


14.

Anaheim Anteaters (NL) base_ballers View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Once one of the better franchises in Gleeman World, the Anteaters have undergone a major facelift. Only two players (Sal Roosevelt and Lariel Lee) from Season 13's 25 man roster figure to still be there by Opening Day, and Roosevelt should be on his way out a fifth of the way into the season. There's not much to say about this unit; as a ragtag collection of unwanted free agents, Quad-A castoffs, and waiver bait, they don't figure to make much noise this year. Finishing within 10 games of the 2nd worst NL West team would be an achievement in and of itself.


15.

Scranton Nard Doggs (NL) schnoogens View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The franchise formerly known as the Rincons finally bottomed out, posting an abysmal 41-121 record (and actually deserving it, which is just as impressive). They don't rank last, though, because GM schnoogens decided to proactively fix up the team. To fix the pitching staff, the Nard Doggs called up top prospects Mule Hardy and Sammy Gonzalez; they also signed FA hurlers Willis Bradford, Alex Sano, Joshua Walsh, and Louis Lyon, all capable major leaguers that should provide a modicum of stability where there previously was none. Scranton also signed veteran 3B Clay Gibbons, who should provide some much needed power in the middle of the lineup, and snagged Rule 5 gem Jacob Sauer, who'll likely be penciled in as the starting RF. There are still tons of holes, and this is hardly a good team. Nonetheless, they should at least avoid being a complete pushover.


16.

Iowa City Comics (NL) gusta487 View Hardball Dynasty Profile

My pick for the worst team in the NL. One reason is that they don't have a pitching staff right now. At all. The Comics currently have 6 pitchers on their 25 man roster; one of those, Curt Jackson, probably has no business being on a major league team. The offense doesn't actually look a whole lot better, either. While they do have a full squad of position players, only one (Mo Crane) appears to have a better than 50/50 shot of topping a .700 OPS. This could end up being a complete disaster.

NL South preview: Season 12

St. Louis Greys (97-65, NL South champions)

After the most exciting offseason in Greys history, St. Louis was back to its typical, inactive ways this offseason. The biggest loss was RP Lawrence Edwards and the Greys didn't add anybody of consequence.

Matt Governale returns as the key to the offense after an excellent first season in the NL, but he'll need help if St. Louis is going to improve on last season's 10th-place showing in runs scored.

Bronson Ritz is a good hitter, although he was probably over his head last season, and Vladimir Pichardo and Slim Gutierrez are both solid, but the rest of the lineup is pretty mediocre.

Fortunately for St. Louis, it returns most of the pitching staff that allowed the fewest runs in the NL last season. The key, obviously, is five-time Cy Young winner (including the last four) John Carroll.

He's joined in the rotation by solid, if unspectacular, starters Howie Dalesandro, Willis Smith and Roy Gold, with David Alvarado as a weak fifth starter.

The bullpen is led by the fine trio of Nate Pedersen, Don Parkers and Edgardo Uribe.

Prediction: 94-68, NL South champions

Oklahoma City Twins (81-81)

The Twins overachieved in Season 11, and GM garlogic realizes that his team isn't ready to contend despite what seems like steady improvement from Season 9 to Season 11. As a result, he got rid of several players in the offseason, most notably 19-game winner Lance Lara and solid innings-eater D'Angelo Pascual.

Oklahoma City finished last in the NL with 640 runs scored and it looks like offense will be a problem again. Kirk Titan is the best returning player who received at least 300 at-bats and he'll get an expanded role. Kevin North will also get a full-time role after a brutal cup of coffee in the majors last season.

Lariel Lee and Ray Lyons are the only other returning position players who posted an OPS above .620 last season.

Adrian Henderson, Vic Lopez and Bobby Metzger are the three returning starters and they'll be joined by rookie Ben Weston and an unknown fifth starter. The bullpen is led by Moe Farley, Jesus Santos and Henry Gilmore.

Prediction: 65-97

Monterrey Conquistadores (75-87)

After two nice seasons in Atlanta, the franchise moved to Monterrey and has had trouble getting anything going, topping out at 85 wins in Season 10. After a step back in Season 11, the Conquistadores hope to start making progress toward a return to the playoffs.

Monterrey jettisoned four players this offseason who had significant roles with the team last season, none of them particularly good: SP Carl Gray, SP Bum Marte, 3B Pedro Pulido and LF Victor Bieser, plus a couple relievers who also struggled.

Monterrey didn't bring in a whole lot of new talent in the offseason, signing Houston Linden to replace Pulido at third and Richard Delaney to replace one of the departed relievers. Neither of them is great, but they should at least be able to do what the players they're replacing did.

The biggest upgrades to the team this season are expected to come from the promotion of a couple prospects after 20 games.

Taylor Turner will replace Bieser in left field and should be a massive improvement. Combined with Francisco Nunez (about half the time), Ted Simpson and Dennis Nelson (who should bounce back from a down season), Taylor will give Monterrey an imposing heart of the order.

The other call-up will be Ismael Colome, who should be an improvement over Gray and will join Max Moehler to provide a nice 1-2 punch in the rotation.

Unfortunately, the back of the rotation isn't very good with Loaiza and Otis Upshaw and the bullpen is mediocre at best.

Prediction: 83-79

Iowa City Comics (63-99)

Coming off the worst season in franchise history, the Comics lost two players who had full-time roles in Season 11: 2B Alejandro Javier and SP Joe Sanders. Neither is a star, but both are solid players and will be missed by a team just looking to win at least 62 games.

The Comics brought in 3B Darron Jenkins and SP William Cheng, and while both are a bit past their prime, they should be able to contribute.

Future Hall of Famer Chipper Velandia remains as a reminder of how good the franchise used to be, but there's just not very much talent around him.

It's going to be a tense season in Iowa City as the win rule looms large. Fortunately, the Comics underperformed a bit last season. The team had the run differential of a 70-win team, so even if the talent level is lower this season, there should be something of a buffer.

Prediction: 65-97

AL North Preview: Season 11

Buffalo Europeans (AL) nealphd View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 10: 100-62, AL North Champs, lost to the Minnesota Fatboys in the DCS

The defending division champs decided to keep as much of their pitching staff as possible intact; the only turnover involved low-leverage reliever Douglas Johns replacing little-used Glen Leon. On the flip side, nealphd did bring in a few new position players, including 3B Houston Linden, C Tony Hernandez, and recent call-up Norm Webster. Linden will likely be an everyday player, while Hernandez and Webster will share duties with incumbents Tuck Stein and Luis Uribe, respectively. This year's team, as is, looks likely to suffer from the same pitfalls as last year's team; Uribe is a butcher at SS, the bullpen doesn't have much depth after Sandy Bryant, and the lineup is merely decent. The rotation is still as good as any in baseball, though. Last year's performance wasn't a fluke; look for them to run away with the title of AL's best team this year.

Prediction: 108-54, Division champs

Minnesota Fatboys (AL) aarongleeman View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 10: 97-65, lost to the Washington Bureaucrats in the World Series

The Fatboys were hit as hard as any one team by free agency; four of their departing players combined for 15 All-Star game appearances (Stewart, Crespo, Washington, Fonville). Minnesota also dealt away starting pitchers Norm Ellenwood and Lance Lara, although the losses were somewhat mitigated by adding capable arms Dennis Cohen and Billy Ray Perry. However, that appears to be at least a small net loss, and even the better starters on the roster all have some question marks (Is Harrison better than last year? Will Becker rebound from last year's injury? Does Leary still "have it" at 40 years old?). The Fatboys also dealt away SS Guy Wise, although the organizational depth at the position borders on ludicrous. The bullpen features the three-headed monster of Croushore, Zhou, and Gandarilla; both Croushore and Gandarilla are capable of topping 100 innings of quality relief per season, and Zhou ranks among the better closers in the league. The lineup is still plenty dangerous, although expecting Keeler to repeat last season's performance would be unreasonable under any circumstances. The Fatboys still have a good team, but temper your expectations; this might be the weakest team Minny's fielded in a while.

Prediction: 90-72, Wildcard

*EDIT: Quote taken from Gleeman off the world chat: "I'm not even kidding. Read the AL North preview (which is well done, generally) and if you agree with the wins prediction for the Fatboys, name a number. I'll bet $10,000, if someone wants. Seriously."

Not that I'm completely disagreeing with him (it does feel a bit low, on second thought), but I felt I had to post this so I could look back on it at the end of the season. :-)

Cleveland Rocks (AL) morneau33hr View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 10: 87-75, 3rd place

After a tumultuous offseason that included a controversial vetoed trade, new GM morneau33hr decided to keep the core of the team intact. The problem is, many of the complementary pieces appear to be gone, and no one was signed to replace them. Relievers Kordell Bordick, Ross Livingstone, and Brian Murata were allowed to walk, as were catchers Derek Page and Vic Hardtke and outfielder Hector Hernandez. The Rocks signed OF Luis Cairo to replace Hernandez, but the loss of Page and Hardtke leaves incumbent Rich Beech alone to hit against RHP, which probably isn't the best idea, even considering his defense. Also, the bullpen, once a strength, looks awfully shaky behind Brian Hunt. There are enough stars here to call this a playoff-caliber team, but the glaring holes in the margins of Cleveland's roster makes them a bit of a tough read.

Prediction: 83-79, 3rd place, no playoffs

Fargo Tumbleweeds (AL) sdedalus View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 10: 80-82, 4th place

The Tumbleweeds patched up one of their team's biggest holes this offseason, signing C Neil Byrne to replace all-glove C Humberto Martinez and the excrable Miguel Alou. Adding Luis Cervantes to replace Ken James is less of an upgrade, but an upgrade nonetheless. However, the rest of last year's thoroughly mediocre team is back at it again, with the same so-so pitching staff to complement what should be a capable, but forgettable lineup. The Tumbleweeds are in an awkward position: they're too good to be considered a rebuilding team, but aren't really contenders in the AL's toughest division. It doesn't appear that will change this season.

Prediction: 79-83, 4th place

NL North preview: Season 11

Vancouver Vigilantes (93-69, NL North champs)

Vancouver lost half-season rental Eugene Ramirez to free agency, but that may not be as big a loss as expected. The Vigilantes went out and signed Ruben Crespo to replace him. While Crespo's not quite as good as Ramirez, he did post a 3.99 ERA in an AL hitters' park last season, while pitching 311 innings. Crespo should be able to improve upon the production Vancouver got from Ramirez and Coco Ferrell last season (a combined 3.89 ERA in 236 innings).

Vancouver's other big loss was RF Douglas Coleridge. To replace his bat, they traded for 3B Darron Jenkins and will move Brandon Sheffield to RF.

Jenkins should help an offense that finished third in the NL in runs scored (894) last season, as he joins 2B Bryan Beckett, Sheffield, CF Joseph Wang, SS Turk Badilla and LF Mark Sakamoto in a balanced lineup. The only weak spot is 1B, where the Vigilantes will try to get by with Pedro Marin.

Crespo leads a rotation that includes Paul Wilson and a bunch of question marks. Pat Bowen and Tomas Moreno have durability issues. Juan Gonzales has stamina issues. And Alfonso Aquino and Fred Torres have issues of quality.

The bullpen will rely heavily on Shigetoshi Itou and Clyde Haynes.

When you factor in the age-related declines of Beckett and Gonzales, Vancouver probably only improved slightly in the offseason. The good news for Vigilantes fans is that nobody else in the division did enough to make up the gap.

Prediction: 94-68, first place by at least 10 games

Ottawa Otters (79-83)

Ottawa didn't lose any critical players, saying goodbye to Rickey Dixon and Octavio Suarez and good riddance to Andy Weaver and Cody Woods. Unfortunately, the Otters didn't add any critical players either, as signing RP Nick Harper was the team's only real offseason move.

Harper will join Josh Houston and Grant Westbrook in what should be a solid bullpen.

The rotation still features quality starters Aurelio Martin and Vinny Matthews at the top, with Pablo Campos, Nick Roosevelt and an unattractive choice between Ed McNamara and Javy Gomez.

The pitching staff allowed 720 runs last season, fifth in the NL, and should be somewhere in that range again this season. The offense, on the other hand, is a mess. It was 12th in the league with 709 runs scored last season and doesn't appear much improved.

LF Enrique Melendez is the only player on Ottawa's roster who had at least 250 at-bats for the Otters last season and posted an OPS above .800. RF Tony Cela should bounce back from a disappointing season, but it's no guarantee. James Holmes and Esteban Lecuona will take some of the at-bats left by the departures of Dixon, Weaver and Woods, but it remains to be seen whether they can improve on the poor performance of that trio.

Prediction: 81-81

Sioux Falls Gunslingers (72-90)

Sioux Falls also didn't lose anybody of consequence, and actually made one of the biggest one-for-one upgrades of the entire offseason. The Gunslingers kicked Howard Riley (.543 OPS in 387 at-bats) to the curb and signed J.D. Pettyjohn to take most of the at-bats at catcher. Even if Pettyjohn fails to replicate last season's career year, he'll be a huge improvement over Riley. Sioux Falls' offense (15th in the NL last season) should also get more production from corner outfielders Al Rapp and Carlos Carreras.

Sioux Falls' other offseason move was to trade for SP Jayson Ellis who should benefit from leaving Fenway behind and joining the NL. He'll lead a rag-tag rotation that may shift a lot througout the season.

The strength of the Gunslingers is definitely its bullpen, led by Crash Miller, Larry Piatt and Rob Hutch.

Prediction: 75-87

Milwaukee Twindyans (69-93)

After nine consecutive winning seasons and eight playoff appearances, Milwaukee fell hard last season, and it's not going to get any better this season. The Twindyans traded their best hitter (Darrin Murphy) during season 10 and then lost their next-best hitter (Victor Bieser) in the offseason. So an offense that was 13th in the NL with 691 runs scored last season could be much, much worse this season.

On top of that, the Twindyans also lost their best starting pitcher (Larry Williamson) during the offseason and will replace him with rookie Theo Marquis, who should be solid but is untested as of yet.

And the only relievers in the bullpen who posted sub-4 ERAs in significant action are Rickey Bolick and the ancient Vic Alfonzo.

Prediction: 65-97