S19 Cowboy Preview

Tucson Mail Order Cowboys

S18 record: 78-84
Finish: Second place, AL West
2010 final payroll: $127.4 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $110 million

Offseason action:

Going to need to evaluate the defense and restock the farm or this team will get old very fast. They should have the money to pursue a high end starter and they will.

Tucson will spend the off-season shedding some payroll to they can work on improving the farm and get back to playing for the future. It's never fun when the largest payroll in baseball finishes near the bottom of the league. Gone are exiled pitchers Howard Handworth and Brandon Murray. Along with Nomadic OF Charles Coles (13hr 76rbi) and Journeyman SP Max Milliard (9-12 5.93ERA). Milliard and Coles will find work elsewhere, both still have enough left to spark some interest in the league for the right price. Also gone are waived former all-star 2B Mendy Barfield

CF Tex Ashley (R), RP Mule Swann (L), SS Willie Tavarez (R), and C Dan Hoyt (R) are all looking to get a raise through arbitration. All should be retained and should compete for their positions. Though taverez has found himself replaced by waiver wire pick up Louie Rodriguez who brings similar skills to the table.

Reality check

The Cowboys are like a community center softball team, no one really plays defense and everyone swing for the fences. The difference is Tucson's players are capable of hitting the ball well past the fences. Back to back league MVP Juan Estrada will be back leading this potent attack. His recently signed 110M deal seems well worth the investment. As he is the model of a consistent superstar hitter. Batting .308 with an average of 48 HR and 150 RBI each season. Babe Ruth has nothing on this guy. Surrounding him are 5 tool guy Vic Castilla (19hr 108rbi and 73SB) and 2B Mendy Barfield (26HR 85RBI 13SB). Add in additional bats Roger Iannone in Right Field and Catcher Yorvit Cortes and you have a killer first half of the order. CF Jose Frias sat out most of the year with a ribcage injury. His bat had been good for an additional 25Hr and 35SB a season. He will be welcomed back to the lineup with open arms in S19. LF Prospect Bernie Jacquez looked very capable of taking Coles place in the field and the transition should be very close to seamless. Jacquez combines solid speed and pop to be a solid candidate for a 20/20 guy next season, if he can develop his base running. SS Barney Forster might be the only concern returning. While showed he was more than capable at the plate batting 26hr and 96RBI, He plays a poor man's Defense at shortstop. Tucson might look to shore up the defense this season and tone down the offense. Tucson surprised many by exposing 2B Mendy Barfield (26HR 85RBI 13SB) to the waiver wires, as a result Barfield took his contract to Durham to play this season, opening up payroll and 2nd base in Tucson.

Long Time franchise starters Ray Wright and Phil Chapman both are coming off down seasons. Both also have not been nearly as effective being moved up the rotation and facing better opposing pitchers. New pitchers Jimmy Day and Max Estrada both struggled in their 1st seasons in Tucson. Key has been a workhorse for Florida the past 10 seasons and losing never seems to bother him. Estrada has bounced in and out of the starting rotation at most of his stops, looking to get a permanent job. Estrada performed so poorly in St Louis that they gave up on him after 10 games in S18 and traded him to Tucson where he recovered enough to post a 5.67 ERA in 21 starts. Wild man Jorel Stanton looked horrible in mop up work in S18. He could be in the running for the final rotation spot.

The Pen could be going into S19 as one of the best Rookie prospect Tom Forrester looked great coming out of the bullpen and should move up to a bigger role in Long relief as the season progresses and only get better as his skills develop. Another rookie, Cody Millwood, took his knocks and came out looking pretty good as well. He will also be a huge anchor to the pen. The closer could be a closer by committee with 3 strong candidates, incumbent closer Jose Lopez, former closer Gerald Christenson, and Santiago Valdez. All showed closing power and lights out ability. The wildcard will be Grant Waltman, who struggled to find his pace in S18. His 7.83 ERA in 66 innings is unacceptable. He will need to figure out what went wrong if he hopes to have a place on the team in season 19.

Summing it up with a quote:

Juan Estrada Tucson Mail Order Cowboys Age: 30 B/T: R/R Born: Hallandale, FL Position(s): 1B/LF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

"I will eat your babies!" 2 Time MVP Juan Estrada

S19 Biscuit Preview

Montgomery Biscuits

S18 record: 76-86
Finish: Fourth place, NL South
2010 final payroll: $71.9 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $65 million

Offseason action:

The Montgomery Biscuits seem to be on the right track, but they will have a revamped Bullpen to work with or they will find themselves again resting at the bottom of the division. They also need to find that next great 3B.

3B Tom Randolph will be taking his speed to Free Agency and Montgomery will have to look at other solutions for their lineup.His10Hr and 30+ stolen bases will be missed from the top of the Ray order. CL Deion Dunn is probably equally gone or will comeback at a huge discount. For 10M a season he no longer offers enough talent. He could be a great long reliever or closer for a smart team. On again/ off again Closer Pedro Escobar will also hit the market in S19. Florida would be smart to try to retain his services. He has proven to be an effective reliever in Florida the last several seasons and would be missed.

Arbitration eligible 2B Andres Cedeno, LF Luis Mota, SS Tim Ray, Rp Paul Tobin are all guaranteed to get a contract for S19. Tobin is a necessity for the pen with all its holes. Ray's defense will be very difficult to replace. Edgar Cruz and Turner Hemingway both seem to be better released than paid.

Reality check

Footsie Long Montgomery Montgomery Biscuits Age: 26 B/T: S/R Born: Tulsa, OK Position(s): SS View Hardball Dynasty Profile

RF Tony Lopez has always been a driving force of the offense the past several seasons. Last season fans, watch as the Ray's moved away from Lopez's bat and experience and started to shuffle the lineup and featuring other guys. As a result Lopez's numbers dropped in 100 less at bats. He dropped to 62 RBI and suffered a 20 point drop in batting average. Lopez is probably no longer the feature hitter in the lineup, but can still be a factor for Montgomery Biscuits victory. It is balancing him with newly crowned superstar Footsie Long. Long is still learning the field as a shortstop, but his bat has been the real treat. Long just missed hitting 30 HR and drove in well over 100 runs for only the 2nd time in his career. I would expect his opportunities to be there to do it from now on. Centerfielder Candy Zoltan also takes some of the offensive burden. Montgomery Biscuits put the red light on his free style running and have been having him being more cautious on the base path. The results are 0 stolen bases in 2 seasons after being caught 51 out of 99 times the previous seasons.

The starting rotation should look similar to last season with Gordon Potvin continuing to grow into his role as the new staff ace. Darren Walker and Tony Batista taking their spots when they find the strike zone. Damaso Alou will be the wildcard if he can further develop he could really step into a bigger role with the Montgomery Biscuits and bring one more day of consistency. Similarly Potvin will need to also take a large leap in growth to climb to the next level. Joaquin Andujar will also get a chance out of spring training to make the rotation, he performed well enough in long relief, but there are obvious concerns we would not be able to hold up to a full season of pitching 7 innings every 5 days. Only time will tell if he can do it or else he returns to lead the bullpen in S19. Pascual Alomar, Dick Dixon, Rogers Payton will all duke it out for the chance to be a spot starter or long relief in the pen, The rest of the pen will be revamped with prospects Orber Bonilla, Travis Kerr, and Mel Darr playing into a mix of new Free agents.

Summing it up with a quote

"Thought we would try something new, and have the AI pick all our coaches and do all our offseason action, we have a great feeling about this" - Montgomery management

S19 Anaheim Preview

Anaheim strasfigor

S18 record: 76-86
Finish: Third place, AL West
2010 final payroll: $86.4 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $ 77 million

Offseason action:

They need to shore up a weakened bullpen and add a top tier CF to make the jump to the next level. Free Agent Pitchers Luther Matthews and Ralph Ainsworth are shells of their former selves and probably will retire. IF anything Ainsworth might have another year to over in relief, but it will be somewhere else. The bigger hits will be on the Offense where the La will look to replace superstar CF Midre Jordan. Jordan missed almost the full season with an ankle bruise early in the season and spends the rest of the season on the DL by coach's choice. His unhappiness with this decision should lead to his departure from Strasfigor.

Free Agent Pickup 1B Adrian Cassidy makes first base a locked down position for the next 2 seasons. Cassidy adds a 30+ hr bat to a strong lineup. He does create a huge log-jam at first/DH for Anaheim. Adding DH Hiram Vangurito the team with a 5 year 21M deal is very intense. Vangurito has not a proven commodity at this point and although he will be a hitter there isn't a place on the field to hide him except DH. Arbitration case for Matthew Fox and Vic Velandia will be interesting. Matt Fox who played Shortstop should be paid as a RF. He is also coming off a huge season with 19HR and 72RBI. These are numbers he will not duplicate, but want to get paid as if he will. Vic Velandia probably got his 1st and only shot at starting in S18, he will be either on the bench or gone. It is unlikely he will get arbitration. 2B Edgardo Trinidad is a sure thing for Arbitration he showed flashes of both power and speed and should be able to build on his speed for this season. Scouts aren't sure where the power burst came from. Pitcher Bobby Woods fell out of favor with management early in S18, it is unlikely he will return. On the other hand both RP Ramon Yoon and RP Mike Clark are likely to get 1 more chance to make it in this league. Both have shown just enough to get a second look in s19. Mike Clark was given his walking papers after a disastrous season 18 in LA. Added was RP Joe Wall who adds a veteran element to the bullpen. Wall is coming off a successful run in Colorado Springs where he held batters to a .225 average over 2 seasons.

Reality check

The outfield is slow to react in the field and sometimes they make poor decision, but their contracts pay for what they do at the plate. LF Clay Cambridge is coming off a career year, where he batted over 300 (.304) and hit 28 hr and drove in 120 runs. Tony Bryne has shown he can be a top level base stealing threat stealing 60+ for the 2nd straight year while batting .277. Rookie 2b Yorvit Gonzales got a late call up and made the most of his time with the club batting .318 with 24 hr and 64 RBI in 242 ab. With a whole season he should step up and be this teams big #3 guy and the man they build around. First base might be a huge log-jam Adrian Cassidy is the sure bet starter but there should be an open competition between last year's starter Jaime Bonds and Desi Almonte for the backup position. Bonds are a far better defender, but offer a lot less at the plate than Almonte. They should both get plenty of chances to prove their worth early on. DH will not be a fulltime option for neither as Fausto Rodriguez or Hiram Vangurito has that sewn up. Rodriguez's offense will be hard to ignore, he has crushed no less than 36 Hr in full-time action the past 4 seasons. Bonds could see time at RF or LF as a defensive replacement. His contract, a 4 year 18M deal sign in S18, will be hard to move for his talent. The resigning of Everett Rodgers is huge for Anaheim who needs in all-star bat and offense to build around. He should end of at 3B this season and be an anchor there for the next few seasons. His Defense at Shortstop is no longer efficient.
Huge question marks persist at SS and CF. 2B Prospect Yeico Martin could be in the running to move to CF , though he still has some growing to do to truly be a defensive plus. SS Louie Rodriguez who fell out of favor with Anaheim last season should be back in the Big Leagues this season. He seemed to bat a solid .257, but his strikeout every 3rd at bat was very concerning.

The Starting Rotation could be shaken up a little bit with Walt Inge, and Matty Molina all returning to the rotation after solid campaigns. They should be joined by Victor Perez who signed a 2 year 10.4M deal in S18, but struggled with his control and finished with a 6.88ERA. He could be trade bait if Anaheim has lost confidence. Starter Ramon Yoon has also worked his way to the end of the rope with the team. Team officials report he should be offered arbitration, but he will need to show that he is worth continual investment. Johnny McGehee who showed early flashes of skills is coming off an elbow injury, He should get a shot to compete. Also Rookie Wallace Lunsford will make the transition out of the pen and into the rotation. He should be the future. There is a window for the final rotation spot competition to be won. Also auditioning will be Andre Bradley (control issues),

The Bullpen has a few solid arms going into the season. Andres Coronado had a down year, but should bounce back and be a major factor in Aneheim's rebound for S19. Closer Cookie Espinosa should be equally as effective as the closer. He has averaged 34 saves a season. The rest of the bullpen is up in the air and will need to be filled in with Free Agency. The Addition of Joe Wall will help solidify the pen until the next level is ready. The only pitching prospect close to being ready is Edge Ferrara, but he will struggle if not monitored in the right role.

SUMMING IT UP WITH A QUOTE:

Everett Rodgers Anaheim strasfigor Age: 31 B/T: R/R Born: Allentown, NJ Position(s): SS/IF/OF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

"I Thought LA offered me the best chance to play every day and be the man, I am the Man!" - SS Everett Rodgers

S19 Fainting Goats Preview

Seattle Fainting Goats (AL)

S18 record: 70-92
Finish: Third place, AL North
2010 final payroll: $107.7 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: 99 million

Offseason action:

Need to figure out the rotation and bring in 1more effective reliever to relieve the bullpens load. One more outfield to compete with the standbys would also look good.

Free Agent pitchers to be Albert Telford and Hal Buchanan both have had long successful careers. It will be interesting to see if either will be given the opportunity to continue them with this franchise. Both have some gas in the tank, but gave poor performances in S18 and seemed to struggle to find a role in the changed Helena strategy. FA 2B Jaret Nathan will not be so lucky avoiding the ax in Helena.

4 arbitration cases are up for review. None of the 4, C Albie Ortiz (R), LF Javier Leon (R), 2B Kevin Kwon (R), and SS Sven Groom (L) have seen Ml action since S15. Helena seems to have turned its back on these guys and most likely will give them the heave ho in the preseason. Teams might have some interest in the defensive minded Ortiz and Groom if they can be had cheap. None of them will be game changers where ever they go or if they stay. Seattle has active early in the trade market, shipping off Shea Harper (to DUR), SP Virgil Diaz(to ATL) and SS Sven Groom (to ATL)

Reality check

The Fainting Goats Offense has a great middle of the lineup. With Sluggers Carlos Hernandez (33hr 106RBI), Garret Hall (46hr 116) Timothy Sutton (46HR 136RBI) and J.P. Santiago (17hr 75RBI) composing almost half the lineup, The Fainting Goats should be able to drive in runs pretty easily. Alas they struggle to find consistency with the other 5 positions, 3B Eddie Wilson and SS Efrain Meacham could be platooned at 3B this season as both bring the same type of play to the table. Neither will be much of a threat at the plate, but will be a consistent hand at 3B. This will free up SS Al Mendoza to take over fulltime duties at SS and provide a consistent glove man for the center of the infield. Mendoza has not shown much at the plate, but they can afford to play him every day for his defense. Another option might be Welington Lopez who was sent to AAA after a horrendous start in S18. He should be able to rebound and fight for the starting job. In the very least he could be a key utility guy. Or some speed off the bench. Signed through S21 they will need to have a plan for him either way. RF Barry Black will be under the microscope this preseason. Batting a paltry .245 last season, he will be under increased scrutiny to provide a more consistent bat or be raising the pine in S19. Having a similar player in Don Sele, who offers another tool (speed) will make it likely Helena will bring in another bat to push Black.

The rotation formerly featured all-star Virgil Diaz who posted a 20-9 record in S18 for a team which finished 20 games under .500. His pitching was a saving point of Helena's season and the reason many fans never gave up hope of the Heels. The New Fainting Goats rotation will be working without his skills. Rookie Tony Maradona showed flashes of what he could be, but he still struggles with finding his zone and makes rookie mistakes. Those mistakes should be minimized in S19 and we could be store for a huge improvement. Jaret Redman should be given another shot to hold down the #3 spot. After a down year where he had an 8-17 record and a 6.07ERA, He was sentenced to the pen to work on his mechanics. He should get a fresh start this season. The other 2 spots will be open for competition. Competing will be current starter Jon Campbell, Tom Stahoviak.

Orlando Frias Seattle Fainting Goats Age: 32 B/T: L/L Born: Pembroke, GA Position(s): P (SuA) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The Pen will feature HOF-to-be Pedro Seguignol who should make the transision this season to relief. His arm can no longer be stretched into even 5 innings anymore, but he is far from useless and could be elite closer or a super reliever. For 11M a season Helena will find a use. Recently Added free agent Kiki Soto was also added to the corp as a former Cy Young All star now trying to hold on as a 40 year old reliever. Relievers Kenny Foster, and former closer Joel Byrne looked solid in relief and should find things easier this season, if they can keep from being overworked like in S18. Closer Orlando Frias signed a 37.5M contract in season 17, he wants to win and is the type of player you like at the end of the game. Prospect Bo Rothschild looks to turn heads this spring. Watch for him to try to get noticed after 2 seasons in LoA. Felipe Perez and Hector Quevedo will look to hold on to any job in S19. Spring training will hold their fates.

Summing up with a quote:

"Man our pitching staff is unstoppable, if it was season 13, HOLY RETRO!" - Virgil Diaz right before his trade to Atlanta.

S19 McCoy Preview

Kansas City McCoys (AL)

S18 record: 68-94
Finish: Fourth place, AL West
2010 final payroll: $100.4 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $-9 million

Offseason action:

The McCoy's could use a backup C, backup SS and a starting 3B. SS Spike Meusel is no longer a capable backup at SS. Last season he hit rock bottom hitting the Mendoza line in S18. 3B Bo Nitkowski can still hit, he has shown that, but his fielding is becoming a concern. Watch for him to get a small contract. Backup Catcher Artie Hausmann might be resigned for a song. For a guy who can play his defense, KC has an edge. Adding Sp Albert Telford allows the team another season to find a more permanent solution for the Rotation. Telford is a former cy young winner and a 6 time all star. He has the experience KC needs to solidify their rotation and at 3.3M he is very affordable.

Eight Arbitration cases to settle. Players of note looking to get bigger paychecks are Starting Catcher Dicky Collins (R) and Defensive specialist Dicky Sanders. Both could be had reasonably priced for their talents. Collins is far from an elite catcher but he does a fine job with both pitching and has proven a solid bat in the lineup. Sanders offer the McCoys a bit of speed off the bench and a sure glove at 2B and Cf when needed. Neither will break the bank on a return. Arbitration eligible Willie Tavarez will also come at a discounted price, but at 7-14 with an ERA north of 5 and a WHIP north of1.6, I don't see him getting a long-term deal. The rest of the cases will be tough calls for KC. RP Gerald Pong (6.02ERA), SP Felipe Melendez (7.12ERA), RP Dustin Eischen (7.24ERA), and RP Brad Maduro(6.71ERA) all struggled through last season and most ended up with time adjusting their game in AAA. Most have talent, but just seem to lack the focus requited to have success. A change of scenery might aid both KC and the players. With the Exception of Eischen, all should come in under 2M a season. CF Karl Ward has a different dilemma, He had a solid season batting over .300 as a super utility guy, but scouts believe his skills will be far less than his price tag and he might be had far cheaper on the open market than through arbitration.

Reality check

David Seanez is still the featured hitter in the McCoy offense. He still can be expected to hit 15 HR and knock in 75 RBI. Last season he hit 21 HR with 78 RBI. To maximize him, the McCoy's need to improve his supporting cast. Veterans Brian Mecir, Kevin Hatcher, and Dick Sparks are not getting the job done. Hatcher should make his way out of Shortstop this season and takes No Nitkowski's vacant third base. This will leave a huge hole at SS that KC will need to address in Free Agency. Internally there will a battle at DH and 1B with Veteran Justin Lewis, Jose Uribe and rookies Alfredo Wainhouse and Carl Bunch(AAA) vying for 2 spots in the lineup. Spring will decide if Justin Lewis will have a job or be forced into retirement. His 30 bombs in S18 say he still has life in his bat. Kansas City will also want to get a good look at LF prospect and #20 pick from S17 draft Gregg Washington who looks like he is ready to sample the big lights and could give Brian Mecir a run for his money. RF Prospect Claude Branson could also make the jump from AAA this season and give Seanez some time to rest his aging bones in Right field.

76M man Mark Cox went 15-9 in S18 with a 3.15ERA, He seemed to play for his paycheck and served as a top tier anchor for the McCoy lineup. KC has to be happy with him right now. At 31 and with another 4 years on the contract he will see how he looks in S22. If he is pitching like 38 year old Willie Hamill, Kansas City will be dancing a jig. Hamill is a solid #2 guy, no longer an all-star but very capable and craft on the mound. He still has enough fizzle on his pitches to strikeout the best. #3 starter Trenidad Durham signed a 5 year 25M deal in S17 and has not been able to live up to expectations. In S18 he spent 10 games in AAA adjusting his mechanics and still finished the season with a 6.90 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP. Willie Tavarez should be able claim the #4 spot in the rotation, but his lack of developing a solid 3rd pitch will keep him from moving any higher. Rookie Felipe Melendez struggled in his audition in S18 but should get a shot to compete for the final spot. He has shown mixed results in AAA and has never performed in the big leagues in his 3 opportunities. This might be his final chance in KC. Julio Carreras who held down a rotation spot in s18 looks to be no longer able to stretch to a solid 5 innings, his talents might be better utilized as a long reliever and spot starter. Albert Telford's signing should allow, prospect Darron Gross a chance to grow another season in the minors. I'm sure he would love to make the jump from AA to the bigs this season and his talent is close to being there so it might not be a pipedream, but Kc has given themselves a chip that will afford them the opportunity to wait .

CL Stephen O'Connor was the McCoy's most sure hand in the Pen, but he most likely will be gone in Free Agency. Former Closer Jose Jose struggled through the season posting an 8.00 ERA between Minor League Stints. His days in the league may be over unless something incredible happens. Setup men Peter Carver, Santiago Frias and Babe Rose also suffered through difficult times in the Pen. A new bullpen coach might be the best solution to explain why the pen on a whole is down. Or it might be these guys have reached the age where their gray hair is limiting their pitching talent. The sole exception might have been Waiver claim Luis Benitez who looked solid in his partial season of play. The farm has a pair of solid prospects to audition for the big club, AA prospect Cristian Hernandez is close to mature enough for the leap and Carl Rupe should get plenty of opportunity to fill the gaping holes in the KC pen.

SUMMING UP WITH A QUOTE:

David Seanez Kansas City McCoys Age: 36 B/T: R/R Born: Monte Cristi, DO Position(s): RF/1B/LF View Hardball Dynasty Profile

"My moustache is my power, my ability, my strength and on this moustache, the McCoy will ride again!" David Seanez KC's selfproclaimed best player.

S19 Pirates Preview

Pittsburgh Pirates (NL)

S18 record: 68-94
Finish: Second place, NL East
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $ 80 million

Offseason action:
There are little defensive or offensive options on the farm. The Pirates will need to turn to Free Agency to land themselves a new corp of backstops, a starter at both key Defensive positions Short and Center and a solid hitting outfielder. They will need to raise their payroll to do it right

Midre Jordan Pittsburgh Pirates Age: 34 B/T: L/L Born: Bethel, MO Position(s): CF/1B/LF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Free Agent to be LF Bill Sheehan has played a part-time role for the past 2 seasons, at 5+ million a season his price is too high for that role to return. Similarly 2B Grant Badilla is priced at over 5M a season, but at 28 he's probably reached his peak and will decline from here. The Pirates will be cautious on resigning him just for his glove. He never provided a huge amount of production in the field, so I'd bring him back only as a value pickup. CF Rod Sierra is coming off a major knee injury, his running days were over before that, but this cements him as no longer a threat. An average hitter at best with is glove and speed now downgraded even further, he will most likely retire. C Wascar Solano steps into Tori Hanson's role in the offense. This pretty much means the end to Hanson's career in Pittsburgh. I don't see a huge market for him because he is a free swinging DH who happens to catch (poorly, but still is capable). As a hitter though he has averaged 25+ HRs and 80 RBI's a season. Production that's difficult to replace in the NL, but Solano is capable of matching his production. At 4M for the season he's a good deal, but not the solution at catcher. Pirates made a pledge to replace Sierra with more skilled CF Midre Jordan. Jordan's offense and defense will be upgraded with him. The Pirates probable had to overpay in years to get him. They can hopefully get production out of him in year 4 when he's 38. C Wascar Solano steps into
Reality check
First baseman Lorenzo Estrada has 2 more years in his 25M deal that he signed in S16, His production dipped majorly in S18 only driving in 81 runs and hitting .244, 50 points below his career average. Expect him to rebound this season and move closer to his performance norms. The middle of the lineup is pretty set going into S19 with Shaggy Inglett, Larry Perry and Estrada providing fuel to Robert Schultz is huge bat. Schultz might aid the team in a move to 2B and he will compete with 2B rookie Mickey Ramirez until Ramirez's defense is solid enough to cover the infield. This move might allow room for another huge bat to be brought in to patrol RF or the return of the often neglected Bill Sheehan for a huge discount. Anyway Pittsburgh rolls the dice he will find a great bat for under 4M a season to cover the outfield hole cheaper than looking for an defensive position like second. Mickey Ramirez will be close to ready, but he might be better suited as an occasional player.
The Bigger issue might be what to do with the two key defensive position shortstop and centerfield. At SS Dwight Jameson is penciled in to take the fulltime role. Last season in limited action he batted .320 with limited power and some poor base running getting caught stealing in 3 of his 7 attempts. Scouts see his future more at 3B defensively and rate his bat at the bottom half of the batting order. The Pirates might need to spend some cash or look to make a trade to fill this gap. Rod Sierra's injury and advancing age will limit his effectiveness in the field. The Pirates might try to get one more year out of him, but it will have to be a huge discount to consider. The Addition of Jordan in Center does offer some hope that the position will have a good fulltime starter this season and depending how he holds up for the next few seasons.
The big three of the Pirates rotation look as strong as ever all are coming off solid campaigns and as they mature and improve they will become more a force to reckon with. Lew Crosby and Rob Black should be the future of this organization for seasons to come. Magglio Salinas at 30 is not the future, but has shown flashes that brought him his current 30M dollar deal. His 16-5 record on a team with a losing overall is quite extraordinary. Rookie Max Picasso will be slated into the #4 spot, he struggled in his brief stint with the big boys playing long relief. The Pirates hope a move to they spotted a flaw in his delivery late in the season and can correct it in the spring. Time will tell. John Jensen's elbow injury was a sour way to end a solid effort. He went 11-8 with a 4.65 ERA, probably the best you can expect from him. He might get a shot at the #5 spot this season. AAA prospects Alberto Rodriguez, Carter Hensley and Chris Martin might get some looks but they are still a season away from the big time, but if they might be worth rushing if they look like they can handle the pressure.
The Middle relief was a huge concern in S18. Innings split between Vic Benavente (1-9 with a 7.55 era), Luis Perez and Benjamin Upshaw looked inviting for opposing batters. They need to change this area around and see if they can patch together a more formable corp. The Answer might be in Rookie Dizzy Wynn who got a late season call up and showed dominance in a long relief role at AAA. He will be given every opportunity to win the job win Pittsburgh. Other options might be in on the farm with Hugh DeWitt (AAA) pretty close to ready and Eduardo Pena (AAA) maybe a season away. It will be interesting to see how they react in spring training and if they can force the Pirates to look at them long and hard. Another option is Desi Nieto who struggled in s18 with a 10.12 ERA in early season action. His ship might have sailed out of Pittsburgh with his lack of control. The Late innings look a lot steadier. Closer Howard Neal moves into his last season of arbitration and should be locked up for a few more seasons in Pittsburgh to steady the pen. Add in setup titan Joe Coleman and solid prospect Torey Darnell and you have the makings of a sweet back end of the game.

Summing up with a Quote:

"its been 7 years since the playoffs, the Pirates time is Now!" - ravid Pirate heads in the Blogosphere.

S19 STARS preview

Philadelphia Stars (NL)

S18 record: 66-96
Finish: Third place, NL North
2010 final payroll: $90.9 million
Estimated 2011 opening day payroll: $88 million

Offseason action:

The Stars need to invest in a top level 3B. A superstar would be able huge in that role.
3B Matt Matthews's days at 3B are coming to a close. His usefulness might be still had in the outfield. Matthews is no longer a 40+ HR guy, but still could contribute 25 bombs a season and contribute. The Stars need to find if he is the fit in Philly they need. C Brian Hocking is a great part-time player and will be hard for Philly to walk away from; he should find a solid market for his wears outside of the Stars if he makes it that far. SS Benji Nunez never really got a shot in the big leagues this season, but he's a solid defender and should draw some interest as a defensive specialist. For less than 2M I would bring him back to the Stars.
2B Don Orosco (R), SP Hal Orie (L), and RP Andres Brogna (R) and CL Preston Guerrero (R) are all looking for a sizable raise in arbitration. They are all worth the investment. Bigger questions lie with AAA SP Pascual Otanez (R) who seems to have fallen out of favor with Philly administration, but still could be a ML factor.

Reality check

Oscar Baker Philadelphia Stars Age: 26 B/T: S/L Born: Salem, MO Position(s): CF/1B/OF/DH View Hardball Dynasty Profile

The offense is driven by all stars 2B Don Orosco, LF Harvey Carson, CF Oscar Baker and LF George Frazier. They make up a monster middle of the lineup combination. SS Lockwood is a great defensive mind with solid offensive pop, but it's his speed that makes him a great asset, his fit though might be more as an 8 or 9 hitter instead of leadoff. Philly will need to find a more appropriate option for the top of the order. Bringing back Matthews might add a nice insurance policy for the OF and give the fans a favorite son. Philly could also find an upgrade on 1B Alex Galvez who is an all or nothing hitter who swing for the fences in the line of .242 while doing it with 161 SO. There has to be someone better. Philly will audition Gary O'Neill for that role, but they might see a mirror of what they got from Galvez in O'Neill. Prospect SS Ken Quinn will get a shot at being the super utility guy and should be a huge defensive upgrade for whoever he replaces
The Starting pitching was in major confusion in S18. David Dominguez signed a 3 year 18M deal with the Stars only to start the season in AAA. Johnny Powell never found his groove after signing his 4 year $25M deal. His 6.39 ERA and 1.69 WHIP were both career worsts. Hopefully he can get a clean slate in S19 and recover. Adam Miller seems to continue to exceed expectations going into his final year of an 18M deal. He's just nowhere near an average pitcher that he has shown. Bringing back Hal Orie into the starting rotation might be the best option. He should get his best opportunity this season to reestablish himself into the lineup. Also Mariano Bonilla has been relegated to the pen for the past 2 seasons. His skills should be able to bring back memories of his last Starting campaign in S16 where he went 15-6 with a 4.13 ERA. Albert Bennett, Rollie Vernon and Alex Forster have not performed so adequately and the Stars will be auditioning replacements in the rotation. Felix Nelson and Bob Bigley will get a chance to take a spot, but neither is going to scare too many batters. The best competition is in the minors with Pascual Otanez, Pedro Mercado and Donaldo Cordero all offering more talent than some of the lowly starts Philly is putting out each night.
Carlos Mercedes is the answer to the middle relief, but he needs help. Horace Walton showed promise helping take down some innings. Andres Brogna and Jimmie Brown will get a shot to compete for a role in long relief. Closer Preston Guerrero is one of the game's best. Over the past4 season he has averaged over 28 saves and a 2.58 ERA. Prospects Marcus Tucker, Charles Bang, and Roger VandenHurk are all ready to compete at the next level and would be upgrades for the pitching staff. I would expect a few of these guys to be moved in the preseason to improve other areas. Similarly to what will be done in long relief.

Finishing it with a quote:

" I expect big things from Powell after working with him the whole off season. We might be talking 15 wins this season"-2nd year pitching coach Humberto Chavez