Dallas Redbirds

Dallas Redbirds:

Catcher:
Mike Napoli definitely has some power, and should hit 20 hrs assuming he gets 400 at bats. Getting 20hr 60rbi out of a catcher is a nice bonus as long as the rest of the lineup can offset his lack elsewhere along with lower AB totals. John Baker is the backup and if needed should provide a decent average but not much else.

1st Base:
I really do like Carlos Pena. His average is never going to be too great but the power is there and has a nice lineup building around him. If he can stay healthy I can see another 35 hr season in him along with over 100 rbi and close to 100 walks. The backup will be Morales who hasn't proved much in the majors but has proven he can hit AAA pitching. I do like him to come around this year but if he doesn't and Pena goes down Dallas could be hurting here.

2nd Base:
I project Cano to be a .280-90-12-70 guy which isn't stud levels for 2nd base but is good enough to help week to week. I wouldn't expect him to hit .340 again though. There isnt a backup here, so it will be WW time in the rare case Cano goes down.

3rd Base:
The Redbirds needed some speed and went with Chone Figgins to fill this position. He had hamstring issues last year which is something to keep an eye on but should still steal around 30 bases. Scott Rolen is still reaping the rewards of a 5 year deal, but at this point he's a guy that you really don't want in your lineup unless things go awry. He's a great example of how injuries can kill a career. Mike Lowell was taken around the perfect time and I think he's a darkhorse on this team. He may fill the utility spot and put up decent numbers for the most part of the season. He's had some health issues but I think he'll prove to be one of the bigger steals of the draft.

Shortstop:
Jhonny Peralta is coming off a monster year for a shortstop and should continue to build on 2008 numbers. Turning 27 this season, I dont see a major decrease in numbers in the works. Depending on the players around him I could see .275-90-20-100 in 2009. Jed Lowrie backs him up, but looks like Julio Lugo is staking claim on his position in Boston.

Outfield:
Matt Holliday moves from Colorado to Oakland and that can't be a major help to his numbers, but I trust his ability enough to know he will continue to produce. This team is expecting greatness here so there's a lot riding on the adjustment. I expect a .310-95-25-100-10 season in Oakland. I'm being fairly conservative with those projections but I feel they're reasonable. A step below is Andre Ethier who progressed nicely in 2008 and should continue into 2009. Will be a nice duo with Holliday with .300-90-20-90. However, after those two the team is depending on the likes of Ryan Church, Jeremy Hermida and Jack Cust. You know Cust will hit close to 30 hrs and walk 100 times but will hit .230. Hermida and Church have some upside but not a big fan of either. Juan Pierre should steal 40 bases but might not get consistent playing time.

Starting Pitching:
Brandon Webb and Ervin Santana is a nice 1-2 punch to build around. I could see these two combining for 35 wins, 350 K's and around 3.50 ERA. Matt Garza showed a lot of guts in the post season and should be ready to take it to the next level in 2009, could be a nice "sleeper" even though he's been on everyones radar for a couple years now. Lets assume Chamberlain starts for New York. He's proven he will succeed in any role he's given but needs to work deeper into games if he's going to be a top notch starter. If he turns into a top tier guy as early as 2009 the Redbirds will have a great 1-4 rotation going on. I'm no fan of Wang or Snell, but a guy like Wang doesnt do enough to hurt a team as a #5 guy. Dallas spent a high pick on Price though and I think is putting a lot of faith on him becoming a stud before he's ready. It's no different than when everyone was sniffing the "King" Felix Hernandez glue a few years ago. I've seen him pitch and know what he can do, but i would never expect someone to be completely successful this early on.

Relief Pitching:
I like Heath Bell a lot, which brings up an interesting tid bit of information on this guy's offseason. While listening to Jim Rome a few days ago I learned that Heath Bell lost 25 pounds because a game on the Wii told him he was obese. Anyhow, he has the stuff to close and should end up one of the top tier guys this year. Chris Ray returns to Baltimore to close but was never that good to begin with. He'll get the saves but at what cost? There isn't much to talk about MR wise on this team, Masterson will likely get swapped in and out of the rotation and mopup work, Cory Wade is hurt and Ramon Ramirez is a relatively unknown who came out of nowhere to post good numbers last year.

Overall:
I think Dallas did enough to put up a competitive team this year, but there are a few areas that could be trouble if the stars don't align. When you get an abundance of guys who hit for a lower average you end up with cold streaks which can turn into dry weeks. Holliday and Ethier cannot carry a team through those and that can hurt. The SP is there but the RP is lacking. At least we shouldn't have to hear about him getting screwed in next years lottery :)