HSH: Philly Fever

Projected Record: 86-74

Key Additions: Prince Fielder

Key Losses: BB Boo-Ya, Jimmy Tubular, Tom Radical, Jack Psyche! (I’m running out of 90s catchphrases)

Eighty-eight wins was good enough for second place in every division in 2016. Every division except the North, that is. That was good for Philly, because the Fever won 88 games and won their division for the third time.

A lot went right for Philly last season. Its offense was outstanding, finishing first overall in most offensive categories. Miguel Cabrera finally had the year that everyone has been waiting for. And while he was the headliner of the SLB’s best offensive unit, he was hardly alone. Will Hunting was quite good, as well. His .348 batting average actually bested Cabrera’s mark (.346) and he hit 29 homeruns, his highest total since 2011. Jay Bruce (.317, 29 HR) continued his ascension as did Andy Hunter, who hit 49 homers despite playing in just 114 games. Overall the offense was incredibly balanced. So why just 88 wins?

In a word, thepitchingstaff. The top three (Wade Miller, Rich Harden and Tadeshi Kawabata) did well, all posting ERAs of 3.60 or lower. It was everyone else that dragged them down. A bullpen is the hardest aspect of a team to build, as evidenced by the dregs that came on in relief for the Fever last year. The unit was “led” by Robert Rohrbaugh, whoever that is, who threw 40.2 innings of 3.54 ERA ball. Everyone else was terrible, Mark Romanczuk was allowed to throw 62.1 innings despite his 7.80 (not a typo) ERA, and Josh Hancock pitched like he was dead, allowing 18 homeruns in 94.1 innings pitched. Just terrible.

But that offense, ooooohhhhh that offense. It was good last year and it should be again in 2017. B.B. Boo-Ya took his wheels to Kyoto in a trade for big Prince Fielder. Subtract speed and on-base ability and add more power. The only question is, which Prince will show up? The 2014 Fielder that won the North MVP for Halifax or just about any other version that’s fat and sucks?

Philly is looking for its third North title in as many years, and they’re in what is shaping up to be an odd division. Cleveland and Bedford really don’t have a shot, unless you could combine their rosters, which means that it’s between the ever-confusing Halifax Sailors and the Fever.

Philly has a better offense. Halifax added Justin Verlander, while Halifax lost Tadeshi Kawabata. The Sailors have a better bullpen. What does all this mean? I’m not sure, but I still think that I’m picking Philly to win the division. No wait, Halifax. Errr, Philly.

It’s really a toss-up, but in the end, I value offense over limited bullpen innings, so I’m picking the Fever! It’s probably telling that as soon as I typed out that last sentence, I immediately felt like retracting it and picking Halifax. Truth be told, who knows what’s going to happen? Just shut up and watch them mash the ball.

Note: I just typed out Philly’s projected rotation, and I changed my pick to Halifax.

Projected lineup

2B Harrison, Guy

LF Hunter, Andy

3B Cabrera, Miguel

RF Hunting, Will

CF Bruce, Jay

1B Fielder, Prince

C Buhner, Frank

SS Miller, Ed

Projected Rotation

R Harden, Rich

R Miller, Wade

R Wainwright, Adam

L Buehrle, Mark

R Hancock, Josh

Closer

L Rohrbaugh, Robert

HSH: San Juan

Projected record: 85-75

Key Additions: Carlos Beltran, Jon Garland, Oscar Villarreal, Gil Meche (lol)

Key Losses: About a million brain cells, thanks to all the Bud Ice or whatever cheap beer it is that Gluvna drinks.

On first appearance, the 2016 Senadores look rather, well, boring. They featured a middle of the pack offense (seventh in the league with 804 runs scored) and an average pitching staff (seventh in the league with a 4.41 ERA), no one hit 30 home runs and none of the starters posted a ridiculously low ERA. Still, they managed to win 87 games and just barely missed the playoffs.

The lineup should bump up into the upper tier of the league this season. A full season of at-bats from Brad Miller, who hit .307 with 16 homeruns in just 352 at-bats, combined with another go ‘round from Matt Musser, Floyd Larkin and Buzz Bliss should strike plenty of fear into opposing managers. Musser and Bliss blistered the base-paths for a combined total of 59 triples and 127 stolen bases. No pair of teammates hit more triples in 2016, and only the combination of BB Boo-Ya and Jay Bruce (128 swipes) had more steals. Guess what? They’re still kids, so expect them to terrorize opponents for years to come.

Things don’t seem to be as rosy on the pitching side of things. Jeff Niemann headlines the group, and while he’s definitely solid, his career 4.08 ERA doesn’t blow you away. It’s not like he leads an unheralded group, either. Well, they’re unheralded, but it’s for a reason. Brett Myers, Gil Meche, Dewon Brazelton? Please, somebody stop me. No really, stop me. He made a run at Jake Peavy in the offseason, but Kyoto pulled out all the stops for the veteran right hander.

The bullpen was average, too, outside of strong performances from Alvin Dailey and Edwin Jackson. I was tempted to rate them below average, but seriously, look around at bullpens around the league. There are basically a handful of reliable relievers and then a combination of rookies and journeymen.

Speaking of journeymen, Senadores general manager Bill Gluvna pulled another rabbit out of his hat with Jackson. Who’s the guy with two thumbs and a 4.73 career ERA? Who’s the guy with two thumbs, 23 saves and a 2.93 ERA last year? I’ll give you a hint, the guys name starts with an “E” and ends with a “dwin Jackson”. The year before Jackson it was Carlos Hernandez, in 2014 it was damn near the entire pitching staff, the year before that it was Andrew Brown.

Who will be this year’s candidate for the Annual San Juan Scrap Heap award? I’ll say Oscar Villarreal. What excites you more, the 5.05 career ERA or the .288 career average against? Maybe the fact that he’ll probably best his career averages in every category. Whatever Gluvna is feeding these guys, spread it around, buddy.

All of this leads us into 2017. Atlanta is good (duh), while Savannah and Baltimore are just…boring. Not that any staff that throws out Carlos Hernandez, Gil Meche and Jon Garland is necessarily sexy, but compare the lineups from the Panthers, Sabres and Senadores. Wouldn’t you think San Juan has the edge there?

Anyway, it looks like you can take a four-team race between Atlanta, San Juan, Philly and Halifax to the bank this year. The American League is going to get three playoff teams and my money says all three are coming out of this group.

Projected lineup

1. Bliss, Buzz

2. Musser, Matt

3. Larkin, Floyd

4. Teixeira, Mark / Miller, Brad

5. Wright, David/ John Miller

6. Crawford, Carl

7. McCann, Brian

8. Boarman, Anthony

Projected Rotation

1. Niemann, Jeff

2. Myers, Brett

3. Hernandez, Carlos

4. Meche, Gil

5. Garland, Jon / Brazelton, Dewon

Closer

1. Jackson, Edwin

Beer

1. Ice, Bud

Savannah Sabers

2016 Record: 81-79
Projected Record: 78-82
Key Additions: Mark McCormick (free agent), Zack Greinke (free agent), Brock Landers (free agent), Pedro Liriano (free agent), Hubie Bluege
Key Losses: Andruw Jones (free agent), Val Pasucci (ret), Carlos Beltran (free agent), Kyle Lohse (ret)

After winning 2 of the last 4 SLB World Series titles the league is seeing some decline. Last season, the Sabers fell to 81-79 and may have a harder time avoiding the basement this year. Hey, that's the price of success and flags fly forever, right? The paint is chipping, there's rust showing .... and Baltimore can't be counted on for 4th anymore. Is Savannah GM Rich Vohs up to the challenge?

Ace right-hander Phillip Humber and slugging 1B Hee Seop Choi are still Sabers, and with that in mind Savannah might be thinking they'll have one more kick at the can this season. That's justifiable - and with some cash to spend this winter Vohs signed former Saber property Mark McCormick to a 3-year deal. McCormick was dealt to Halifax in 2013 in a move that netted Savannah Sean Burroughs and a title. Zack Greinke was added this winter as was RP Brock Landers, who appeared in 50 games for Paris last season. He'll challenge Shane Mungitt for the closer spot, as Mungitt put up a 6.08 ERA with his 13 saves in 2016. Pedro Liriano jumped from Taipei to join the Sabers bullpen as well, giving Manager Lou Brown plenty of options this season.

Offensively, Vohs is hoping that new 2B Hubie Bluege can replicate his .301 batting average and 22 SB's he put up with Baltimore last year. Lastings Milledge was added to the outfield mix but he has been sprinkled with some Hee Seop Choi World Series Pixie Dusttm, he'll be no more than a pinch-runner. That's all Vohs added this winter, which seems light until you notice that Savannah quietly scored the 3rd most runs last year, featuring solid performances up and down their lineup. Choi led all Sabers with 42 HR but 10 others had at least 10 to 29 dingers. Will this year's version do as well without Carlos Beltran (.303, 29 HR) and Andruw Jones (.267, 15)? He'll need a much better season out of Albert Pujols, who makes 7M per season. A repeat of an .822 OPS with 18 bombs is unacceptable, and he'll have to provide better protection for Choi in the lineup than that.


Projected Lineup
RF Brandon Leahy
2B Mike Karros
1B Hee Seop Choi
3B Albert Pujols
LF Wily Mo Pena
SS Hubie Bluege
C Frank Coogan
CF Zach Tobin

A solid bench, which he'll need if the starters show that last year was their "career year". No horrible players here though but might be short on elite talent. GM Vohs has assembled a solid roster and wisely has over 5M left in the bank, so if the right opportunity comes along he can add an impact bat.

Projected Rotation
Phillip Humber
Mark McCormick
Zack Greinke
Lance Broadway
Don Allison

Closer
Shane Mungitt

"Dear Mr. Humber,
Please don't get hurt or this team is toast.
Sincerely, desperately,
GM Rich Vohs"
Rookie Allison had a nice enough spring to earn a spot on the big team this year. Maybe all that extra cash is going to be used in a trade for a starting pitcher? The South is going to be more bunched up in 2017 and Savannah might be a few horses short.

All-time Standings

As we head into our 14th season, I thought it would be interesting to see where we all fit in the big scheme of things. Here's the records and streaks - the amount of winning or losing seasons in a row. Expansion teams denoted by the world-famous asterisk.

PAR 1178-921 (.561) 3W
OSA 1128-971 (.537) 1L
HAL 1118-982 (.532) 1W
KYO 1115-985 (.531) 2W
IRE 1069-1029 (.510) 5L
*SJ 325-316 (.507) 1W
SAV 1057-1041 (.504) 2W
BED 1056-1042 (.503) 2L
ATL 1051-1047 (.501) 7W
PHI 1045-1055 (.498) 4W
CHNG 1043-1055 (.497) 2W
SCO 993-1095 (.473) 1L
LON 891-1048 (.460) 2W
CLE 953-1135 (.454) 5L
BAL 944-1154 (.450) 1L
*TAI 258-382 (.403) 4L

Something that may jump out at you is that OSA, led by GM Tom Hey, has no titles despite having the second best winning percentage. That's got to be depressing. And for all of Atlanta's GM Jim Masters chirping and criticism in the press of other teams, he has barely won 50% of his teams games.
Four teams have one SLB World Series trophy: LV (now Scotland), PHI, HAV, ATL and SJ.
Multiple Series winners: PAR, SAV, HAL.

Brown not dead, still pitching for Taipei

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Andrew Brown, thought to have died during a tumultuous 2016, is actually alive and pitching for the Far East’s Taipei Tai-Fong.

Coaches, teammates and even some family members were shocked to find that Brown, a nine-year veteran, was not only still alive, but had in fact never gone missing.

“I really thought that he was dead,” said Chris Fetter, a pitcher for the Lander Calrissians, Taipei’s AAA affiliate. “I’m pretty sure that I went to his funeral. If it wasn’t his then I don’t know whose it was.”

Despite the now incontrovertible evidence that Brown is in fact, not deceased, Taipei pitching coach Henry Rowengartner remains unconvinced.

“I’ve seen no evidence that would convince me that he is still alive,” he said while looking through a stack of team photos taken last season, some of which include shots of he and Brown standing next to each other. “I remain unconvinced.”

Brown, who claims to not have died last season, just to have “not pitched well for most of the year”, is in fact slated to be the Tai-Fong’s No. 4 starter, news that came as a surprise to teammate Ron Mexico. Mexico had been working under the impression that Brown died during a game last August.

“When he died, it was such a shock and a loss to all of us,” said Mexico, who shares a locker with Brown. “His death was felt up and down the organization, from the owner all the way down to our AAA guys. It was devastating.”

“Did you hear the news,” he later said to a passing Brown, who he had confused for a locker room attendant. "Brown is still alive.”

When reached for comment, Taipei General Manager Dylan Goforth was quoted by a local television station as saying that team would first have to verify that he was still alive, and that if he was, he would be “virtually assured a spot on the 40-man roster, unless something unfortunate were to happen.” He then twirled his mustache manically, before whisking a black cape over his face and disappearing into dark alley.

“This makes no sense,” said Brown in an interview with the Associated Press. “Didn’t they re-sign me just this offseason?”

Sources inside Taipei management that are close to the situation confirm that the $4.5 million committed to Brown last winter was assumed to be for funeral costs. “We thought it was an exchange rate issue,” one source said. “To be honest, we’re still not really sure about how the money works out here.”

Taipei committed $17 million to free-agents during the recent Auction period.

HSH - Paris

HSH - Paris





2016 Record - 87-74 (World Champs)
Projected Record - 93-67
Key Additions - Adam Dunn (free agent), Danys Baez (free agent), Hong Chi Kuo (free agent), Chris Kolkhorst (free agent)
Key Losses - Brock Landers (free agent), B.J. Ryan (free agent), Justin Morneau (free agent)

It took a one-game playoff with Kyoto to even get into the playoffs, but once the post season started, Paris rolled, going 12-2 to wipe out London, Chiang-Mai and Philly. The momentum should get Paris off to a faster start in 2017, and if the spring training numbers can be believed, this Pimpernel squad is primed and ready to go.

The normally potent Paris offense was decidedly average in 2016, scoring just 804 runs (good for 7th in the league) despite finishing 4th in homeruns. The batting averages of most of the starters were very good, but only Rivera and Robinson eclipsed the 100 RBI mark. Free agent pick-up Adam Dunn is exactly the kind of player who goes nuts on the Pimpernels, so I expect nothing short of 45 HR and 120 RBI from the old man. Cuban import Youliesky Gourriel seems to have fallen out of favor with management after an injury riddled '16 season; the power hitting third baseman is batting 8th. Ryne Robinson has been slotted down to 3rd, taking advantage of his run production capabilities. Expect this to be a top 5 offense this year.

Average offense, average pitching. The Pimps were 8th in the league in team ERA (4.42) but all five starters had winning records. Willis and Williams get the big bucks, but BH Kim and Les Beltre led the team with 15 wins each. The bullpen was a sore spot, losing 30 games combined despite pretty good years from Jonathan Papelbon and Kyle Farnsworth. Danys Baez should provide a reliable fourth option in the bullpen (along with Scott Williamson). The spring numbers these guys put up were very impressive; could Les Beltre be the most underrated starter in the league?

No more taking the division by surprise this year. It's going to be a dog fight with London all season long, and as long as the team stays healthy, 90 wins is well within reach. It's nice to see some young blood finally being injected into the roster, but it seems that cagey old vets can always get a deal in ol' Paris (Rollins, i'm looking at you). Whatever works.

PROJECTED LINEUP

SS Spaz Dinkman
2B Stu Watwood
CF Ryne Robinson
RF Juan Rivera
LF Adam Dunn
1B Nick Johnson
C Troy Paris
3B Youliesky Gourriel

SP Jerome Williams
SP Dontrelle Willis
SP Les Beltre
SP Carl Pavano
SP Byung-Hyun Kim

CL Jonathan Papelbon

Scotland Rebels

2016 Record: 61-99
Projected Record: 81-79
Key Additions: Kenji Johjima (trade), Jed Lowrie (trade), Jeremy Sowers (trade), Ricardo Romero (trade), Hank Blalock (free agent), Felix Hernandez (free agent)
Key Losses: Dennis Tankersley (trade), Ryan Howard (free agent)

GM Carmelo Guarneri has a trade record that rivals Cleveland's Mike McAvoy. This winter Scotland made 6 trades and may have more cooking by the end of Opening Day. He added a couple of solid pieces in the auction and should be set .... but if the phone rings, Guarneri's listening.

Last year's Rebels left fans and ownership disgusted but all of the winter moves have been like a breath of fresh air. There's quality young players at almost every position. But is there enough star quality to win the Euro? At catcher Scotland added former All-Star Kenji Johjima. Nice work. And he has two 23 year-olds to back him up and rest those tired old knees. At 1B, Ryan Howard took his .215 batting average to Kyoto (addition by subtraction?) and will be replaced by Billy Gladden (25) and Henry Sanchez (23). Definitely an upgrade there. Second base could have a platoon as newcomer Jed Lowrie (27), stolen from Atlanta, and Kevin Bristow (25) who batted .336 this spring, are both capable starters at worst. Shortstop could also have a platoon of 23 year-old Wilson Finney and Andy Cannizaro (25) who hit .309 last season, one of the few bright spots for the Rebels in 2016. Hank Blalock signed for three seasons to play 3B which bumps Howie Sloat (26 HR in 2016), who's only 25, to the bench. Nice, right? Not much power though so it will have to be provided by the outfield of Drew Stubbs, Walt Coon and Rob Walsh with Grady Sizemore and Dale Parks able to step right in. Coon led all Rebels with 29 HR last season.

Will Scotland have enough power to survive in the Euro? They may lack the big bopper but are counting on several 20 HR type threats to do the job. They were one of seven teams to hit fewer than 200 bombs last season and just one of those teams made the playoffs.

One might argue that the cold temperatures and regular rainfall depress the offensive numbers. That's fine. But then why the heck did Scotland put up a 4.81 ERA last season? That's truly horrible and improvements have to be made. 11th in ERA isn't going to cut it this year and pitching coach Bob Gibson had better figure out how to knock almost a run off that mark or he'll be canned in a hurry. Guarneri dumped the aging Dennis Tankersley on Baltimore and picked up last year's Comeback Player of the Year Ricardo Romero. He'll be the third starter behind the returning Brandon Webb and underachieving Jeremy Sowers, who was so bad last season (6-15, 4.95) he got bumped to Baltimore's 'pen. (If that's not living in exile, I don't know what is.) Frustrating Felix Hernandez joins this year's team and sophomore Eddie Degerman had a helluva spring, enough to win the 5th spot. To recap, that's Aging, Underachieving, Comeback, Frustrating and Sophomore as your Rebel rotation. A lot of things will have to go right for Scotland to beat out either Paris or London for a playoff spot.

What about the bullpen, you ask? Well, it isn't Osaka bad .... but it's close. Dallas Buck (6.20 in 2016) will have a role if he doesn't grab the 5th starter spot. Dan Brauer (6.71), Lee Dedaux (9 freakin' 58!), Eddie Krueger (5.26, phew!) and anyone else with an arm and a pulse lead to Closer Jorge Julio (3.38) and new setup man Chad Cordero (4.71).


Projected Lineup
2B Kevin Bristow
SS Andy Cannizaro
3B Hank Blalock
LF Walt Coon
C Kenji Johjima
CF Drew Stubbs
RF Rob Walsh
1B Dan Gladden

Look for a lot of platoons. Drew Stubbs blew goats last season (.214 12 HR) and stubbornly stayed with his approach at the plate this spring (.220 4 HR). That's unacceptable from a starting CF. Has the league figured him out? Stubbs averaged .286 with 21 HR and 49 SB's his first two seasons but apparently has fallen of a cliff - the cliff of sucktitude. How long before he's on the trading block? We're talking minutes, not days.

Rotation
Brandon Webb
Jeremy Sowers
Ricardo Romero
Felix Hernandez
Eddie Degerman

Closer
Jorge Julio

There's a huge dropoff in talent from the rotation to relief. GM Guarneri has improved his roster a great deal but not enough to take out the big boys. Manager Rollie Fingers has to be hoping his starters can go 6 and that the skies open up. If there's an inordinate amount of games getting called early, you know Fingers has been working the umps. They could be in for trouble on the road with that strategy though.

HSH: Chiang-Mai

Key additions: JJ Putz (match), Zach Day.

Key losses: Scott Kazmir, Vernon Wells, probably some other guys.

Projected Record: 91-69

Last year, the Kwaan became the first team since the 2012-2013 Atlanta Flyers to win 100 games two years in a row. Chiang-Mai won 100 games in 2015 and then added a single win to that total in 2016, going a league-best 101-59. This year, they’re looking to break the 100 win barrier for the third year in a row, a feat only accomplished by Paris (2007-2009).

That win total is the good news. Unfortunately for Kwaan fans, the bad news is that neither lofty regular season win total has translated into a Championship. A third season of 100 wins will look nice in the record books – a few years down the road. But right now, it’s title or bust.

Since expansion in 2013, no Far East team has won an SLB title. Chiang-Mai got close in 2015, falling to Savannah four games to two. Could this be the year a Far East team finally gets over the hump?

After lighting the SLB world on fire offensively in 2015, the Kwaan took a step back on offense last year, though it’s hard to complain about their overall production. Still, it was a young team that hit haughty heights and was expected to continue to ascend. It didn’t, and the Kwaan didn’t win a title. End result: An upset fan base that expected more.

Chiang-Mai hopes to satisfy that desire this year, and the brunt of those expectations will fall on the shoulders of outfielder Dennis Dennis Jr. D2J, as he is affectionately referred to, is in the final year of the 3-year, $30.75 million dollar contract he originally signed. After an astounding 2015 for the Kwaan, a year that had dreams of championships and multiple MVPs dancing in the dreams of General Manager Ben Royer, Dennis was one of multiple hitters that took a step back last season. His home runs were up (from 12 in 2015 to 18 last year), but his average, on-base plus slugging percentage and RBIs were all down. His doubles total fell from 71 to 48.

He wasn’t the only one, either. Outfielders Trevor Bayne and Joe Belinda burst into world prominence in 2015, but neither enjoyed the kind of success last season that they did in the one previous.

But still, the win total rose, and it was on the backs of Chiang-Mai’s starting pitching that it did so. All five starters, led by Michael Pelfrey with 17, won over 10 games. Danny Haren led the team with a 2.94 ERA, while Pelfrey (201 Ks) and Zito (216) led the team in strikeouts. The Kwaan’s 3.75 team ERA was easily the league’s best, a full quarter of a run better than the next closest competitor (Kyoto’s staff was second with a 4.04 ERA).

Which brings us to 2017, the quest for another 100-win season and an SLB title. Chiang-Mai, with the majority of its payroll tied up in players that will spend 2017 in the final years of their respective contracts, played it quiet in the offseason, matching a 3-year, $3 million dollar offer to reliever JJ Putz and signing Zach Day, cut by Taipei in the offseason, to a 3-year deal worth just over $1 million per season.

While the offseason gains, outside of whatever growth the young offensive players go through, was minimal, the loss of starting pitcher Scott Kazmir will certainly be felt. Kazmir won 16 games with a 3.30 ERA in 2016, a year strong enough that Bedford, who is building a nice rotation itself, wooed him away. Going into the spring, it looked like the competition for the departed spot in the rotation would be between Mark Rogers, Jim Bauers, Derek Thompson or even Zach Day. However, 25-year old Charlie Gipson has had a strong showing so far, and might earn the spot. If it’s not him, it looks like Bauers and Thompson are the favorites.

With the turnaround complete in Chiang-Mai, from a 66-win team in 2014 to a potential third consecutive season as a title contender in 2017, this could be the year that a Far East team breaks through and wins that elusive first title.

Royer and the excitable Chiang-Mai fans just hope that it’s the Kwaan that does it.

Projected lineup

CF Bayne, T.

3B Zalusky, L.

RF Dennis Jr., D.

C Murman, T.

LF Belinda, J.

1B Callahan, D.

SS Willemburg, B.

2B Jackson, C.

Projected Rotation

L Zito, B.

R Haren, D.

R Thompson, K.

R Pelfry, M.

R Bauers, J.

Closer

Putz, JJ

Osaka Ronin

2016 Record: 73-87
Projected Record: 66-94
Key Additions: Tim Spooneybarger (free agent)
Key Losses: Rafael Furcal (retired), John Webb (retired)

Consecutive 3rd place finishes for the Ronin have Osaka fans clamoring for change. The powerhouse that was Ellas promised great things when bargaining for a new home in Domukun Field but GM Tom Hey hasn't been up to the task. Two playoff appearances followed by two dogshit performances is going to result in a lot of fans dressed up as empty seats - that's going to look horrible on TV as the place seats more than 57,000.

Last season saw more of the same - lazy fly balls floating over the short porches in left and right - inflating Ronin batting numbers and stretching games over the four hour mark. Great place to play if you're going to be a free agent hitter. Seriously, if you can't slug .500 in Osaka you belong in the minors. Four players hit more than 44 homers last season and the team hit 315 - 47 ahead of second place Philly (268). Those league-leading bombs resulted in just a 4th best total in runs scored however. Time to reevaluate, right?

How warped is this squad? Their 13M pitcher, Johan Santana, put up a sparkling 4.71 ERA. Roy Halladay has to be frustrated as well, he's stuck pitching there for two more seasons and had a 5.17 ERA last season. They were one of 3 teams with an ERA over 5 last year - none of them had a winning season. So what's been done this winter? Well, Rick Ankiel is back for 3 more seasons. Phew. A career 5.88 ERA is just what the doctor ordered. What else? Let's see .... 2B Paul Matthew anyone? Okay, a pinch runner is a good pickup, right? Jon Rauch? Larry Pappas? Oh, look! Tim Spooneybarger is back. He dominated in 61 innings last season with a 3.54 ERA. They'll be turning his middle relieving shoulder into hamburger if Hey doesn't fix this team immediately. Is this squad going to contend in the Far East? Not with Kyoto and Chiang Mai around. Buddha help us.

The Ronin are up against the cap but instead of blowing it up, realizing they're not contending, they're using hope, faith, band aids and praying to statues of Benten (oh just look it up!) that everything will break right for them this year. It's doubtful the fans will buy it this year. No more excuses will pacify this crowd, not injuries, not accounting errors. Let's see this franchise return to what it once was, okay?


Projected Lineup
CF Jerry Kimm
SS Mike Henderson
1B Dave Peppers
3B Chest Rockwell
LF Reuben Brown
C Tony Montana
2B John Thomas
RF Hideki Matsui

Alright, if octogenarian Matsui is starting anywhere, you have problems. There's some nice pieces here to work with - he's not one of them. GM Hey should be on the phones early and often to straighten this roster out. Will Thomas get the nod over Hey favorite Alfonso Soriano? I'm being optimistic here.

Projected Rotation
Johan Santana
Roy Halladay
Ben Sheets
Carl Sadler
Brandon Lyon

Closer
Dwight Schrute

Uh-oh. These guys have to be begging for the fences to be moved back. The 'pen features most of last year's "meat into the grinder" that was part of this debacle. Will rookies Sean Morgan or Bobby Ojeda Jr. get a shot this season? They have to be hoping they don't.

HSH - Taipei

HSH - Taipei






2016 Record - 57-103
Projected Record - 60-100
Key Additions - Justin Morneau (free agent), Fernando Rodney (free agent), Scott Hodges (free agent), Eric Dalton (free agent), Eric Valent (free agent), Theodore Unger (trade)
Key Losses - Roy Oswalt (trade), Antonio Mule (trade), Nick Swisher (free agent)

It's a tough time to be down in the World League. With the heavily unbalanced schedule, a team has to face high-powered offenses like Chiang-Mai, Kyoto, Osaka, London and Paris over and over again, and when your pitching is as bad as the Tai Fong.....let's just say that it's like being the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East.

As Taipei enters it's 5th year in the league, what has it accomplished? One third place finish and a bunch of pain. Now we hear they are going to rebuild again, but start by trading stud 24-year old Antonio Mule to division rival Kyoto (along with ace Roy Oswalt). Sure, they cleared a lot of cap space and nabbed the #2 pick in the draft, but is this the way to go? A lot of high draft picks haven't resulted in a ton of major leaguers (outside of Mule, their most productive draft was 2013). So what can we expect?

The offense scored a measly 628 runs (dead last in the league) and OPS'ed .739. Now, without Mule, might it be worse? A lot of new faces here, including former all-star hitters like Morneau, Dalton and Hodges, but will they succeed here? A rebound from Dalton (remember when he was hitting 50+ HR?) coupled with further development by Maple/Posedel/Alten would go a long way, as this offense HAS to score runs to be successful.

Why? Because this pitching is rough. Roy Oswalt was an interesting experiment, and despite losing 18 games (thanks, offense!) he posted a 3.64 ERA with 248 K's. With him out of the picture (and off the books), it looks like it's Ron Mexico and the boys in 2017. Mexico has skills, but he's a hot head who can't keep his mouth shut and the fans are tiring of his antics. Tim Redding and Jason Davis? Old and busted. Apparently none of the minor league arms are ready to step up. Rodney was a very good pickup for the bullpen, but he's clearly not enough to get the team ERA below 5.00.

So, barring some sort of baseball miracle, the Tai Fong are doomed for last place again. Their pitching is terrible and the offense won't be able to make up the difference. Can GM Dylan Goforth make this draft picks count this year?

PROJECTED LINEUP

3B Scott Hodges
CF Tom Maple
1B Dan Posedel
LF Eric Dalton
RF Eric Valent
2B Larry kargel
C Gene Alten
SS Troy Tulowitzki

SP Andrew Brown
SP Ron Mexico
SP Eric Ridener
SP Tim Redding
SP Jason Davis

CL Fernando Rodney

HSH - Halifax

HSH - Halifax






2016 Record - 88-74 (AL Wildcard)
Projected Record - 85-75
Key Additions - Justin Verlander (free agent),
Key Losses - Delmon Young (trade), Scott Hodges (free agent), Kenji Johjima (trade), Craig Hansen (free agent), Mark McCormick, (free agent), Mark Mulder (retirement)


Another puzzling off season from GM Larsen Cain up in the Great White North. After winning not one, but TWO one-game playoffs last season, the Sailors earned a spot in the post-season for third time in the past five seasons. So, Cain will build on this success for 2017, right? Well, sorta. He made the initial splash of the off season, signing Justin Verlander away from division rival Cleveland, and then snagged Delmon Young back at well below market value. Then it gets weird, as Young is shipped to London for beans, Craig Hansen is just let go (along with Mark McCormick and Scott Hodges), leaving fans with a ton of questions about what this lineup will look like heading into the new season.

Halifax ranked #2 in the league in runs scored last season (859) and #2 in walks (384), but that was with Delmon Young (who contributed 100 of those runs and 65 walks). Now, without the big guy, who steps up as the leader of the offense? A return to form by Kendry Morales would help, or maybe a full season for John Mayberry would give you something. Justin Upton is a great complimentary option, but can he lead an offense? Ken Ryu was scooped off the scrap heap...can he put up a .900+ OPS if given a full season? Who catches? SO many questions.

The pitching seems to be more stable. Mulder is out, Verlander is in; an upgrade by most measures. The rest of the rotation will likely fall out like last year, with Ramirez, Miller and McPherson. McCormick's departure leaves an empty spot in the rotation, and there has been fierce competition in spring training. Lambert, Carroll, Graves, and the previously unknown Montero have all put in major claims for that spot. It's anyone's guess who will make the team out of camp. Rule 5 pickup Matt Porter will have to be hidden in the bullpen somewhere, and Inferno or Gatsby will now have to step up to fill Hansen's spot. Kyle Winters looks to have nailed down a spot as well.

Looking ahead, it's tough to predict this team. The entire American League is down (in comparison to the WL), with a good 5 or 6 teams in the mix for three playoff spots. Halifax is certainly in that mix, but there is no guarantee that they can/will win the North. The team has done well to accumulate extra draft picks (6 total) in what looks to be a very talent-rich crop of college seniors, and the pitching depth is growing. It might not be their year in 2017, but the window is wide open.

PROJECTED LINEUP

CF Cole Gillespie
3B Justin Upton
LF Kendry Morales
1B Ken Ryu
RF John Mayberry
SS Kiko Brezovan
2B Craig Scott
C Ryan Christenson

SP Justin Verlander
SP Horacio Ramirez
SP Rand McPherson
SP Andrew Miller
SP Bill Carroll

CL Dante Inferno

Kyoto Busido

2016 Record: 86-75
Projected Record: 97-73
Key Additions: BB BooYa (trade), Roy Oswalt (trade), Antonio Mule (trade), Jeremy Reed (free agent)
Key Losses: Theodore Unger (trade), Ed Miller (trade), Hank Blalock (free agent), Kelvim Escobar (ret)

GM Darin Keesing let opportunity slip away last season as the Bushido underachieved and missed the wildcard by one game. Instead of making an impact move at the deadline, Keesing stood pat and saw the eventual wildcard winner take the Series. Yes, Keesing, that could've been your team. Apparently ownership called him on the carpet after the season and the Bushido were active all offseason - plenty of swings and misses during the winter auction and lots of trade talk as well. Might've been a hiccup signing Jeremy Reed for 8M per season but Kyoto did have the money to throw around. It was a good time for Reed to be one of the few free agent bats.

RHP Jake Peavy returns to Kyoto as their number two starter. This time he'll be second on the hill to newly acquired Roy Oswalt, who replaces Hall of Famer Kelvim Escobar. Jordan Auerbach, who's impressed management this spring, looks to take a spot in the rotation as well. The 23 year-old will likely be sandwiched between oldtimer Jason Jennings and 27 year-old Hank Daniels. That rotation will do nicely as long as they put up their career averages and Auerbach doesn't implode when the pressure of the regular season starts.

Offensively, the Bushido have added the big bat they needed when they acquired LF Antonio Mule from division rival (excuse me, doormat) Taipei. Mule should be raking in Kyoto for the next 10 seasons as he seems to be comfortable in the Bushido lineup, hitting 14 HR in 25 spring training games. This team seems ready to put more than a scare into Chiang Mai this season if Mule will (seriously, Taipei traded Mule in a rebuilding move? Mule is 24! Isn't that what you rebuild with? Sheesh.) keep this up and expect the kid to be the face of the Bushido for years to come. Keesing also added a new catcher (doesn't he do that every season?) in Bill Hitchcock and a couple of decent bench pieces in Ryan Howard, Andruw Jones and Aramis Ramirez. New SS BB BooYa hit over .300 last season and stole 90 bases, giving Kyoto the speed they've been dearly lacking. This team looks totally revamped and rejuvenated this spring. Look the heck out, East.

Projected Lineup
SS BB BooYa
3B Ed See
CF Josh Hamilton
LF Antonio Mule
RF Jeremy Reed
1B Mark Hamilton
C Kiel Thibault
2B Chase Utley

Remember when Utley was good? He still slugged .506 last season. Mule and Josh Hamilton will battle for the team HR lead. Is Reed's contract going to be a burden this season or next? The 30 year-old BooYa better still have his wheels because he'll have to scamper around the bases with these bats behind him.

Projected Rotation
Roy Oswalt
Jake Peavy
Hank Daniels
Jordan Auerbach
Jason Jennings

Closer
Huston Street

Street returns to use his 9th inning post. He'll grab plenty of saves. If Auerbach falters, there's Runelvys Hernandez and Jeremy Guthrie ready to grab some starts - they don't have to be great. Just hold the fort until the offense starts firing. They'll miss Unger in the 'pen but have plenty of time to figure out how to replace his innings.

HSH: Ireland Invaders

2016 Record: 70-90 2017 Projected Record: 75-85 Key Additions: Josh Beckett (match), Sean Burroughs, Tadeshi Kawabata

Since winning 91 games and reaching the postseason in 2011, the Invaders have done neither since. Not only have they not reached the 90-win plateau in the last five years, they haven’t posted a winning record in that span, never winning more than 75 games.

How does Ireland intend to reverse this trend in 2017? With three words; Pitching, pitching and, oh yeah, pitching.

The Invaders entered spring training with a payroll of $62 million dollars. How much of that do you think will be spent on their offense (a unit that finished with a league-low .718 OPS last year, mind you)?

The answer? Less than $9 million. Granted, the Invader offense is headlined by guys still playing under their rookie contracts, but that is an amazingly low number, no matter how you slice it. The “big name” on offense is Sean Burroughs, resigned for the low, low price of just $200k a year in a deft auction-week move by General Manager Tony Blake. Burroughs is a career .309 hitter and likely a Hall of Famer, but you know what they say about those HoF guys – It’s better to have them at the beginning of their career than at the end. Burroughs is 35 years old and entering his 15^th year in the league. He also played in just 70 games last year and hit just .229 with four home runs.

First baseman Boog Johnson, shortstop Whammy May and catcher Earl Hickey all came from the Invaders’ 2013 draft and each has the potential to be a star. Johnson has had the most success so far, while Hickey, the second overall pick in 2013, has struggled at times but comes packaged with a tantalizing blend of power and contact. Backing him up is Al Murphy, who is a mirror image of Hickey with the bat, but is a much better athlete. Expect one of two to be eventually moved to the outfield.

Which brings us to the strength of the team, the pitching staff. Josh Beckett, Bobby Brownlie, Tadeshi Kawabata and of course, C.C. Sabathia head what is without a doubt one of the deepest rotations in the league. They also combine to make nearly $50 million a season. Pitching comes with a price, however, and good pitching comes with a hefty one.

Sabathia won a Cy Young award last year and Beckett set a new record with 260 strikeouts. Brownlie is on the backside of his career, but is a durable innings eater and a quality pitcher. Kawabata is the new guy, sliding over from Philly after posting a 3.08 ERA in 2016, his second in a row in the low 3s (career-best 3.00 in 2015). He had been merely average at best and downright bad at worst in the six years previous, so dedicating nearly $30 million to him when your offense needs help is a risky move. Of course, outside of Delmon Young, there weren’t a lot of top of the line hitting options available in the auction, so with the money burning a hole in his pocket, Blake spent it on another pitcher. We all saw what San Juan did with an unstoppable rotation in 2014, so I won’t condemn the move. Eventually Ireland is going to have to add a bat, though.

Of course, maybe it already has. Hickey has spent the spring pinch-hitting as he recovers from offseason knee-surgery. All Murphy has done is knock the cover off of the ball, hitting .434 with eight homeruns and 10 doubles through 20 games. Darren Lemming, Antonio Mule and Reuben Brown have been getting all the headlines during the spring, but it’s Murphy who leads the league in runs created. Either way, Ireland has to figure out a way to get both of them in the lineup. The Invaders finished ahead of just two teams in runs scored in 2016, and it would be an epic waste to leave one of these guys on the bench for 150+ games.

Of course, hope springs eternal in these early months, and it’s hard to tell much of anything with teams running out rosters full of 20-year olds and GMs get one last look at their young talent. One thing’s for sure, though, Murphy is incredibly talented – perhaps the most talented catcher in the league from a purely physical standpoint – and if he never becomes the player he was projected to be, it will be an upset on a Cap Jackson level.

So what does all this spell for 2017? Probably not a Euro division title, that looks like it’s headed to London once again, but also probably not a last place finish, thought it could be a dogfight with Scotland to stay out of the cellar.

Basically, the season hinges on the growth of those young players on offense. The pitching will be there –at least in innings one-through-six, your guess is as good as mine on the bullpen. If the hitters hit, Ireland has a shot, albeit an outside one, of making the playoffs. And with that rotation, there’s no telling what can happen in a short series.

Well, maybe there is, just ask Bill Gluvna.

Projected Lineup

1. May, Whammy -SS

2. Kearns, Austin - RF

3. Johnson, Boog – 1B

4. Murphy, Al / Hickey, Earl – C

5. Collins, Ad - LF

6. Burroughs, Sean – 3B

7. Nix, Laynce – CF

8. Orr, Geoff – 2B

Projected Rotation

1. C.C. Sabathia

2. Josh Beckett

3. Bobby Brownlie

4. Tadeshi Kawabata

5. Yoshi Sasaki

Bedford Crunch

2016 Record: 74-86 (3rd in North)
2017 Projected Record: 76-84
Key Additions: Scott Kazmir (free agent), Nick Swisher (free agent)
Key Losses: none

The history of the Crunch is one of award winning players, an all-time winning record and 4 Hall of Famers. Yet this squad has barely sniffed post-season action - their lone appearance coming in 2008 as a Wildcard team. So what has been the problem here? Ownership has been consistent and left the decisions to GM Rich Gin. Gin has been active but not reactionary, leaving some NY media types begging for the bold move. And Manager Tommy Lasorda has been with Bedford since the beginning: maybe a change might light a fire under some of these players. A 90 year-old manager may have a little trouble relating to the younger players and let's face it - at this point they're all younger. So after yet another 3rd place finish, did Gin go ahead and reinvent this team?
Last season the Crunch scored a measly 652 runs, good for 13th in SLB. What did Gin do to help his offense this season? He signed 36 year-old LF Nick Swisher (everybody together: ooooh, aaahhhh) to a 3 year deal. He also signed .... wait, that's it? Swisher's the answer? He had a .791 OPS with 18 bombs last season and will be roaming the outfield with 37 year-old bag of hammers Milton Bradley and 25 year-old stud CF Todric Johnson (Gin snagged him in the 2nd round back in 2013). GM Gin is also counting on disappointing 1B Basil Elton-John and future Hall of Fame 2B Josh Barfield to give this team some sock. The 33 year-old Barfield led all Crunch hitters with 21 home runs in 2016. This team had better pitch ....

.... which leads us to Gin's work at the auction. Bedford had a 4.14 team ERA last year, 3rd best in the league. Gin obviously thought pitching was still a problem and went and signed LHP Scott Kazmir to a 3 year/36.75M contract and he'll be the Crunch's ace. Reliever Dick Briscoe agreed to return to the Crunch and the pitching staff looks great but did Gin spend his money wisely? Will dominant pitching get this team to the postseason or will not signing or trading for a big bat be a huge error? Perhaps Bedford is just biding time, attempting to avoid last place, and waiting for their young position prospects (SS Paddy Farr, 2B James Gordon, 3B Ken Woodward and the aforementioned Elton-John) to develop before they make a serious run at the title. That's a risky move and could result in a ticked-off fan base and a lower salary cap.

Projected Lineup
CF Todric Johnson
3B Ken Woodward
2B Josh Barfield
RF Nick Swisher
1B Basil Elton-John
LF Milton Bradley
C Pat Jordan
SS Paddy Farr

The starting nine has a nice balance and should be fine against LHP or RHP. Where's the power? Maybe Crunch fans have a good thing going - low scoring games that finish quickly and get them back home to the suburbs before they get beaten or robbed.

Projected Rotation
Scott Kazmir
Ted Striker
Yadel Marti
Luke Hochevar
Luis Martinez

Closer
Jason Ray

Lasorda will mix and match to find a better mix in the 'pen this season. There's more quantity than quality right now. Will Ray be able to handle the closer job? He had a 4.44 ERA last season and that was much better than both Rafael Soriano (5.23) and Don Drysden (5.51). The Crunch won't be pushovers with this rotation but aren't going to be in contention with this 'pen come fall. Look for another season of treading water, in which case heads should roll.

HSH - Cleveland Dawgs




2016 Record - 66-94 (Last Place)
Projected Record - 70-90 (Last Place)
Key Pickups - P Michiyo Towaki (free agent)
Key Losses - P Justin Verlander (free agent)

After two seasons of nothing from GM Kevin Parks, former GM Mike McAvoy is back on board with the Dawgs, hoping to rekindle the building plan he had in place during his first tenure. Much to McAvoy's surprise, most of his prospects and young players are still on the roster, so he won't have to start over from scratch. The bad news is that those players managed just 66 wins last season and the pitching depth is paper thin. Can McAvoy work the phones and get the team back on the right track again?

The Dawgs were 8th in the league in HR a year ago, but just 12th in runs scored. Alex Hildenbrand continued to show that he's the future for this lineup, and Neil Walker continues to be one of the most underrated hitters in the game. Alex Gordon looks like he has plateaued as an 80 RBI guy, which is fine if some of the fantastic OF prospects (Horner, Austin) can step up as all-star caliber sluggers. Another year from Matt Bush equals more disappointment; will he ever live up to his potential? There are holes in the middle infield and the bench will be rough, but Dawgs fans are hoping that the offense can move up to at least league average in 2017.

The pitching is the real problem in Cleveland, and there doesn't seem to be an easy fix here. The team posted a league-worst (by a big margin) 5.88 team ERA, and that was WITH Justin Verlander (who ran as fast as he could to division rival Halifax). Mike Miller had a good season, and might be the de facto staff ace with Verlander's departure. The rest of the staff put up ERA's ranging from 5.38 to 9.30. Pretty awful. It's a good bet that you'll see at least one (if not three) rookies in the starting staff, and every draft pick this June should go towards new arms.

So the Dawgs are what they are: a team that was rebuilding in 2014, were left to stagnate under bad management for two years, and are now a few seasons behind in getting better. Anything above last place will be a miracle.

PROJECTED LINEUP

2B John Mercer
SS Rian Luiz
LF Alex Hildenbrand
C Neil Walker
RF Tex Austin
1B Al Allen
3B Alex Gordon
CF Darin Ford

SP Mike Miller
SP Calvin Y'Barra
SP Daniel Pursel
SP Joel Piniero
SP James Howell

CL Michiyo Towaki

Baltimore Panthers

2016 Record: 78-82 (last in South)
2017 Projected Record: 84-76
Key Pickups: Cliff Gatsby (free agent), Oliver Perez (free agent), Dennis Tankersley (trade)
Key Losses: Prince Fielder (trade), Ricardo Romero (trade), Hubie Bluege (free agent)

Despite almost reaching .500 last season, the Panthers once again finished in the South's cellar. What does finishing no higher than 2nd two times in the last 10 seasons get you? A salary cap of 61 million dollars, for one. With that 61M, GM Jose Gutierrez has a roster that isn't going to roll over and die for anyone. It features 2 trophy winners from last season (Rolaids Reliever and Top Pitching Prospect) and last year's leader in Wins (El Ron Ubardo). Baltimore also managed to sign Closer Cliff Gatsby during the winter auction and resign IF Dallas McPherson and SP Joel Hanrahan. RF Vladimir Guerrero is 39 and the longtime Panther is probably done after this season but will provide some veteran leadership to Baltimore's bounty of young talent.




Baltimore currently has 26 pitchers as Panther property but none of the vets, save Gatsby, are the story here. Ubardo, Zach Putnam, Cole St. Clair, Broderick Blaemire, Cole DeVries, Doug Weston and Ben Cepeda are a solid foundation for Baltimore's future pitching staff and we may see several of them in big roles this season. Panthers fans have seen plenty of mediocre vets throughout previous versions of the club but look for more of them to be pushed aside this spring. Eulogio De La Cruz was the best reliever in SLB last season, and he may get bumped to setup new closer Gatsby. When was the last time Baltimore could have that kind of competition on their own team?

Offense was a problem last season and may not be much improved heading into 2017. Last season the Panthers scored just 762 runs, 10th in SLB. They struggled to hit the long ball (13th) and just like last year, their offense is reliant on Guerrero (39 years old) and McPherson (35). Vladdy hit just 25 bombs last season and is showing his age on the bases with just 4 SB and 14 GIDP - this from a former 30/30 player. McPherson can play anywhere on the infield for Baltimore which is an asset, but in order for this squad to threaten division foes Atlanta and San Juan, players like 25 year-olds Teddy Gammell and Allan Martinez along with 24 year-old Kieron Pope will have to continue to improve.

Projected Lineup
CF Kieron Pope
2B Frank Vanderwal
RF Vladimir Guerrero
SS Dallas McPherson
3B Teddy Gammell
LF Allan Martinez
C Bobby Dean
1B John Atwood

Outlook

Some young guys who can actually hit on Baltimore this season. If McPherson and Guerrero decline as expected, will two rookies (Atwood and Vanderwal) come through when counted on? Newly acquired IF Kippy Sunderstrom is a capable backup. Are Pope and Martinez the real deal? Is there enough speed there to manufacture runs if there's a power outage? They'll scrap for runs but should be fun to watch.

Projected Rotation
El Ron Ubardo
Dennis Tankersley
Zach Putnam
Oliver Perez
Joel Hanrahan

Closer
Cliff Gatsby

Outlook
Will Putnam make this squad out of spring training? Or will Kyle Newby get another opportunity to showoff his 5+ ERA? This team may have some holes in Long or Middle Relief but what team doesn't have the same problem? At least Gutierrez has options this spring and may have the next good, young team in SLB.

HSH: Atlanta Flyers

Atlanta Flyers

Atlanta ended the 2016 regular season with an 89-71 record, good for first place in the south, but just two games ahead of second place San Juan and only eleven games ahead of last place Baltimore. The way things are in the South, that’s more of a statement about the strength of the division than an indictment of the Flyers. The South had three teams finish with winning records last year, the only division that can make that claim.

What does that mean for Atlanta? Well, first off it meant that general manager Jim Masters had his work cut out for him in the offseason. In what might be the League’s most cutthroat division, Masters had to find a way to stay under budget and resign Homer Bailey, Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano. That trio promised to pull in a sum that would just about equal, for instance, Taipei’s entire payroll. Surely the Flyers would have to kiss one of the big three good bye, right? Especially after Prior’s name had been bandied about in trade talks in the months leading up to the auction.

Not so fast, my friend. Bailey was resigned first, at $15 million a year. Next up was Zambrano, who Masters locked up for $13 million a season. Finally it was Prior, whom Masters matched on a three-year, $45 million dollar contract. That’s a lot of skrilla, but it’s also a lot of W’s (a combined 110-60 over the last three years). Match them up with Darren Lemming and you’ve got over $60 million committed to four players. For comparison’s sake, Taipei is currently rocking a payroll of $40 million…for its entire roster. Granted, that explains why Atlanta is a perennial favorite and Taipei is, well, Taipei.

So anyway, regardless of the results in Atlanta, that is a lot of money to entrust to 10 percent of your 40-man roster. But take a closer look and you’ll see where it makes sense. Masters only has one guy (Lemming) that he needs to resign before Prior, Zambrano and Bailey are up for auction again, and by that time, Prior and Zambrano will be nearing 40 years old, meaning he can leave one (or both) unprotected in order to restrict catcher Jeff Clement. With young guns Al Krieger and Ryan Tucker waiting in the wings, Atlanta’s rotation will be a strength for the next three years, if not longer.

As for the offense, there’s talent there, but it’s not overflowing. A few years back, this team looked like an unstoppable force. They fell more towards the middle of the pack in 2016, but any lineup with Lemming isn’t one to sneeze at. Clement is poised for a breakout season and we all got a taste of what Gregory Golson can do (42 homeruns last year). Outside of that, there’s a lot of questions. Atlanta’s not running castoffs out there or anything, but there’s a definite drop off in talent once you get past Lemming, Clement and Golson. The good news is that Masters has a lot of middle-infield and outfield options, so if something’s not working, he shouldn’t have to stick with it for too long.

So what does that mean for 2017 (that was a dope rhyme, by the way)? Well, they aren’t going to win 100 games or anything, but the Flyers’ offense is as good as any in the division and its pitching is potentially as good as there is in the league. Expect anywhere from 85-to-95 wins and another playoff berth.

Projected lineup

1. Smaza, Curt R 2B

2. Javery, Kevin R SS

3. Lemming, Darren L CF

4. Golson, Gregory R LF

5. Clement, Jeff L C

6. Brady, Josh R RF

7. Twain, John S 1B

8. Jacobo, Edwin R 3B

Outlook

Two rookies (Smaza and Javery) at the top of the lineup? It’s what I would do. Berroa might have earned another year at short stop after hitting 28 home runs last year, but historically he’s been pretty bad. The middle of the lineup is fearsome, so if the front and back ends produce, this team could score in bushels.

Projected Rotation

1. Bailey, Homer R

2. Prior, Mark R

3. Zambrano, Carlos R

4. Tucker, Ryan R

5. Krieger, Al R

Outlook

Extremely right handed, but talent is talent and you can’t argue with this group. Zambrano and Prior embark on what might be their final contracts while Bailey, who just signed his first big deal, leads the youth brigade. Krieger could be the favorite for Rookie Pitcher of the Year. Basically, there isn’t a weakness here, no matter how hard you look.

HSH: London Knights

London Knights Have Eye on the Prize



2016 Record: 97-63 (1st in Euro, Lost 4-1 in the first round)
2017 Projected Record: 95-65 (1st in Euro)
Key Pickups: Delmon Young (trade), Craig Hansen (free agent)
Key Losses: Jeremy Reed (free agent)

London enters 2017 riding the wave of three Euro Division titles in four years. Last season's squad won 97 games, the most in franchise history, thanks to a trio of amazing rookies and a solid pitching rotation. With another year under their belts (plus some key off season additions), the Knights look like the team to beat not only in the Euro Division, but in the entire World League.


The '16 Knights scored 819 runs, good for 4th best in SLB,
and have added super slugger Delmon Young. Young gives them a fifth hitter who had a .500+ SLG last year, so 900+ runs is easy to imagine this year. Overall, the team ranked 3rd in OBP and 2nd in SLG in 2016. The weakest hitter is Joe Mauer (batting 8th). Scary. Despite a rather underwhelming college career, Diego Clemente lit up the SLB, winning RHOY and living up to his "The Next A-Rod" hype. Strong hitting up the middle and plenty of team speed makes this the best lineup in the division. While Clemente got a lot of the attention, Jim Russell was even better, out OPSing his rookie teammate.

On the pitching side of things, the Knights were about league average, but with a Top 3 offense, that should be plenty good for another 90+ wins in 2017. While the team lacks a true "ace", the top three of Dice-K, Weaver and Bray were all good for mid 3.00 ERA's and double digit wins. Bray had an extremely impressive 166:17 K/B ratio and Weaver managed a respectable 3.80 ERA despite giving up 40 homers. Mahara was a disaster, surrendering 260 hits (43 of them long balls) in 205 innings. The bullpen was a mixed bag, but the addition of Hansen really strengthens the late innings.

Despite sharing the division with the defending WS Champs, London projects to win the Euro again. The team lacks depth and has exactly $0 to work with under the cap, but a healthy offense should run over just about everyone in their paths.

PROJECTED LINEUP:

SS Jose Reyes
CF Warren McFadden
3B Diego Clemente
RF Delmon Young
LF Jim Russell
1B James McNulty
2B TJ Mackey
C Joe Mauer

SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
SP Jered Weaver
SP William Bray
SP Christopher Volstad
SP Jon Switzer

CL Craig Hansen

London Loading Up

Knights GM Sean O'Halloran sees an opportunity for his franchise to win the World Series this season and continued to strengthen his team this offseason by adding RF Delmon Young. London has won the Euro division the past two seasons but has failed to bring home the big prize and with RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka, 2B TJ Mackey and SS Jose Reyes all into their last season under contract, O'Halloran agreed to give up some of his teams future in order to win now.
Young, who has spent his whole career in Halifax, is looking forward to his change of address. "The competition will be great over there I'm sure. I was looking for something different as a free agent this winter and its strange how things worked out. And hey, I'm still in the Dominion, right?"
Halifax GM Lars Cain had been shopping Young to the World League teams after matching offers in free agency. "We had been looking to go in a different direction," said Cain. "We wish Young all the best and we're sure he'll do some damage against those powerhouses over there. He'll get to face those teams a lot more often now and won't be the most underrated player in SLB anymore."
Heading to Halifax in the swap are 22 year-old 2B Craig Scott, 22 year-old pitcher Kid Valenzuela and London's 1st round pick in this seasons amateur draft.
The Knights scored 819 runs last season, 5th most in SLB. London's probable starting lineup now is: C J Mauer, 1B J McNulty, 2B T Mackey, 3B D Clemente, SS J Reyes, CF W McFadden, LF J Russell and RF D Young.

Biggest move of the off-season? Mule, Oswalt on the move.

Taipei has agreed to trade pitcher Roy Oswalt and outfielder Antonio Mule to Kyoto in exchange for the Bushido’s first round pick (No. 2 overall) and right-hand pitcher Theodore Unger.

“We feel that our window to compete in our division and league is still three-to-four years away,” said Tai Fong General Manager Dylan Goforth. “It was really a perfect fit. Kyoto needed a power hitter in their outfield and a veteran pitching presence. We needed to clear cap space in preparation for next year’s auction. We also got a high draft pick that we can nurture in the minors for a few years in preparation for a run at the playoffs down the road. Once the negotiations with (Kyoto GM Darin) Keesing started, it really didn’t take long to get from point a to point b.”

The draft pick that Taipei receives will help make up for the loss of their own first rounder, traded to San Juan in the ill-fated Jonathon Papelbon deal.

Atlanta Becomes Big Spender

Interesting developments in Atlanta this off-season, as the Flyers are making a statement about winning. After years of following the "draft and develop" model, GM Jim Masters has opened the coffers to keep his top-tier free agents.

In the past, Masters has traded products of his farm system before they started asking for the big bucks, as there was always someone cheaper in the pipeline. Will Hunting, Troy Paris, and Dennis Dennis Jr. were sent off to save some money and restock the farm system.

But last year, CF Darren Lemming, arguably the best player in SLB history, was up for free agency, and in a surprising move, Atlanta showed him the money, ponying up $52.5 million over three years to retain the three-time MVP. The change in philosophy made a statement to Flyer fans that the team was willing to invest in a long term drive for another championship.

Lemming's contract, however, led many to believe that Masters would have to let one of his big three pitchers go this off season. With $17.75 million invested in one player, how could they retain Bailey, Prior and Zambrano, all of whom would command 8-figure salaries?

$43 million later, all three are signed to new, 3-year deals in a huge move by Masters. Kyoto GM Darin Keesing had the most money to spend this year, and pushed the contract talks on Bailey and Prior to $15 million/year, but Masters used his matching power on his RFA's and stuck with the horses who have given him seven consecutive winning seasons. Zambrano, an unrestricted free agent, also chose to stick with Atlanta.

The Flyers have committed over $60 million of their $82.5 million salary cap to four players in 2017. In the past, Masters would have cut Zambrano or Prior loose, promoted an top prospect like Al Krieger or Peanuts Plantier, and rolled the dice that his farm system's success would give him enough for another division title. Is the new strategy of investing in free agents a statement about winning, or a new lack of faith in the farm system?

The gamble is that the team will a) increase next year's cap with post-season success and b) none of the big-ticket players will win the MVP or Cy Young. With just the $500k Angel Berroa coming off the books next season plus arbitration raises due to Hernandez, Tucker, Clement, Jacobo, Yenkel, Twain and Brady, Masters may be forced to trade one of his All-Stars anyways. The window for the championship seems to be now.