Last Season's Record: 71-91
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 5th NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Aaron Rowand: CF
Major Offseason Losses:
- Barry Bonds: LF (???)
This organization is an embarrassment to Major League Baseball. They had their chance to right the ship with Bonds leaving, make room for some younger players, but they chose to hold onto their old farts.
This Giants club will be the worst team in baseball, and the only record they will be chasing this year will be for the most losses by a team in one season.
Team Outlook: San Fransisco Giants
Team Outlook: San Diego Padres
Last Season's Record: 89-74
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 4th NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Randy Wolf: LHP
- Jim Edmonds: CF
- Mark Prior
- Tadahito Iguchi: 2B
Major Offseason Losses:
- Milton Bradely
- Mike Cameron
On paper, this rotation looks dominant; Peavy, Maddux, Prior, Young, and Wolf. But everyone knows that these games aren't played on paper. Maddux is another year older, Prior is one bad pitch from landing on the DL again, Wolf is a ticking time bomb, and Peavy has to be wondering how many times another unbelievable pitching season will find him watching the playoffs from his couch.
The lineup is littered with young guns, but acquiring an aging Jim Edmonds
is a questionable move. Its hard to believe that the Padres don't have anyone in their system that could play centerfield.
Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headly provide a little hope for the Padres, who are looking to add some offense to a lineup lacking punch. Who knows though, maybe the lineup would be amazing if they didn't play half their games in Petco Park.
Team Outlook: Colorado Rockies
Last Season's Record: 90-73
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 1st NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Jose Capellan: RHP
- Luis Vizcaino: RHP
Major Offseason Losses:
- Kazuo Matsui: 2B
- LaTroy Hawkins: RHP
The Rockies were the Cinderella Team of 2007, making the playoffs after tearing through the NL in the last month of the season. Barnstorming through the playoffs, the Rockies kept on winning until they met the Red Sox in the World Series.
A lot of the Rockies problems in the World Series had to do with the inexperience roster that the team put on the field. This year the Rockies are a little older and a little wiser, so look for them the win the NL West outright and by a large margin. Despite the rotation being a bit shaky after Francis and Cook, Colorado's lineup should mash opposing pitchers.
Talented youth seems to be a dime a dozen in Colorado. Some of their best position players will probably not break camp this year (see Stewart- Koshansky).
Matt Holiday is a perennial MVP candidate and if Brad Hawpe can figure out how to hit lefties, they'll be staring at another World Series appearance awfully soon.
Team Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers
Last Season's Record: 82-80
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 3rd NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Andrew Jones: CF
- Hiroki Kuroda: RHP
Major Offseason Losses:
- Randy Wolf: LHP
- Mark Hendrickson: LHP
Bringing Joe Torre over from the Yankees during the offseason sent a wonderful message to the veterans in the Dodger's organization: "Time to start cashing in on that retirement plan".
Torre will not put up (for long) with the organizational tendency to give playing time to their rustier parts. Torre coming in will usher in a youth movement in LA.
Curious is the decision to sign guys like Jason Schmidt and Hiroki Kuroda, while LA has arms like Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw. LA also has guys like Andy LaRoche and James Looney that need to get more at bats, in order for LA to win ballgames.
Until LA fully commits to an overhaul and a youth movement, the old and the new will continue to butt heads and keep LA out of the playoffs.
Team Outlook: Arizona Diamondbacks
Last Season's Record: 90-72
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 2st NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Dan Haren: RHP
- Connor Roberston: RHP
- Chris Burke: 2B
- Chad Qualls: RHP
Major Offseason Losses:
- Carlos Quentin: RF
- Dana Eveland: LHP
- Jose Valverde: RHP
This team had a -20 run scoring differential last season, and still made the playoffs. Their pitching staff received a major upgrade thanks to the Oakland Rebuilding Project. The Diamondbacks are a young and extremely talented team. If Chad Tracey becomes healthy and produces numbers that he's capable of putting up, the Diamondbacks won't have to rely on their pitching staff as much as they did last year.
The Diamondbacks biggest weakness going into the 2008 season is obviously their offense. The Front Office did little to improve their lineup, and will have to look to their younger players to adapt to big league pitching and have better years.