Philadelphia Phillies (92-70) - The best rotation in baseball had better be as good as advertised. Chase Utley might need microfracture surgery and miss the season. Raul Ibanez is drasticly slowing down. Closer Brad Lidge is unhealthy and unreliable. Jayson Werth will be missed more than people suspect. I think this Phillies team could really struggle to score runs.
Atlanta Braves (88-74) - You have to be excited about the young phenoms in the Braves lineup. Last season's OF sensation Jayson Heyward could hit 30 HR's in his sophomore season and 1B Freddie Freeman is considered one of the top 5 prospects in baseball. Dan Uggla is a bit overrated, but will hit 25 HR's. Atlanta has several good arms in their Bullpen but none as good as the retired Billy Wagner. Fredi Gonzalez replaces the legendary Bobby Cox.
Florida Marlins (84-78) - Still one year away from opening their long awaited new ball park, the Marlins will continue to play hard for the 50 fans that attend their games. Rookies Mike Stanton and Gaby Sanchez are both threats to hit 25+HR's. I think Javier Vazquez can help at the back end of the rotation. The Marlins have a ton of prospects that our class to big league ready. If they invest a bit in some starting pitching in 2012 they could contend in their 1st year at the new yard.
Washington Nationals (76-84) - Jayson Werth was a major upgrade both offensively and defensively in RF. The Nats can really hit the ball. LF Mike Morse had a monster Spring and could be poised for a breakout season. The starting staff is awful, though Jordan Zimmerman shows promise. The Nats wait for 2012 when both Stephen Strausburg and Bryce Harper could be ready for a return to the big leagues.
NY Mets (73-89) - A dark cloud hangs over the entire Mets organization. The Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme has forced the Mets deep into red ink with the Wilpon family's indirect involvement. The team is carrying over $400 million in debt, and that number could increase 2 fold as the law suits against the family intensify. On the field, ace Johan Santana may not be ready to pitch until the All Star Break. Carlos Beltran is hurt again, and will probably never be a competent CF again. I don't think the Mets were expecting 6 home runs from a guy they are paying $9 million a year (Jason Bay).
NL Central
Cincinatti Reds (86-76) - I love the versatility of the Reds offense. Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs, and Jay Bruce can all hit for power or swipe a bag when needed. The rotation is solid but unspectacular if they all stay healthy. The Cuban Missile, Aroldis Chapman is ready to dominate out of the bullpen. The Reds have enough young talent and payroll flexibility to go out and buy an ace (Felix Hernandez?)
Milwaukee Brewers (84-78) - If Zack Grienke stays healthy, a Grienke, Yovani Gallardo, Shawn Marcum combo is the best 1-2-3 rotation in the division. The lineup is good 1-5 (Weeks, McGehee, Braun, Fielder, Hart) but brutal beyond that. Can Milwaukee contend long enough to hold onto Prince Fielder? If the team gets off to a slow start, will they trade Prince who will be a free agent in 2012.
St. Louis Cardinals (83-79) - Losing Adam Wainwright was a huge blow. Is LHP Jaime Garcia the real deal in his 2nd season? Does Lance Berkman have anything left in the tank? Can he play OF? Will Albert Pujols remain in a Cardinal uniform the remainder of the season? Is Tony Larussa going to get wasted by mid-season? The Cards will be very dramatic if not entertaining to follow.
Chicago Cubs (79-83) - I don't know what to think of the Cubs. If Soriano, Pena, Ramirez, and Zambrano played up to their talents, they could win the division in a runaway. Unfortunately it's more likely that Soriano continues to suck in the field, Pena strikes out 200 times, Ramirez is on the DL, and Zambrano punches a water cooler. Matt Garza was a good pickup for the rotation.
Houston Astros (74-88) - This lineup looks worse than last season when it was 15th in the NL. The middle infield is a joke until Jeff Keppinger returns from injury. Carlos Lee looks like a corpse at the plate. Bud Norris remains maddeningly inconsistent. I am hopeful that Brett Wallace and Jordan Lyles show themselves to be building blocks for the next great Astros team. If Drayton McClane's sale of the team becomes official, they should consider cutting Carlos Lee.
Pittsburgh Pirates (74-88) - One of the nicest ball parks in the Majors has yet to field a winning product. This year that trend does not figure to change. The Pirates have some nice young players in 2B Neil Walker, 3B Pedro Alvarez, and CF Andrew McCutcheon, but their pitching is unwatchable. If any of these guys finish with a winning record, they deserve a medal.
NL West
San Francisco Giants (88-74) - The Giants are poised to own this division if their players stay healthy. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Brian Wilson anchor a great pitching staff. Buster Posey is a superstar in the making who will likely be moved to 1B at some point. Brandon Belt is another major league ready hitter who will impact the ball club soon.
Colorado Rockies (84-78) - Was Ubaldo Jimenez a 1 year wonder? Will Carlos Gonzalez be equally productive hitting 3rd as he was as a leadoff hitter? There is much to like about the Rockies bullpen provided Huston Street can stay off the DL. For my $$$ this is one of the most exciting teams to watch in the National League.
Los Angeles Dodgers (81-81) - The rotation looks good (Kershaw, Billingsley, Kuroda, Lily). The lineup needs comeback years from Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal. Jonathan Broxton also fell apart last season. Oh and there's that small detail about a divorce that could completely breakup the ball club. Other than that, new manage Don Mattingly should enjoy his 1st season replacing Joe Torre as manager.
San Diego Padres (74-88) - Can the Padres really get away with no offense for a 2nd consecutive season? Their only long ball weapon, Adrian Gonzalez, is now a Boston Red Sox player. Surely the team will trade closer Heath Bell by the deadline. I lost a ton of $$ doubting the Padres last season, but I am going to make them prove it to me again.
Hey Auburn...you got some 'splainen to do!!
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/ex-auburn-players-claim-systematic-pay-to-play-29592
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