...Philadelphia Phillies...
IN - SP Cliff Lee
OUT - OF Jayson Werth...SP Jamie Moyer...3B Pedro Feliz
In the Phillies organization keep an eye on...OF Domonic Brown...wow amazing athlete...great football player...great pitcher...but Brown projects as a great MLB OF...Surely needs to improve on pitch selection (chasing too many balls instead of only swinging at strikes) but this kid has tools...speed, power, hits for average...projects to be a 30/30 left-hand hitting stud
The Phillies were the winners of the Cliff Lee sweepstakes returning the coveted lefty to the City of Brotherly Love...he gets paired with Doc Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt to form an amazing rotation...This group is particularly good at Citizens Bank Park...Joe Blanton figures to be the 5th starter...Ryan Madson, Danys Baez, Jose Contreras, and J.C. Romero will set-up closer Brad Lidge again in 2011 (Lidge will begin the season on the DL)
The pitching was great in 2010, but not good enough to carry the club to the World Series as the O was inconsistent...plagued by injuries all season this group was well below their potential...Gone is Jayson Werth which leaves that much more slack for guys like 1B Ryan Howard, 2B Chase Utley (Utley will start the season injured) SS Jimmy Rollins, 3B Placido Polanco, OF's Raul Ibanez and OF Shane Victorino to pick up...Rookie Dominic Brown will get a shot too...C Carlos Ruiz had a career year in '10 and the Phillies need that type of production to continue...
Over/Under win total for the 2011 Phillies...96.5...The pitching at home should be great, even if the O continues to struggle...High 50's in home wins should be do-able meaning a .500 road record should put this team OVER 96.5 W's...Health will be the #1 concern for this team...Philly has a several year run now of improving on their previous season W total
...Atlanta Braves...
Welcome to Hotlanta - Manager Fredi Gonzalez...RP Scott Linebrink...RP George Sherrill...2B Dan Uggla
OUT - retired great Bobby Cox...OF Melky Cabrera...OF Rick Ankiel...OF Matt Diaz...1B Derrek Lee...RP Billy Wagner...1B Troy Glaus...3B Omar Infante
In the Braves organization keep an eye on...RP Craig Kimbrel (sidearmer)...you can imagine that in an organization as great as Atlanta there are actually several young players to keep an eye on, but Kimbrel gets the billing here based on his MLB debut in 2010...this kid has a 95-97 mph heater with MLB ready Slurve and he was not over-matched as a call-up in 2010, in fact his #'s were gaudy (4-0...1 Save...20.2 IP allowing only 9 hits while striking out an amazing 40 MLB batters)...if Kimbrel can further fine-tune his control then he will be a mainstay on the MLB roster for years to come
For the first time in ages the Braves enter a season without Bobby Cox at the helm...His presence will not be gone though as he lives down the street from new Manager Fredi Gonzalez and the two get together regularly as friends...The one thing that remains the same is that the Braves have a great rotation...Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, and Tim Hudson provide skill and depth...we will look for youngster Kris Medlan to be the 5th starter, with young Mike Minor at AAA almost ready...George Sherrill and Scott Linebrink were added to the back of the bullpen to go with Kimbrel (with Billy Wagner retiring lets look for Kimbrel to do the closer job)
2010 Braves O was great at getting on base, but only decent at scoring runs...They add 2B Dan Uggla and his 30+ HR bat...Rookie 1B Freddie Freeman is a born hitter...2nd year RF Jason Heyward should be a cinch to improve on his rookie campaign (stud-in-the-making)...OF Martin Prado needs to continue his strong play...Question marks here are what will you get from SS Alex Gonzalez? What will you get from 3B Chipper Jones? Will the real Nate McLouth show up in 2011? C Brian McCann was good in 2010, but they need to return to his 2009 form where he was very very good
Over/Under win total for the 2011 Braves...88.5...UNDER...A lot to like in Hotlanta, but I could see 86-87 as their upside so I will take the under here...IF Freeman and Kimbrel play ahead of their curve then this Braves team could make noise though
...New York Mets...
IN - Manager Terry Collins...OUT - SP John Maine...P Kelvim Escobar...OF Chris Carter...RP Pedro Feliciano
In the Mets organization keep an eye on...OF Cory Vaughn (son of former MLB star Greg Vaughn) and P Juan Urbina (son of former MLB great Ugeth Urbina)...both are very young...both have MLB pedigrees...both have done better than expected since becoming pro players in the Mets organization...Vaughn hit poorly in College, but very well in his first pro-season in 2010 (Class A)...Urbina has nice/smooth mechanics to go with his 93 mph heater
New Skipper Terry Collins may be taking over at the perfect time as I cannot recall a season in years with such low expectations for the New York Mets...Also new to the Mets is GM Sandy Alderson aka Mr Moneyball...Alderson has already been busy cutting guys like 2B Luis Castillo and SP Oliver Perez despite money being owed to those players...At 2B we will look at guys like Ruben Tejada, Daniel Murphy, and Rule 5 Brad Emaus (Emaus will be returned to the Jays by rule if he does not make the MLB club) to get a good chance...IB Ike Davis and C Josh Thole will get their chance to show they can be everyday players along with 3B David Wright...other Mets like OF Jason Bay, SS Jose Reyes, and OF Carlos Beltran need a return to health and steady production...
The rotation is of course led by Johan Santana, but his most recent surgery (rotator cuff) has him out likely at least 1/2 the season...That leaves a lot of slack and pressure for guys like R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese, and Mike Pelfrey...Could we see veteran Chris Young get a chance in NY too?...The bullpen has Francisco Rodriquez and Bobby Parnell returning to the squad, but on the mend...D.J. Carrasco should get a lot of work...Manny Acosta and Chris Capuano (potential starter) could see a lot of action too
Over/Under win total for the 2011 Mets...77.5...OVER...low expectations should allow this team to focus on the 9-inning game at hand each day...There still is potential in the batting order, and once Johan returns the pitching staff gets that much better too
...Florida Marlins...
Taking their talents to South Beach - LeBron James...Chris Bo(wait a minute...my bad)...let's try that again...IN - C John Buck...SP Javier Vasquez...3B Omar Infante...RP Edward Mujica...RP Randy Choate
OUT - OF Cameron Maybin...2B Dan Uggla...RP Jorge Sosa
In the Marlins organization keep an eye on...SS Ozzie Martinez...the Marlins (as usual) have a ton of young studs on their MLB roster getting their careers started...Martinez may be the next stud-in-the-making in Florida...he had a brief stint in 2010 with the big club and we saw his potential on display...above-average middle-infield skills on D...above average hitter too - not for power per se, but a very good hitter
Edwin Rodriquez is on a precarious 1-year deal to Manage this club...His long term future depends on can he become BFF with the temperamental SS Hanley Ramirez...Hanley is a MVP talent and he needs to step us as a leader for this organization...new C John Buck and new SP Javier Vazquez should provide #'s and leadership too...OF Mike Stanton (stud-in-the-making) needs to continue his development in '11...Omar Infante and Emilio Bonifacio will likely get playing time in the IF in 2011...For the Marlins to compete in 2011 for the NL East crown they will surely need the likes of 1B Gaby Sanchez, and OF's Logan Morrison and Chris Coghlan to perform (at least 2 of those 3 anyway)...
The rotation is top-heavy with Cy Young caliber at the top in Josh Johnson...Ricky Nolasco is a solid top-of-the-rotation guy too, as is Vazquez...Anibal Sanchez and Chris Volstad need to step up their games in 2011 for FLA...The bullpen has several quality arms in closer Leo Nunez, and set-up men like Edward Mujica, Clay Hensley, Brian Sanches, Randy Choate, and Ryan Webb
Over/Under win total for the 2011 Marlins...81.5...OVER...I see a solid squad here...some guys with huge upside potential...
...Washington Nationals...
IN - OF Jayson Werth...OF Matt Stairs...OF Rick Ankiel...RP Todd Coffey
OUT - OF Adam Dunn...RP Miguel Batista...OF Josh Willingham...OF Nyjer Morgan
In the Nationals organization keep an eye on...Bryce Harper...massive hype for Harper...6'3" 225 pounder...looks like a can't miss stud at the plate...he wisely chose a College in 2010 that plays in a league that uses wooden bats - College of Southern Nevada of the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC) - he won the SWAC Player of the Year award...his team's previous record for HR's was 12, Harper belted 31
I am in the majority in believing that the monster 7 years $127 million contract to sign Jayson Werth was a tactical error...I would have sat on that dough and waited at least one more season before spending crazy dough on a FA...Werth benefited in Philly from a great hitters ballpark and enough talent around him in the lineup to give him protection...Washington provides none of that...At every position I am underwhelmed...OF has guys like Roger Bernadina, Rick Ankiel, Matt Stairs, and Werth...not a lot there to like...The IF has Ryan Zimmerman, and young potential like Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa will surely get their chance to show that they can play the middle-IF every day...An aging Ivan Rodriguez does the catching...
The pitching staff is without injured ace Stephen Strasburg and there is not much here to like...Jordan Zimmerman could be good, but that is about it...I am underwhelmed with guys like Tom Gorzelanny, Livan Hernandez, Jason Marquis, Ross Detwiler, and John Lannan...The bullpen actually shows potential...Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Todd Coffey, Collin Balester, Sean Burnett, Doug Slaton, and Henry Rodriguez are some of the lively arms in the Nationals 'pen...veteran Chad Gaudin is in the organization too
Over/Under win total for the 2011 Nationals...71.5...UNDER...This team needs Strasburg and Harper asap...
Check out the other MLB Previews too...also follow me on twitter @craigballard77
