* – indicates new to team
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. St. Louis Cardinals
When you have Albert Pujols, you’re the class of the division.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
Braun and Fielder won’t be enough to dethrone the Cards.
3. Chicago Cubs
Lou Pinella won’t have a happy ending in Chicago.
4. Cincinnati Reds
Is this the year they finally break out of the cellar?
5. Houston Astros
No second half turn around resulted in the hire of a new manager.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
Seventeen consecutive losing seasons. Is there a plan to win in the steel city?

Player to Watch: LF Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals
He has the contract (7 yrs. over 100 million) now he must prove he is worth it. Holliday has to prove to all the nay sayers that he can still produce now that he is set for the next seven years. Being in a lineup that has Albert Pujols will help. As soon as he was acquired before the trade deadline last year, his production sky rocketed. There was concern that he could only hit at the friendly confines of Coors Field in Colorado. Oakland was not an ideal location plus he had to deal with adjusting to a new league. The Cardinals didn’t give Oakland a lot to get Holliday and now they’ve made a huge investment in a guy who they are counting on to be their cleanup hitter. He must not be complacent. It will be interesting to see how it will affect the Cardinals ability to resign Pujols.
Manager on the Hot Seat: Dusty Baker Cincinnati Reds
He has a great (granted young) pitching staff and a good lineup to toy with this year. Dusty usually makes winners out of the clubs he’s managed right around year three. This is now year three with the Reds. He has to compete with the Cardinals for the division title and the Brewers and Cubs for the Wild Card. Not to mention the Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, Braves, Marlins and Mets. It’s an uphill climb for Dusty, but there is enormous pressure to win this year in a city craving a pennant race in September, not in May. The downside to winning might mean the exhaustion of the young arms. Just see what happened after 2003 with the Cubs. A slow start could mean curtains for Baker.
Trad Bait: Anybody on the Pirates roster
You could argue that the Pirates have made the most out of their trades at the deadline that last seventeen seasons. When they traded OF Brian Giles to the San Diego Padres the major piece they received was OF Jason Bay. When they dealt Bay to the Red Sox, the major piece was 3B Andy LaRoche from the Dodgers. We still have to see what the Pirates will get for LaRoche. Now I’m not saying that all is lost in Pittsburgh. I’m trying to be optimistic. This years best player for them is CF Andrew McCutchen. Depending on how he does, he could still be in Pittsburgh. They have a bright future every year, but they seem to always have a bright future. When will it be now?

Cardinals Lineup

2B Skip Schumaker
.303 AVG 4 HR 35 RBI
SS Felipe Lopez*
.310 AVG 9 HR 57 RBI
1B Albert Pujols
.327 AVG 47 HR 135 RBI
LF Matt Holliday
.313 AVG 24 HR 109 RBI
RF Ryan Ludwick
.265 AVG 22 HR 97 RBI
C Yadier Molina
.293 AVG 6 HR 54 RBI
CF Colby Rasmus
.251 AVG 16 HR 52 RBI
3B Brendan Ryan
.292 AVG 3 HR 37 RBI

You can’t wrong with Pujols and Holliday in the middle of your lineup. Although it didn’t work last year in the postseason against the Dodgers, it wasn’t entirely their fault. The entire lineup goofed in the playoffs. Schumaker is a good trend setter. Rarely strikes out and makes good contact. Lopez was a great addition that will add pop to the shortstop position. He also provides depth at second and third in case of injury. Ludwick will be the key to the lineups success. He had a disappointing year and a dreadful postseason. Whether the Cardinals make a run at the Phillies will depend on Ludwick’s production. Holliday and Pujols can’t do it alone. Molina is settling in as a great hitting catcher. He’s always had the great glove and arm, but now has the bat to go with it. Rasmus and Ryan are the young up and comers for the Cards. Rasmus has 30 HR potential, but strikes out too much to be placed any higher in the order. Ryan was the shortstop last year and performed admirably at it. Assuming he’s healthy from wrist surgery he will handle the hot corner, but can go back to short or second like Lopez to fill an injury or give someone a day off.

Bench

C Jason LaRue
.240 AVG 2 HR 6 RBI
3B David Freese
.323 AVG 1 HR 7 RBI
INF Julio Lugo (traded to Orioles 04/01)
.280 AVG 3 HR 21 RBI

It doesn’t look that impressive, but the versatility of Lopez and Ryan does. Lugo can play short, second or third as well. His glove has never been questioned since he broke into the majors. His bat has been sporadic at times, but can still get the job done. Freese could start the year as the starting third baseman. Those numbers were posted in 17 games during a September call up. If he doesn’t win, he provides a bat off the bench. LaRue was a starter, but is now relegated to backup status with Molina in front of him. The bat isn’t there for LaRue anymore, but can handle the pitching staff in a pinch while having a decent arm to hold runners.

Rotation

Chris Carpenter
17-4 2.24 ERA
Adam Wainwright
19-8 2.62 ERA
Kyle Lohse
6-10 4.74 ERA
Brad Penny*
11-9 4.88 ERA
Jaime Garcia
2-0 3.86 ERA (AAA stats)

Setup

Dennys Reyes
1 SV 3.29 ERA

Closer

Ryan Franklin
38 SV 1.92 ERA

Any team in the National League would love to have a rotation that had its top two starters post numbers like those. It’s amazing the Cardinals for that reason alone didn’t just go right through the entire league into the World Series. Pitching can only take you so far is the lesson to be learned here. Neither won the Cy Young award. So how good were they really? They can’t count on the exact same production from Carpenter and Wainwright, but they will post similar numbers. Lohse and Penny are the keys to the staff this year. Penny is the newest free agent to come along and try to have his career resurrected by pitching coach Dave Duncan. If Duncan can fix Penny, he truly is a miracle worker. It’s gotten to the point with Penny that he play in a pitcher friendly ballpark. The long ball is destroying him. Lohse needs to stay healthy. After a 15 win season in 08, he relapsed and went back to being inconsistent. If healthy, he does provide innings to help give the bullpen a day off. Garcia will be given every opportunity to win the fifth spot. He has shown excellent command in the minors and can provide the Cardinals with a lefty who can rack up the strikeouts. If Garcia falters, Kyle McClellan can fill in. Used in the setup role last year, McClellan can eat some innings for the Cards.
Ryan Franklin will return to his role as the closer. His ERA in the final month of last year was over 3.00 which is a cause for concern going into this year. If Franklin struggles, who will take over the role if that should arise. Manager Tony LaRussa isn’t one to shy away from a closer committee, but this is supposed to be a competitive year for the Cardinals. The Phillies won’t have any trouble picking apart the pen if Franklin isn’t right. Reyes is not a closer, but an adequate setup man. He can get both left and right handed batters out. LaRussa does like to use his bullpen often which also doesn’t bother Reyes (75 appearances). McClellan and Blake Hawksworth are the other options to setup Franklin. LaRussa has always managed to have a solid bullpen when it appeared there was nothing to salvage.

Brewers Lineup

2B Rickie Weeks
.272 AVG 9 HR 24 RBI
CF Carlos Gomez*
.229 AVG 3 HR 28 RBI
LF Ryan Braun
.320 AVG 32 HR 114 RBI
1B Prince Fielder
.299 AVG 46 HR 141 RBI
RF Corey Hart
.260 AVG 12 HR 48 RBI
3B Casey McGehee
.301 AVG 16 HR 66 RBI
SS Alcides Escobar
.304 AVG 1 HR 11 RBI
C Gregg Zaun*
.260 AVG 8 HR 27 RBI

It starts and it ends with Braun and Fielder. This is the team that this year can compete with the Cardinals. As far as the lineup is concerned. Braun besides his power numbers can also hit for average and steal some bases on top of it (20 steals). Fielder played every single game for the Brewers last year and showed just how important he is for this franchise. He can get a bit heated at times, but there is no doubt who is the leader for this young team. The Brewers have to keep these two in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future. Escobar has finally arrived. The highly touted prospect is now ready to claim the shortstop position. There has never been doubt about his glove or base stealing, but his bat has been a question mark. He showed what he can do in 38 games last year hitting over .300 at the end of the year. Weeks was primed for a career year until another hand injury ended his season prematurely. He must stay healthy for the Brewers to make more noise at the top of the lineup. Hart and McGehee provide more power after Braun and Fielder. Hart did have a down year after an All-Star year in 08. He is too good to have another bad year like 09. McGehee has grabbed the third base job and won’t let it go. His bat can’t be kept out of the lineup. Gomez was acquired from Minnesota for SS J.J. Hardy. He instantly gives the Brewers a base stealing threat they were lacking last year. Gomez must improve his patience though if he wants to be considered for the leadoff spot. Zaun provides veteran leadership behind the plate, but can’t be counted on to catch more than 120 games this year.

Bench

INF Craig Counsell
.285 AVG 4 HR 39 RBI
OF Jody Gerut
.230 AVG 9 HR 35 RBI
3B Mat Gamel
.242 AVG 5 HR 20 RBI

Milwaukee has really helped themselves out in this department. Counsell is still highly regarded for his pinch hitting prowess. Plus he can give either starter at second, short or third base a day off. Gerut was in line to be the starter in center until Gomez was acquired. Gerut though makes the outfield better in that he can play all three positions. If Gomez falters he can start when called upon. Gamel lost out on the third base job last year, but provides power off the bench. He strikes out way too much though to be considered an everyday player. That’s saying something for a lineup that is short on patience. CF Jim Edmonds is attempting a comeback in Milwaukee. He could find his way here or unseat Gomez for the starting spot.

Rotation

Randy Wolf*
11-7 3.23 ERA
Yovani Gallardo
13-12 3.73 ERA
Jeff Suppan
7-12 5.29 ERA
Doug Davis*
9-14 4.12 ERA
Manny Parra
11-11 6.36 ERA

Setup

LaTroy Hawkins*
11 SV 2.13 ERA

Closer

Trevor Hoffman
37 SV 1.83 ERA

The Brewers made it a mission in the offseason to improve the pitching staff. With the resources they had, Milwaukee did a pretty good job. Time will tell if Randy Wolf is worth 10 million for three years, but he is a good lefthanded pitcher. His wins could have been 15 or more if the Dodgers had been able to hold the lead Wolf provided. One question will be since Wolf is now playing in a hitters park, what will his ERA look like at the end of the year? Gallardo as young as he is was thrust into the role of staff ace last year. Considering that, he performed well. To go with the ERA he struck out over 200 batters as well. He will be a force, but the Brewers were wise to sign Wolf to give Gallardo some breathing room to develop. Suppan no longer can be counted on to be the difference maker for the Brew Crew. He’s still a crafty veteran that can get batters out, but for no longer than 6 innings a start. Davis is back for his second stint with Milwaukee. On a bad Arizona team he managed to keep his ERA respectable and if he was playing for a contender, his win total could be 12-15. Parra will be battling Dave Bush for the final spot. Both had ERAs over 6.00 last year. Parra gets the advantage because he is lefthanded and has better stuff. Bush is streaky and gives up the home run far too often to playing in Miller Park.
Hoffman the all-time saves leader returns after having an incredible year considering his age. His arm is not what it used to be. He rarely throws his fastball which has declined in velocity. Now he’s relying more on a slider and his devastating changeup. The best in the majors. The Brewers are lucky to have a guy they can count on to get them wins when they need them the most. Hawkins was signed to provide even more depth to a bullpen that wasn’t in dire need, but it couldn’t hurt. If an injury should befall Hoffman, Hawkins is capable of closing as well. His bread and butter though is setting up the closer. He has a lot left with a power slider and can still throw his fastball by hitters.

Cubs Lineup

SS Ryan Theriot
.284 AVG 7 HR 54 RBI
RF Kosuke Fukudome
.259 AVG 11 HR 54 RBI
1B Derek Lee
.306 AVG 35 HR 111 RBI
3B Aramis Ramirez
.317 AVG 15 HR 65 RBI
LF Alfonso Soriano
.241 AVG 20 HR 55 RBI
CF Marlon Byrd*
.283 AVG 20 HR 89 RBI
C Geovany Soto
.218 AVG 11 HR 47 RBI
2B Mike Fontenot
.236 AVG 9 HR 43 RBI

On paper this is still a formidable lineup. Unfortunately paper can be tossed around, crumpled and shredded. Theriot is now the leadoff hitter replacing Soriano who is now down in the order. Theriot has speed (21 steals) and makes good contact. He’s a much better fit batting second, but the Cubs don’t have many options. Fukudome has been all over the place since coming to Chicago. Now that he’s in his comfort zone in right field, the Cubs hope his bat can stay consistent and not have to think of him as a liability. Lee has been a constant force in the Cubs lineup since he was acquired from the Marlins in 04. Even with injuries to Ramirez and Soriano, Lee still managed to put up great numbers. He’s in a contract year this season and there is no doubt he will come through with another All-Star season. Ramirez is the key to the Cubs success. Literally and figuratively. Once he went down last year, the Cubs immediately fell out of contention. Soriano must embrace his new spot in the order. He is not the same player anymore. He can’t steal bases like he used to, but he still has 40 HR potential. In the fifth spot he could easily do that and drive in 100 runs. Byrd is the second outfielder in as many years to move from Texas to Chicago. Milton Bradley being the first last year. That experiment didn’t work, but Byrd is a different player. He doesn’t make a lot of noise with his mouth, he does it with his bat. That’s all the Cubs need from Byrd and that’s what they’ll get. Soto struggled to connect the bat on with the ball last year and it affected his play behind the plate. Look for the 08 Rookie of the Year to have a bounce back year. Fontenot is a solid defender, but doesn’t wow you with his offense. Batting lefthanded gets him in the lineup.

Bench

INF/OF Jeff Baker
.288 AVG 4 HR 24 RBI
OF Xavier Nady*
.286 AVG 0 HR 2 RBI
INF Andres Blanco (traded to Rangers 03/27)
.252 AVG 1 HR 12 RBI

The Cubs got a great utility player from the Rockies last year in Jeff Baker. He can play all the infield positions and the corner outfield positions. He has a great offensive pedigree as well. With the Cubs Baker hit .305 in 69 games. All but 3 of his RBIs came with the Cubs. Nady provides insurance in case Fukudome struggles again. Pinella has a short leash with him already and having Nady will help Pinella yank on that leash a lot sooner. Injuries have been a problem for Nady throughout his career. He’s better as a fourth outfeilder than a starter. Blanco is a sure hand with his glove, but has never put it together with his bat. He’s still raw, but that talent has to be fulfilled at some point to be considered an everyday player the Cubs think he can be.

Rotation

Carlos Zambrano
9-7 3.77 ERA
Ryan Dempster
11-9 3.65 ERA
Randy Wells
12-10 3.05 ERA
Carlos Silva*
1-3 8.60 ERA
Tom Gorzelanny
7-3 5.55 ERA

Setup

John Grabow
3-0 3.36 ERA

Closer

Carlos Marmol
15 SV 3.41 ERA

This was just as disastrous as the offense. Zambrano was more wild than normal. He couldn’t keep his head in most of his starts and also suffered through nagging injuries. The Cubs would like to see the Zambrano who would get fired up after a punch out rather than a missed call by the umpire. Dempster struggle with injuries as well, but still had a decent year considering. Chicago needs Zambrano and Dempster to return to form and provide at least 15 wins apiece. Wells was the best Cubs starter last year. As a reward he was given a spot in this years rotation thus resulting in the Cubs letting Rich Harden leave. Wells does get hit too much, but had a nice ERA in 09. Silva was the consolation from Seattle for Milton Bradley. Silva was hurt for almost all of 09. He provides depth at best, but if healthy and on his game he can eat innings to help the bullpen. Gorzelanny is in competition with Jeff Samardzija for the final spot. Gorzelanny gets the edge for experience plus being a lefthander. Ted Lilly (12-9 3.10 ERA) will miss the first month of the season at least before returning. When Lilly does return, Gorzelanny is likely the one removed to the bullpen.
Cubs fans get their wish of seeing what Marmol can do now that he is the outright closer. He was great as the setup guy the last two seasons, but has been erratic at times in the ninth inning. There aren’t many fall back options should Marmol fail. Jeff Gray acquired from Oakland has closer experience in the minors, but that’s as far as it goes. Marmol if he is to succeed must reduce his walk total (65 in 74 innings). Grabow was another in a long line of acquisitions from the Pittsburgh Pirates (Aramis Ramirez the most famous). The crafty lefthander can get both righthanded and lefthanded batters out. Chicago really lucked out with Grabow knowing they can go to him almost everyday of the week (75 appearances in 09). He could be called upon to close (6 career saves), but not the best choice. It starts and ends with Marmol for the pen.

Reds Lineup

CF Chris Dickerson
.275 AVG 2 HR 15 RBI
SS Orlando Cabrera*
.284 AVG 9 HR 77 RBI
1B Joey Votto
.322 AVG 25 HR 84 RBI
2B Brandon Phillips
.276 AVG 20 HR 98 RBI
3B Scott Rolen
.305 AVG 11 HR 67 RBI
RF Jay Bruce
.223 AVG 22 HR 58 RBI
LF Jonny Gomes
.267 AVG 20 HR 51 RBI
C Ramon Hernandez
.258 AVG 5 HR 37 RBI

Too many questions afloat for Cincinnati as far as the lineup goes. Is Dickerson the ideal leadoff hitter? Can Votto stay motivated for an entire season? Does Rolen still have another great year left in him? Will Bruce ever live up to the hype? Those are the most important ones. One thing is sure, Cabrera will provide steady veteran leadership both on the field and in the clubhouse. That was the best offseason move the Reds made. Cabrera is a proven winner and will instill that in this young team the entire year. Votto showed such promise until the death of his father slowed him down. He is capable of 40 HR playing half his games at Great American Ball Park. Rolen might not be able to play gold glove caliber defense, but can still hit with the best of them. Phillips on most teams won’t be the cleanup hitter, but there is no doubt about his run production. He can easily have another 20-20 season (20 HR 20 SB). 30-30 is definitely in play as well. Bruce came up last season on a tremendous hot streak, but after the first month in the majors he cooled to solid ice. He must learn patience and be more selective at the plate. Otherwise pitchers will continue to exploit him and it will result in more questions of why Cincinnati continued to hold on to him when they could have dealt him for a proven big leaguer. Gomes in limited playing time (98 games), managed to hit 20 HR. Imagine what he can do being a starter. Hernandez has was hurt most of last year and still has some pop left in his bat. The problem though is the injuries occur behind the plate. He has to stay healthy for not just the offense, but the sake of the pitching staff.

Bench

INF Aaron Miles*
.185 AVG 0 HR 5 RBI
OF Wladimir Balentien
.234 AVG 7 HR 24 RBI
OF Drew Stubbs
.267 AVG 8 HR 17 RBI

Stubbs could also start in center, but his bat is too inconsistent. This year he would be better served as the fourth outfielder and the first one off the bench to pinch run (56 combined steals in majors and minors). Miles was signed from the Chicago Cubs. He provides depth in the infield, but won’t be counted on to do more than be a pinch hitter and spot start at shortstop and second. Balentien was an interesting find for the Reds. Seattle didn’t have any room for him, so the Reds were glad to pick him up. He has 25 HR potential and has a strong arm to play right field. He will be in the mix to start if Gomes falters or is injured.

Rotation

Aaron Harang
6-14 4.21 ERA
Bronson Arroyo
15-13 3.84 ERA
Johnny Cueto
11-11 4.41 ERA
Homer Bailey
8-5 4.53 ERA
Micah Owings
7-12 5.34 ERA

Setup

Arthur Rhodes
1-1 2.53 ERA

Closer

Francisco Cordero
39 SV 2.16 ERA

Probably the most overlooked thing about this team is its starting rotation. If Harang and Arroyo can be in the middle or great, the Reds instantly get 10 wins more than last year. Harang has not been the same guy the last two seasons. Instead of piling up wins, innings and strikeouts, its losses, hits and injuries. Once considered a durable innings eater, Harang is on the downside, but he still has the potential for one more great season. Arroyo has managed to help overlook Harang’s shortcomings with a level of consistency that has resulted in a vast array of trade rumors. If the Reds are out of contention early, expect them to take advantage of the market and deal Arroyo while his stock is high. Cueto and Bailey have arrived and are the future of the staff. Cueto struggled to live up to his All-Star appearance of 08. Pitching in Great American Ball Park doesn’t offer much room for error though. Bailey became a full time starter last year. He will still get a pass, but this is the make or break year to see if he will live up to the potential of being a staff ace. Owings is still the best hitting pitcher in the majors, but has lost a step on the pitching side. He’s the favorite for the fifth spot to start the year, but when Edinson Volquez returns from Tommy John surgery or if they call up Cuban defector Arlodis Chapman, Owings will be going to the pen and being a pinch hitter.
Rhodes is forty years old and can still deal with the best of them. He appeared in 66 games and didn’t show any signs of his age. If Rhodes should show his age, Nick Masset is capable of filling in to salvage the setup to Cordero. The one constant in the pitching staff has been the closer. It didn’t make financial sense to sign Cordero, but it has made perfect baseball sense. Cordero has recorded 73 saves in two seasons in Cincinnati. Lady luck has been on the Reds side with the closer spot. For that luck to continue, Cordero must be on his game for Cincinnati to be in contention in September.

Astros Lineup

CF Michael Bourn
.285 AVG 3 HR 35 RBI
2B Kaz Matsui
.250 AVG 9 HR 46 RBI
1B Lance Berkman
.274 AVG 25 HR 80 RBI
LF Carlos Lee
.300 AVG 26 HR 102 RBI
RF Hunter Pence
.282 AVG 25 HR 72 RBI
3B Pedro Feliz*
.266 AVG 12 HR 82 RBI
SS Tommy Manzella
.289 AVG 9 HR 56 RBI (AAA stats)
C Humberto Quintero
.236 AVG 4 HR 14 RBI

The Astros have finally hit rock bottom. It became apparent last year when after the All-Star break the Astros didn’t go on their patented second half run. Houston went in the opposite direction finishing the season with only 74 wins and a fifth place finish. Part of the problem was the inconsistent bat of Lance Berkman. He suffered through some injuries, but for over 20 games was without a home run. Berkman had minor knee surgery during spring training, but it is believed he will be ready for opening day. Bourn has transformed into one of the best leadoff players in the game. He does everything. Gets on base, steals bases (61) and is a gold glove defender. The Phillies thought Bourn wasn’t going to amount to anymore than a fourth outfielder. The Astros stole him in the offseason of 08. Matsui is a savvy veteran who is a solid number two hitter. He can steal over 20 bases and provide clutch hitting with Bourn batting in front of him. Lee is the constant run producer for the Astros. Less will be expected from Lee if Berkman is healthy, but even so, Lee can be counted on to drive in over 100 runs and bang 30+ home runs. Pence is coming off his first of many All-Star seasons for Houston. He brings 30-30 potential to a lineup in desperate need of production after Lee in the fifth spot. Feliz was signed on to provide stability at the hot corner and some pop in the lineup. He shouldn’t have any problems playing in Minute Maid Park. Manzella has the potential to be a .300 hitter, but will be counted on more to provide a steady hand on the defensive side. Miguel Tejada lost his range at shortstop last spring and never recovered. Quintero will most likely be in a platoon role with J.R. Towles. Quintero is solid on defense while Towles provides the bat in the Astros lineup. Jason Castro will be waiting in the wings in the minors to take over the catcher’s spot either late this year or to start next year.

Bench

INF Geoff Blum
.247 AVG 10 HR 49 RBI
INF/OF Jeff Keppinger
.256 AVG 7 HR 29 RBI
OF Jason Michaels
.237 AVG 4 HR 16 RBI

Blum is still a productively player at age 37. If Berkman is unavailable to start the year, Blum will be the fill in at first. If Feliz needs a day off, he can play third base. With the short field to cover in left, Blum could give Lee a day off or be a defensive sub. Either way, his prime job is the primary pinch hitter, especially in close games. Keppinger can play all over the place. That is his primary value, plus he could be the starter at short if Manzella falters and has to be benched. Michaels has decent pop, but can’t be counted on to be an everyday player. He will be the fourth outfielder and can play all three outfield spots. However, he is a liability in the lineup. It would be a welcome addition if he hit .260 or higher in 2010.

Rotation

Roy Oswalt
8-6 4.12 ERA
Wandy Rodriguez
14-12 3.02 ERA
Brett Myers*
4-3 4.84 ERA
Bud Norris
6-3 4.53 ERA
Brain Moehler
8-12 5.47 ERA

Setup

Matt Lindstrom
15 SV 5.89 ERA

Closer

Brandon Lyon
3 SV 2.86 ERA

This was the linchpin for Houston last year. Oswalt was hurt for part of last year and it showed. The team had no life in the rotation and went all the way down to the bullpen. Aside from LaTroy Hawkins (Milwaukee) and Jose Valverde (Detroit) the pen was awful. Oswalt is now healthy and you can expect at least 15 wins from him when he’s healthy. Rodriguez was the lone bright spot. His potential had erupted and had the Astros been more competitive, his record could have been 18-8 or somewhere near that. An impressive ERA of 3.02 pitching mostly in a hitter friendly ballpark is a welcome sign for the rest of his career in Houston. Myers is back in a rotation, but finds himself going from one hitters park to another. He must be able to consistently throw his fastball for strikes or he will find himself in the pen on a losing team. Norris showed promise in ten starts last season. Capable of posting a lot of strikeouts, but must be able to keep the ball down considering hitters will be sitting on his fastball in hitters counts. Moehler provides a veteran presence at the back end of the staff. If his ERA is anything like last season though, he could be relegated to mop up duty in the bullpen or the occasional spot start.
Lyon was given a three year contract and with that the closer role. He only saved three games last year for Detroit mainly because he was setting up their closer. Lyon is not a strikeout closer, but does get the job done. Lyon saved 26 of 31 save chances for Arizona in ’08. Lindstrom will get some opportunities to save games for the Astros if Lyon should fail. Lindstrom is what teams look for in a closer, throws strikes, has an out pitch and is mentally tough. His weakness is getting into jams. After one guy gets on base, pretty soon it’s two then the bases are loaded for the opponents slugger. New manager Brad Mills will be given a pass this year, but owner Drayton McClane has a short fuse and could unload after 2011.

Pirates Lineup

CF Andrew McCutchen
.286 AVG 12 HR 54 RBI
2B Akinori Iwamura*
.290 AVG 1 HR 22 RBI
RF Garrett Jones
.293 AVG 21 HR 44 RBI
C Ryan Doumit
.250 AVG 10 HR 38 RBI
1B Jeff Clement
.274 AVG 21 HR 90 RBI (AAA stats)
3B Andy LaRoche
.258 AVG 12 HR 64 RBI
LF Lastings Milledge
.279 AVG 4 HR 21 RBI
SS Ronny Cedeno
.208 AVG 10 HR 38 RBI

Now if there is one good thing to point to with the Pirates, it’s the upside at spots 1-5 in the lineup. McCutchen whether he likes it or not is now the face of the franchise. He burst onto the scene after they deal Nyjer Morgan to the Nationals last year. The result was what the Pirates had expected when they were ready to call him up. The best comparison I could make is the right handed version of Carl Crawford. Iwamura was a great addition. Like what the Astros have with Matsui, the Pirates have a proven veteran who can drive the ball to score McCutchen when he gets on base. Jones played in only 82 games and produced 21 home runs. Imagine what he can do in a full season. If McCutchen and Iwamura get on base, Jones could be primed for a big season. Doumit must stay healthy for everything to come together. Both offensively and defensively. He is too talented to not come through as their cleanup hitter. Clement is the dark horse. If he adjusts to playing first base and hits like he has in the minors, the Pirates will have gotten a great find from Seattle. Clement couldn’t stay healthy being the catcher, but playing a new position might help keep in the order. LaRoche struggled to hit for average last year. That’s his bread and butter. He seemed to be swinging for the fences too often. He needs to find his stroke and being further down in the order will help. Milledge is right when he says this is probably his last chance to play for a big league club. If he can’t make it with the Pirates, where else is he gonna fit in. He will be 24 when the season starts, so he has that going for him. He has too much talent to not be a fit with this club. Cedeno is solid with the glove, but his bat still needs work. Although he hit .258 in Pittsburgh when he was acquired from Seattle last year.

Bench

INF Bobby Crosby*
.223 AVG 6 HR 29 RBI
OF Ryan Church*
.273 AVG 4 HR 40 RBI
INF/OF Delwyn Young
.266 AVG 7 HR 43 RBI

Signing Crosby and Church provides stability in case two hopefuls in the order falter. Crosby is now working on his first base skills and is capable of playing every infield position except catcher. He can still hit, but probable not to the extent of his days playing in Oakland. Church is a solid fourth outfielder for the Pirates. Plays the game with a tough streak and is capable of playing all three outfield spots. Should Milledge falter, Church can fill in or be in a platoon against right handed pitchers. Young was playing a lot as was most of the would be bench players last year. He did very well in a starting role. With the moves the Pirates made, now Young can be ready to come off the bench and fill in at almost every position. The Pirates haven’t had this kind of versatility in a long time. Third base prospect Pedro Alvarez is waiting in the wings. Expect him to be called up in May or June.

Rotation

Paul Maholm
8-9 4.44 ERA
Ross Ohlendorf
11-10 3.92 ERA
Zach Duke
11-16 4.06 ERA
Charlie Morton
5-9 4.55 ERA
Daniel McCutchen
1-2 4.21 ERA

Setup

Brendan Donnelly*
3-0 1.78 ERA

Closer

Octavio Dotel*
3-3 3.32 ERA

The starting staff stays intact. Not much was out there for the Pirates to go after and it wasn’t always the starters fault. Maholm is their best starter. A crafty lefty who is in the mold of Tom Glavine who works the outside part of the strike zone. Not always going for the strikeout, but does keep his defense involved in the game. Ohlendorf is exactly what the Pirates have been looking for. A righthander who can complement the lefthanders in the rotation. He can blow his fastball by you and combines that with a hard slider as an out pitch. Duke doesn’t wow you, but does get the job done. His record is misleading in part, he played for the Pirates and hardly had any run support. Morton will be counted on to do what Ohlendorf is doing and that’s be a strong compliment after Duke in the rotation. Some in the organization think Morton has the best stuff of the entire staff. McCutchen in six starts was okay, didn’t wow anyone. He will get the fifth spot, but Kevin Hart and Brad Lincoln could be called up to fill it if McCutchen doesn’t pan out for the Pirates.
Donnelly being brought was a great move. A veteran who was an All-Star in ’03, provides stability at the back end of the bullpen. Not a lot of experience as a closer, but can close a few games out. He doesn’t have the same power in his pitches, but can still get hitters out in the majors. Dotel had three save opportunities last season for the White Sox. His best season as a closer was in ’04 saving 36 games for the Astros and Athletics. The Pirates are not expecting that kind of season from Dotel, but they do expect him to be the final nail in the opponents coffin when the Pirates do have a lead in the ninth inning. Now don’t expect him to finish the season in Pittsburgh. If the Pirates do finish with 70 wins or more, manager John Russell might be around on more year, but don’t expect miracles in Pittsburgh. Another losing season is in store for the Pirates.