MLB NL Central 2008 Preview
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Chicago Cubs (85-77 in 2007)
The Cubs improved from 66 wins to 85 and a division title last season under Lou Piniella, then got smoked in the playoffs. The offense was below average, ranking 8th in the NL in runs scored, but the pitching carried the day, second in team ERA (4.04) and first in opponents batting average (.246). Yes, the Cubs finally have the pitching! They are built for the long hall again with a starting rotation featuring Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Rich Hill.
26-year old Carlos Zambrano is an ace off an 18-13 season, throwing 216 innings with a 3.92 ERA. Which means he's won 18, 16, 14 and 16 games the last four years. In 2006 he had a 16-7 season, with a 3.41 ERA, and 210 Ks in 214 innings. Remarkably, the guy who led the Cubs in quality starts was not Zambrano but lefty Ted Lilly with 20. Lilly was a great acquisition, going 15-8 with a 3.83 ERA tossing 207 innings. He's a typical soft throwing lefty who thrives in the NL after pitching most of his career in the AL.
27-year old Rich Hill was the other big surprise, going 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA in 195 innings. He was tough to hit (170 hits in 195 innings) and fanned 183, most on the team. The final two spots in the order will be between veterans Jason Marquis and newcomer Jon Lieber. Marquis wasn't that bad with the Cubs in 2007, going 12-9 with a 4.60 ERA but walked too many batters (76 in 191 innings). Sean Marshall, Ryan Dempster and Sean Gallagher are also in the mix, meaning several bodies will have to move to the bullpen, which is a plus.
Instead of Dempster (28 saves, 4.73 ERA) closing, they are going to try Kerry Wood as the new closer. Wood didn't have any saves last season, but had a 3.33 ERA fanning 24 in 24 innings. Veterans Bob Howry, Michael Wuertz and lefty Neal Cotts provide quality arms in middle relief. Wuertz has been very strong the last three seasons in middle relief (3-1, 2.66 ERA in 2006 and a 3.48 ERA in 72 innings last summer). This Cubs pitching staff is strong, which is why they dumped often-injured Mark Prior.
The offense has power but needs to get more guys on base to improve a poor .333 OBP. The Cubs spent $136 million to reel in Alfonso Soriano last year and he delivered with 33 homers, a .299 average and 19 steals, though just 70 RBI. Soriano, age 32, had a sensational season with Washington in 2006, hitting 46 home runs, 41 doubles, 95 RBI, and 41 steals. SS Ryan Theriot was a surprise, hitting .266 with 28 steals and 30 doubles.
There's plenty of infield power with 3B Aramis Ramirez and 1B Derrek Lee. Ramirez (.310, 26 HRs and 101 RBIs) led the team in runs batted in. Two years ago he hit .291, with 38 HRs and 119 RBIs. The last four years he's hit 26, 38, 31 and 36 homers! 1B Derrek Lee bounced back from a broken wrist suffered in 2006 and hit 22 homers, 82 RBI with a .310 average. He looks to return to his monster 2005 season when he stoked 46 HRs, a .335 average, and 50 doubles! He only had 107 RBI that year, which shows how bad the table setters have been for the Cubs. They anchor a corner infield that is outstanding.
Mark DeRosa is decent at second base, hitting .293 with 10 homers and 72 RBI. Soriano anchors left field, but the rest of the outfield lacks offensive punch. A guy who might be groomed for the lead-off spot is 26-year old RF Matt Murton, who hit 13 HRs, a .297 average, a .365 on-base percentage in 455 at bats two years ago, and last season hit .281 with 8 homers in half a season (.352 OBP). He's a guy to keep an eye on for fantasy players, a throw-in from Boston in the Garciaparra deal four years ago. CF Felix Pie (.215) didn't blossom as an offensive force despite stealing 8 bases in 177 at bats.
average. This team could use some offensive help at CF or RF.
Manager Lou Piniella is the perfect guy to turn this underachieving franchise around and they gained confidence in 2007. Reports are that Piniella has lost weight and is fired up for this season. After stablizing the pitching staff last season, no easy feat in this park, the Cubs need to get a few more guys on base to upgrade what is potentially a good offense. We'd have to say another division title is likely, along with 90+ wins. Which means another postseason chance to win their first World Series since 1908 -- the 100th anniversary!
Milwaukee Brewers (83-79 in 2007)
There is progress and hope in Milwaukee, along with the bratwurst and beer, as the local baseball team improved from 67 wins three years ago to 81, 75 and 83 the last three. They finished just two games behind the Cubs for first place. The pitching got better, which was the big reason for the improvement. The Brewers hold a 29-year old ace in Ben Sheets (12-5) for manager Ned Yost. Sheets has battled injury problems, but started 24 games in 2007 throwing 141 innings with a 3.82 ERA. That's been his story: He had a 3.33 ERA in 156 innings pitched in 2005 and a 3.82 ERA in 2006, but was limited to 106 innings. Great stuff, not a lot of innings.
Lefty Chris Capuano was a huge surprise in 2005, with a 3.99 ERA, 18 wins in 219 innings, but has tailed off since. In 2006 Capuano held up with 221 innings and a 4.03 ERA and then agreed to a $3.25 million, one-year deal for 2007, but that didn't work out, going 5-12 with a 5.10 ERA. Dave Bush (12-10) has been a surprise as a starter, winning 12 games in each of the last two seasons. In 2006 he pitching 210 innings and walked just 38, and last season went 12-10 in 186 innings (5.12 ERA).
They shored up the staff by signing veteran Jeff Suppan from the champion Cardinals last year and Suppan gave them innings, at 12-12 with a 4.62 ERA in 206 innings. Still, he allowed 243 hits and 68 walks -- that's a lot of base runners! This is a decent starting foursome, if they can keep Sheets healthy and turn around Capuano.
They can also start Claudio Vargas or use him for long relief. The Brewers signed right-hander Vargas to a $3.6 million deal for 2008. Vargas began the 2007 season as the Brewers' No. 5 starter. In 29 outings, including six relief appearances, he went 11-6 with a 5.09 ERA. Vargas, 29, was sidelined with back problems in late August and lost his spot in the rotation. He is one of eight candidates for five spots in the starting rotation in the spring. 21-year old Yovani Gallardo is an arm to watch, going 9-5 in 17 starts with a 3.67 ERA. He fanned 101 in 110 innings and has excellent control.
The Brewers have a strong bullpen with Brian Shouse, Carlos Villanueva (3.94 ERA, 114 IP), David Riske and Seth McClung. Francisco Cordero came over from the Rangers a year ago and was lights out with the Brewers, saving 44 games with a 2.98 ERA. However, he's gone, so they took a chance with Eric Gagne, who was a bust with champion Boston. Gagne looked lost in trying to close out games and could be a bad signing. They had better hope 29-year old former closer Derrick Turnbow can get it back, but he was 4-5 with a 4.63 ERA last season and only one save. In 2005 Turnbow went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA and 39 saves! But in 2006 he flamed out, with a 6.87 ERA and a 4-9 record, which is why they traded for Cordero. Relievers can go hot and cold from year to year, so Turnbow could turn it around again. All in all, this is a deep pen with good versatility.
The offense has changed its shape a lot the last few seasons. 37-year old sparkplug SS Craig Counsell didn't provide a spark atop the order they were looking for, and he hit just .220 with 4 steals. Instead, the infield found a couple of young players that were outstanding in SS J.J. Hardy (26 homers, .277) and 2B Rickie Weeks (25 steals, 16 homers, .235). Weeks may have hit only .235, but he drew 78 walks to boost is OBP to .374!
There are plenty of power bats to drive these guys in. 24-year old 3B Ryan Braun busted out with 34 homers and 97 RBI, while hitting .324. 28-year old CF Bill Hall shifted to center from shortstop and hit 14 homers and 63 RBI. Just two years ago he hit 35 HRs, .270 with 39 doubles. He can move around again, if needed, with newcomer CF/LF Mike Cameron coming aboard. 23-year old 1B Prince Fielder followed up his 28 home runs and 81 RBI 2006 season with a monster year, smacking 50 home runs, driving in 119 with 90 walks last summer. RF Corey Hart smacked 24 home runs with 81 RBI. There is plenty of offensive sock.
Catcher is a weak spot with Jason Kendall, Eric Munson and Mike Rivera, all over 30. The organization ended a franchise record 12 consecutive losing seasons with an 81-81 mark in 2005, then finished 2 games out of first last summer, so they are a young team heading in the right direction. A year ago we wrote, "The Brewers look better this season and should take a stab at .500 or perhaps even a winning season." The same is true for this year and a shot at 90 wins is a possibility with this power offense and bullpen.
St. Louis (78-84 in 2007)
One year removed from a title, there are changes in the Cards. They dealt 3B Scott Rolen to Toronto for Troy Glaus. Rolen had a well publicized feud with manager Tony LaRussa for two years, so they pulled the trigger. Overall, this team earned its third place finish, as the offense was 6th in batting, but 11th in runs and 15th in stolen bases. The banged up pitching staff was 11th in ERA in the NL at 4.65, while 34 saves ranked 14th.
The offense should be better. The Cardinals still have a dangerous middle of the order. 28-year old 1B Albert Pujols had another brilliant season, with 32 HRs, 103 RBI and a .327 average. In 2006 he had 49 HRs, 137 RBI and a .331 average. Back in 2005 he had 41 HRs, 117 RBI and a .330 average. In 2004 he had 46 HRs, 123 RBI and a sizzling .331 average. In 2003 what did he do? .359, 43 HRs, 124 RBI. Talk about a big bopper!
Glaus is a talented player who once won a home run title, but he's 31 and has battled too many injuries. Last season in Toronto he hit 20 homers and 62 RBI in 385 at bats, playing 115 games. 3B Scott Spiezio is good insurance and can give Glaus some days off. The infield also has SS Cesar Izturis and 2B Adam Kennedy. Izturis is a defensive player, while Kennedy is a scrappy, hard-nosed player who looks to bounce back from injuries that limited him to a .219 average. Kennedy stole 16 bases with 6 triples while hitting .273 in 2006 when they won the World Series.
Former postseason hero Catcher Yadier Molina will get the bulk of the work behind the plate. He's one of the top defensive catchers in the major leagues, throwing out 50 percent of would-be basestealers last year, catching 23 of 46. He's also coming off a career-best .275 average, with six homers and 40 RBIs in 111 games. The 25-year old Molina hit the go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of the Cardinals' seven-game NLCS victory over the New York Mets in 2006 and was 7-for-12 in the World Series, helping St. Louis win its first championship in 24 seasons.
The outfield has to replace defensive whiz CF Jim Edmonds, but came up with a great "find" in 28-year old RF Rick Ankiel. The former pitcher hit .285 with 11 homers in 47 games, getting 172 at bats. It's a great story. RF/LF Juan Encarnacion hit .283 with 9 HRs in half a season, while 26-year old LF Chris Duncan excelled with 21 homers and 70 RBI. They also have Ryan Ludwick, who belted 14 home runs and 52 RBI in just 303 at bats. This is a decent outfield with excellent depth and lefty/righty options.
The starting rotation has been a mess because of injuries, but they still had enough to win it all (and get there) in October of 2006. That season, ace RHP Chris Carpenter held things together, going 15-8 with a 3.09 ERA to 221 innings. Back in 2005 he was 21-5, 2.83 ERA as the National League Cy Young Award winner. He is an ace, but he started only opening day in 2007 and is off Tommy John surgery last July. Carpenter said, "I haven't had any problems so far. I haven't had any soreness, but I know it's still going to be a long process." There's no timetable for when Carpenter will return to the rotation, but he probably won't be back until the All-Star break. In 2004-2006, Carpenter went 51-18 with a 3.10 ERA in 93 starts. He was 3-1 in five postseason starts in 2006. He threw eight scoreless innings against Detroit in Game 3 of the World Series, helping St. Louis win its first world championship in 24 years.
Carpenter is one of the Cardinals' unanswered rotation questions heading into this season. Joel Pineiro, Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper are in. The 29-year old Piniero (7-5) had a strange season, a bust as a reliever for Boston, he wound up with a 3.96 ERA in 63 innings for the Cardinals, making 11 starts. 26-year old Adam Wainwright (3.70 ERA) went 14-12 in 202 innings, while Looper made 32 starts, going 12-12 with a 4.94 ERA. That's not a strong trio to rely on.
Free-agent acquisition Matt Clement missed last season while recovering from shoulder surgery and has basically missed much of the last two seasons. He looks to resurrect his career in the pitcher-friendly NL, which is a good move (he's also a decent hitter). Lefty Mark Mulder may not be ready for opening day after a second rotator cuff operation in September. Mulder was 16-8, with 3.64 ERA in 2005 before battling injuries the last two years. At age 30, he still has time to get healthy and bounce back.
Todd Wellemeyer (3.12 ERA) and Brad Thompson are also options, though they are better suited to relieving. The pen has 26-year old Anthony Reyes, who is off a miserable season as a starter at 2-14! 36-year old knuckler Russ Springer is still around, as is 34-year old Ryan Franklin (4-4, 3.04 ERA). At least closer Jason Isringhausen (2.48 ERA) got healthy and back to his old form with 32 saves. Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan are very good at utilizing the pen, but the starters look weak until Carpenter can stabilize things -- if there are no setbacks with him.
From 97 wins in 2002, 85 in 2003, 105 in 2004, 100 in 2005 and its first World Series championship in 24 years in 2006 and 78 wins last season, the Cardinals have used talent, defense, good pickups and a great farm system to stay competitive. They made it to the World Series in 2004, reach 100 wins in 2005, and overcame injuries in 2006 for a remarkable run to another World Series title. For 2008, pitching concerns will probably derail any attempts at 90 wins and the postseason, however.
Cincinnati Reds (72-90 in 2007)
The Reds lost 90 games with an offense ranked 9th in the NL in batting, 7th in runs, and a pitching staff 15th in ERA. New manager Dusty Baker inherits a young team with a lot of new looks and limited payroll. Offense shouldn't be a problem. 2B Brandon Phillips was a top prospect with the Indians, but finally blossomed with Cincy, hitting .288 while stealing 33 bases. Phillips has hit 17 and 30 HRs the last two years and has nailed down the second base job by reaching his potential. He's only 26 and needs only to improve his on-base percentage (.331 last year) to be a superstar.
There's not much speed on the roster other than Phillips, so look for a power offense rather than one that plays small-ball. 38-year old Junior Griffey is still here, off a season where he had 528 at bats, hit .277 with 30 homers and 24 doubles. In May he could be going for 600 home runs, sitting at 593 career homers. 28-year old LF Adam Dunn provides plenty of pop in the middle of the order with Griffey. He hit 40 homers, 106 RBI and has patience at the plate, walking 101 times. He added 30 points to his average from '06 to '07. He's hit exactly 40 home runs each of the last three years, and back in 2004 responded with 46 home runs, 108 walks and 102 RBI.
Center field is a question mark, with Norris Hopper or young Jay Bruce looking to emerge. Bruce had 80 extra-base hits last season in the minors (46 doubles, eight triples), while Hopper hit .296 as a pinch hitter last year. The infield has SS Alex Gonzalez, a defensive whiz who came over from the Red Sox last season and hit .272 with 16 homers. He has a sensational glove, something that can help this pitching staff with a dose of defense. 1B Scott Hatteberg (.310, 10 homers) is reliable at first, while 25-year old 3B Edwin Encarnacion (16 HRs) has won the hot corner job and belted 15 and 16 bombs the last two seasons. 1B Joey Votto is also in the mix, showing a lot in September (.321, four homers and 17 RBI).
The pitching staff has one excellent starter and a sharp dropoff. 29-year old 6-foot-7 Aaron Harang is an ace, off a 16-6 campaign, a 3.73 ERA and 231 innings. He's won 16 games in each of the last two seasons. It's tough to pitch in this park, so the numbers he puts up are even better when you factor the park in. Beyond that, however, the pitching is thin. The Reds traded with Boston to acquire 31-year old righty Bronson Arroyo two years ago, who had gone 14-10 for the Red Sox, leading them with 20 quality starts. Arroyo was comfortable in the National League, stepping up with 14 wins, a 3.29 ERA and 240 innings pitching in 2006. He signed a big extension, then went bust last season, going 9-15 with a 4.23 ERA.
He got better down the stretch after a rough start. One weakness is that he struggles with lefties and was more effective in the first half of the 2006 season when he was relatively new to hitters. His ERA was 4.84 in the first half last season and 3.55 in the second half. Matt Belisle stepped in at the No. 3 spot and started 30 games, going 8-9 with a 5.32 ERA. New looks are everywhere in the No. 4 and 5 spots. 28-year old lefty Jeremy Affeldt comes over for $3 million, which in this cost-conscious organization means they want him in the rotation. 21-year old Homer Bailey has potential, as opponents hit only .257 against him, but he's got to work on a poor strikeouts-to-walks ratio (28 of each last year.)
The bullpen has been weak and on the cheap in recent years, but they dished out $46 million for 32-year old closer Francisco Cordero. He saved 44 games with a 2.98 ERA with the Brewers last season, fanning 86 in 63 innings. 38-year old David Weathers is good in the seventh and eighth innings, with a 3.59 ERA in 77 innings last season. 26-year old Jared Burton impressed in 43 innings last season as opponents hit .187 against him! 24-year old lefty Bill Bray is joined by veteran southpaw Mike Stanton. 6-foot-5 Todd Coffey is tough to figure: His ERA went from 3.58 in '06 to 5.82 last year, while 24-year old Edinson Volquez (4.50, 34 IP, 29 Ks) has a live arm that could start or relieve.
All in all, this looks like an average team, but better pieces in place than a year ago. The lineup appears capable of scoring runs, but the starting rotation is thin after Harang, and they badly need Arroyo to be consistent and someone to step up eating innings in the No. 3 or 4 spots. Cordero should stablize the pen, which will be a big plus. There's also some decent young talent that could work its way into the lineup. Just as important, they cut a lot of dead wood from the 2007 team. They look a little better on paper, but the lack of reliable pitching will mean another losing season or .500, at best.
Pittsburgh Pirates (68-94 in 2007)
Who says that a new ballpark brings the fans in and keeps competitive balance in baseball? That was the mantra of owners and the commissioner a few years ago when new parks were all the rage, but it was a big fabrication. The Pirates are rebuilding and retooling again in their new stadium. We keep hearing about all the talented young arms they've stockpiled, but after losing 95 games three years ago they lost...95 in 2006 and 94 last summer. They finished 14th in the NL in ERA and 12th in runs scored. We've heard this before, but they look improved for 2008.
The starting rotation offers hope, as they keep stockpiling young arms. 26-year old Ian Snell won 14 games in 2006 and went 9-12 last season, but with a 3.76 ERA in 208 innings. This guy is very good, fanning 177. 25-year old lefty Tom Gorzelanny also impressed with a 3.88 ERA in 201 winnings, going 14-10. Throw in 24-year old lefty Zach Duke (3-8 in 2007, a 10-game winner in 2006) and 25-year old southpaw Paul Maholm (10-15, 177 IP) and this is a decent young starting staff. Duke came out of the farm system and went 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA in 14 starts in 2005, then 10-15 with a 4.47 ERA in 215 innings in 2006.
This is a tough park to pitch in, great for hitters, so it has been a learning experience for these young arms. Veteran Matt Morris is still in the rotation, but off a 3-4 season with a 6.10 ERA. He's better suited to relieving at age 33. A guy to keep an eye on is 24-year old Matt Capps, who stepped in as the closer and was lights out, with 18 saves and a 2.28 ERA in 79 innings. He walked just 16 and fanned 64. The middle relief is good with Damaso Marte (2.38 ERA), Romulo Sanchez, Franquelis Osoria and Bryan Bullington.
They really don't have the veteran workhorse, such as Kenny Rogers, to step in and take the pressure off the kids. The Pirates have been careful not to rush prized first-round draft pick Sean Burnett (2000), bringing him along slowly, but this is the year they feel he is ready. The Pirates have expressed concern about the lack of velocity Burnett has shown while pitching in Venezuela. He had a 2.45 ERA in six appearances but seldom approached 90 mph on the radar gun. When Burnett pitched in Venezuela, he was coming off three months of relative inactivity, having been shut down in mid-July because of elbow nerve irritation and treated with a cortisone shot Aug. 29. Pittsburgh was 37-44 at home last season, but 31-50 on the road. In 2006, the Pirates were 43-38 at home, but a dismal 24-57 on the road!
The outfield is anchored by LF Jason Bay, the Rookie of the Year in 2004. He hit .282 with 26 home runs and 82 RBI that season, hit 32 HRs with 95 walks in 2005, hit 35 HRs with 109 RBI in 2006 and 21 homers with 84 RBI last season. Pirates center fielder Chris Duffy stole 13 bases in only 241 at bats, but had a poor .313 OBP, so CF Nate McLouth saw more time and stole 22 bases with a .351 OBP.
29-year old RF Xavier Nady belted 20 HRs between for the Pirates last season, anchoring a decent outfield.
The infield sports outstanding 2B Freddy Sanchez, who is 30 years old and hit .304 with 42 doubles. In 2006 he hit .344 with 53 doubles to win the batting title. Sanchez agreed on a contract that could be worth $19 million over three seasons. The deal is for two years and $11 million guaranteed and includes a third-year, $8 million option that will vest if Sanchez reaches a designated threshold of 635 plate appearances in 2009. 1B Adam LaRoche impressed with 42 doubles, 21 homers while driving in 88 runs.
The Pirates also have a keeper at SS in Jack Wilson, a solid fielder who batted .296 with 12 homers. 3B Jose Bautista anchors the hot corner, after hitting 15 homers and 36 doubles. Catcher Ronny Paulino has stepped in behind the plate, as they continue to look for someone to replace Jason Kendall. There is promise all around and plenty of youth. If the pitching continues to develop, they could get out of the NL Central basement.
Houston Astros (73-89 in 2007)
After making the 2005 World Series, the Astros have been in a downward spiral. They botched the Andy Pettitte negotiations a year ago, which also cost them Roger Clemens. Pettitte was the real loss for Houston, a hometown hero for basically chump change to the Yankees. Now longtime star and fan favorite Criag Biggio is gone (retired). Everywhere you slice the stats you find a team with problems: 12th in batting average in the NL, 13th in runs scored, 13th in stolen bases, 12th in team ERA, 11th in saves.
The starting pitching? Just ace Roy Oswalt (14-7, 3.18 ERA, 212 innings) is reliable. Oswalt was 20-10, 3.49 ERA in 2004; 20-12, 2.94 ERA in 2005, then went 15-8, 2.98 ERA, 220 innings in 2006. He's still a rare ace and in his prime at 30-years old, following in a Houston pitching staff that has a history of aces such as J.R. Richard, Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott and Larry Dierker. But he doesn't have any help.
29-year old lefty Wandy Rodriguez was OK, at 9-13 with a 4.58 ERA in 182 innings, while they have high hopes for 29-year old Brandon Backe (3.77 ERA, 28 IP), though he's had arm trouble and pitched just 43 and 28 innings the last two seasons. Jason Jennings (2-9) turned out to be a bust and is gone, but they are still stuck with 41-year old Woody Williams (8-15, 5.27 ERA). Chris Sampson stepped into the rotation and was 7-8 with a 4.59 ERA in 121 innings, but allowed 138 hits and 20 homers. This team once again has an ace and a lot of flotsam.
The Astros keep letting great closers go (Billy Wagner, Octavio Dotel, Brad Lidge) because their farm system keeps developing hard-throwing relief pitchers. The well finally appears dry, though, as Lidge was let go this offseason.
That's why they made a trade with Arizona for 6-foot-4 28-year-old right-hander Jose Valverde. He saved a major league-high 47 games last year for the NL West champions.
Valverde excelled with 15 saves and a 2.44 ERA in 2005, but had a poor 5.84 ERA in 2006, but still saved 18 games with overall decent numbers: 69 Ks in 49 innings, 50 hits, just 22 walks and 6 HRs allowed. 31-year old Dave Borkowski is also an option, who had 11 saves with a 5.15 ERA. Getting to them may be a problem, as they have a lot of veteran, soft throwers like Chad Qualls and Doug Brocail as set-up men.
The offense looks a little better, especially if newcomer 31-year old SS Miguel Tejada can ressurect his career in the NL. He hit .296 with 18 home runs in Baltimore, where he was unhappy. A change of scenery should help and this is a great hitter's park. 2B Mark Loretta is a hit machine at age 36, hitting .287 last season. Loretta played shortstop for the Astros and will move to second or third, while battling with 2B Kazuo Matsui, who stole 32 bases with the Mets. Ty Wigginton is the third baseman, after hitting 22 homers with 67 RBI in Tampa Bay. Note that everyone in the infield, including backups, is 30 or older!
There's some power with Tejada joining 1B Lance Berkman, who hit 34 homers with 102 RBI. He is a consistent force. In 2004 he hit .316, with 30 homers, 127 walks, and 106 runs batted in; In 2005 he hit .293, 24 homers, 91 walks, and 82 runs batted), and in 2006 he hit .315, 45 homers, 95 runs, and 136 runs batted. LF Carlos Lee came over from Milwaukee a year ago and hit 32 homers, 43 doubles with 119 RBI for Houston last summer. Tejada, Lee and Bergmann give Houston a strong one-two-three offensive punch. CF Darin Erstad comes aboard, but has battled too many injuries, while CF Reggie Abercrombie provides defense. Manager Phil Garner has a tough season ahead, a decent offense but little pitching. This is an aging club that is going nowhere. 60-to-1 to win the World Series doesn't seem like much of a value for a club on the decline.
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