NL West Preview
The NL West...where two teams traveled as far as possible from the Yankees to make money and where the one team with any World Series aspirations is relying on a former Yankee manager and a displaced Red Sox from the Bronx....funny isn't it? Not as funny as having to trade your best player because you're getting divorced, but still funny.
Los Angeles Dodgers
This team is yesterday’s news…the Manny saga is played, and Joe Torre still can’t manage a bullpen. The lineup is easily the best in the division lead by Manny and Matt Kemp, but they have the worst starting pitching. The rotation is too heavily dependent on the young arms of Billingsley and Kershaw. These two would make great additions to any rotation, but to expect Chad to shoulder the burden coming off his first 200+ IP season is too lofty a goal. They’re obviously the team to beat in the division just because the other four teams barely have bodies to fill their lineups, but don’t be surprised if a few injuries to the pitching opens the doorway for one of the others. And why do people think the Randy Wolf signing was a good thing…he couldn’t perform last time he was there (4.73 ERA), couldn’t perform when he left (2008 ERA 4.74), and he won’t perform this year (ERA prediction 5.00+).
San Francisco Giants
This here is the sleeper team in the division. Why? Well to quote/paraphrase that Japanese General who bombed Pearl Harbor…We have awoken a sleeping Giant. This team has shaken off the rust of the Bonds era and has entered the time of Timmy Lincecum. The guy is literally engineered to pitch, and he’s got the help to carry the team pitching wise with Matt Cain, The Unit, and Zito bringing up the rear. Say what you want about Zito, but he’s as good a number 4/5 starter as you’ll find in the NL…worth $100 Mill…no, but we don’t sign the checks. The knock is the offense. The answer could very well be in Pablo Sandoval, Travis Ishikawa, and Nate Schierholtz. If those young guys can come out blazing and light a fire under the posteriors of Molina, Rowand, Renteria, and Winn then the pitching can take care of the rest…well until Brian Wilson comes in, but if he’s the problem then that means the offense is working, and that’s a problem the Giants want…well not want, but want to want to deal with the solving of it…get it?
Arizona Diamondbacks
No ones afraid of snake without any bite. And that’s exactly what the D-Backs are. Sure they can intimidate you running out Webb and Haren back to back, but that wasn’t enough last year, and they didn’t address their woeful offense…in fact they let Dunn walk, and he was pretty much their sharpest fang. So where do they get their venom from, and when do I stop with the snake analogies? The answer is now and with Justin Upton and Stephen Drew. These two have all the talent to get the job done, and are farther along in their careers than the youngsters from the Giants. The loss of Dunn and RJ in themselves isn’t too big a deal, but why squander a solid squad by not making any moves? The Giants liked what they saw in last years squad and made moves to win this year in Renteria and RJ…if Arizona liked what they saw last year why detract from it instead of building upon it? Smells like road kill to me…
Colorado Rockies
They proved all the naysayers correct last year. Everyone who said their mediocre season merely caught on fire at the end of 2007 and carried them to a World Series in a weak NL was 100% correct. Now Matt Holliday is gone and the rebuilding period can begin. Ahh the rebuilding period…in other words we suck right now…don’t want to spend any money, but we’ll try to lure you to games by using a phrase called rebuilding. If you’re going to rebuild please do so…why keep Todd Helton on the payroll gapping up your first base slot? It’s inconceivable that you couldn’t move him for a pitcher to some AL team in need of a DH. I mean you only have about 5 position battles going on right now. Just move him and maybe even Atkins, so you can begin rebuilding and actually find out who among Spilborghs, Fowler, Stewart, Baker, and Barmes is going to be part of the rebuilding process. Or at least let me know so I can get a few of my fantasy sleepers to pay off!!
San Diego Padres
Trevor Hoffman, the face of their franchise, left after he couldn’t get a meeting with the owner to ask him why he had to trade Peavy because he was getting a divorce. Their season will become irrelevant once they trade Peavy. I really like Adrian Gonzalez…and…oh yeah…highly comical position battle in right field between Cliff Floyd and Brian Giles….it’s a lose lose for everyone involved!
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