Season 44 AL North Preview

Montreal Shamrocks
jmercer77 

SEA 44 start:  12-10

The Good:  Well, the payroll has gotten down to $34MM (a good chunk of that is due Heath Dickerson - still a very good player who could be a pretty good trade chip) for a team that is starting a turnaround.  It's kind of a hodgepodge of 4A rookies and bargain FA's that has gotten  off to a pretty good start.  I thought we'd see Felix Cave (S40's #4 pick) at Game 20...no particular reason to keep him down another season and LF Brisker has just been injured.

The Bad:  With the aforementioned roster of 4A's and leftover FA's, I don't expect them to remain in contention, but let's enjoy the good start as long as it lasts.

The Ugly:  This is truly the start of a rebuild...actually, there's still some tearing down to be done and it just isn't going to be fun for awhile.

Predicted Record:  the good start helps...  67-105

Milwaukee Chedda
Zattack 
SEA 44 start: 13-9

The Good:  Elected to extend the contention window with FA signings of SS Raul Machi, P's Rymer Merced and Chad Reid, and OF Yoslan Goya.  Lots of guys with moderate power (9 with double figure homers last year, the big surprise being Bartolo Martin with 80 extra basehits).  The pro-con of the Pat Jodie trade is of course debatable, but it did bring in a good pitching prospect (Socks Jenkins, #19 in SEA 41), a good front-line starter in Stan Story, and another young SP in Chad Haynes.

The Bad:  I think they'll hold up this year but the truth is they're battling younger, more talented teams in Philly and KC, and the end of the contention window is coming.  

The Ugly:  Bartolo Martin's hitting ratings, especially for a DH (I guess contact matters after all) Amazingly, Martin OPS'd .852 last year.  His partial season in 42 (.671) and start this year (.723) are probably more suggestive of his LT output, but it's always nice to get an .852 season from a $4MM IFA.

Predicted Record: 90-72

Kansas City Jayhawks
dakar
SEA 44 start: 12-10

The Good:  Well, this team has arrived as a contender for the next decade.  Best catcher duo in Hobbs (Guerrier/Osuna).  Pretty good to excellent hitters at just about every position (especially where RF Harry Estrada will rebound from a mild sophomore slump).  Grade A defense overall, and especially at the really important positions (SS, 2B, 3B).  The staff was already pretty good, and will get a huge boost from James Haney and rookie Nicky Glaus (Season 40's #2 overall).  Happy Cepeda showed us what his career will look like last season with a 0.9 WHIP (!).

The Bad:  I guess you can find some if you really nit-pick.  Carlos Vincente is a nice pitcher but $12MM seems a little excessive for him.  Man, solid pitching staff.  Underwhelming start, as Haney and Vincente in particular have been terrible.

The Ugly:  What they're going to do to a lot of AL teams this year, although there are 3 really good teams in the North.

Predicted Record:  95-67

 
Philadelphia Erffdoggs
wholck 
SEA 43:  91-71

The Good: tied with Vegas for the best start in the AL at 15-7.  I love the young hitters Shea, Hughes and Urbina, although as a group they haven't started fast.  They'll improve as the season wears on.  The pitching staff, on the other hand, has started red-hot.

The Bad:  Thomas Alcantera is off to a shaky start (4.68 ERA) but when he gets it going it'll be bad news for the rest of the AL.  I've liked Alcantera and his four + pitches since he popped up on the IFA list in Season 38.

The Ugly: Even with Alcantera improving, this pitching staff will come back to earth.

Predicted Record:  Their hot start will make it a race with KC - 95-67