Shit, 6 teams, this is going to be grueling..
St. Louis Cardinals
Not sure if this team got really lucky with players like Ludwick and Ankiel (has beens) or they knew what there were doing, but these two dudes can rake. Maybe it is mostly due to the 2nd best pure hitter in baseball Puj in the same line up but Rick and Ryan are solid contributors basically anyone could have had. LF Chris Duncan had a poor '08 and needs to get back to the 20 dinger plateau he was consistently at before last season.
Outside of Puj and newly acquired Khalil Green, the rest of the infielders is a bunch of nobodies and young upstarts. 3b David Freese will be making his career debut and Skip Schumaker isn't the long term answer at 2b. Yadier (the best of the Molina trifecta) returns behind the dish and can handle a pitching staff as well as a bat.
The rotation is shaky at best and will certainly need a rejuvenated Chris Carpenter if drunky La Russa and co have playoff grandeur in their heads. Wainwright is a great #2 who has potential for #1 stuff if he continues progressing and can give 200 innings. Lohse and Wellemeyer can go either way but are good 3/4 guys. Oh and uh, yikes, Motte has one career save.
Chicago Cubs
High expectations bring high failure and this year is no different. A gamble on Milton Bradley is high risk high reward. Fuckyouinthedome is a solid OF but trailed off last year from the asian flu but needs to produce as the everyday Centerfielder. Pencil Soriano in for 30 70 and .290.
Soto is emerging as one of the best catchers in the game along with McCann Russ Martin and a few others. Theriot is an under rated SS cause of a lack of power but can certainly hit for average. D Lee is aging but still effective @ 1b, Fontenot had a solid sophomore season but still needs to prove it wasn't an abberation and at 30 Ar-ram is one of the best at the hot corner.
Big Z is an ace of aces while Lilly and Harden provide a solid 2/3. The only real question with the rotation is Ryan Dempster and HOW THE HELL he balled last year. Maybe it is just the friendly confines(14-3) but there is pretty much no way this dude puts up '08 esque numbers. He proved who he really was in the playoffs. And how long till Samardzija is the closer?
Milwaukee Brewers
They broke an 0 for the century playoff appearances last year and it seems more likely than not it will take another 26 years for this team to return. True they still have Cecil's kid, Hardy, Hall, Hart and Braun, but you can't just lose pitchers of CC and Sheets caliber and not expect a major drop off.
Kenny Macha is gonna have a lot of sleepless nights now that it is indeed a fact their going into the season with Jeff Suppan as the 'ace'. Gallardo can be a good major league pitcher but the time is now. Manny Parra is another young gun and should build on a decently solid '08 to emerge as a top of the rotation guy. Dave Bush sucks and who the hell knows with Looper but he is an innings eater.
Anyone else sick of waiting for Rickie Weeks to be the player many thought he'd be? Unfortunately I think he has, a below average hitter with some pop in his bat but not enough and speed. The only other players not mentioned are old as dirt. Cameron is still the every day CF and Chris Duffy doesn't provide much insurance behind him while Jason Kendall is 34 going on 54 although he can handle a pitching staff (see Oakland).
Pittsburgh Pirates
Ugh as in ugly. God thing this city wins Super Bowls or they'd be more depressed than Buffalo. Bright spots are few and far between. McLouth is a rake in the middle of a forest, Sanchez and Wilson are solid up the middle and thats about it.
The pitching staff is going backwards. Once highly regarded leftie, no not Zach Duke, Gorzelanny is back in the minors. Snell and Maholm are decent middle of the rotation guys certainly not 1's or 2s. The rest of the starters consist of yankees castoffs Ohlendorf and Karstens.
Houston Astros
Interesting team. Why it is this team only plays from July to September is a mystery. The corner outfielders are some of the better in the NL. C Lee can pound the rock while Hunter Pence is emerging as a potential star. Michael Bourne up the middle is a different story. If he doesn't start to produce he'll be no doubt sharing time with Erstad and Jason Michaels immediately.
The infield is aging but I like the addition of I-rod. Berkman is the youngest at 33 with Kazuo, Tejada and Blum in their twilight. Assuming they stay healthy its a solid infield but that is a huge assumption given the length of each player's teeth.
Holy moley Mike Hampton is still hurling at the highest level? Where has this dude been the last half decade? Oswalt is a stud but he can't do it all him self. Wandy Rod had a good 08 campaign but needs to throw more than 137 innings if this team has a shot. The back of the rotation is weak but not awful with Russ Ortiz and Brian Moehler
Cincinnati Reds
I drooled about this team last year and looks like I was only a year off. Harang Cueto, Volquez, Arroyo, Micah Owings has the potential to be a
sick nasty 1-5. Harang had an abysmal 6-17 record last year some how with a 4.78 ERA can we say run support? Cueto tailed off at the end but still has the stuff, Volquez is a mother fuckin beast man and Arroyo is a good #3. Micah Owings has yet to put up any numbers other than with a bat in his hand but is still young. Alright they aren't a great bunch but better than much of the rest of the Central.Votto, Bruce, Phillips and Encarnacio can all flat out rake. A-gon stepped his game up last year and needs to put up similiar numbers. Sleeper alert, Chris Dickerson maybe the next young red waiver wire watchers will be salivating over come May 1 for now he is still a question mark. Tavaris is a solid CF but not knocking socks off while Ramon Hernandez is a middle of the road catcher.
Step yo game up Dusty... damn I gotta get to Great American ballpark.(brutal 7 hours from Buffalo)
Cubs - 90-72
Reds 82-80
Cardinals 80-82
Brewers 79-83
Houston 75-87
Pirates 70-92
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