Season Preview - Atlanta Flyers

2017 Record: 76-84
Key Additions: 3B Chest Rockwell
Key Losses: Barry Zito
2018 Prediction: 85-75

2017 was a season that Flyers fans would rather forget. The team started slow and never got on track, finishing with their worst record since 2009. The once youth-rich Atlanta club has started seeing their home-grown players take the money and run, and the well has dried up a bit in Charleston. In addition, the rest of the division has caught up a bit to the Flyers, with San Juan mimicking their model to a tee. At this point, this isn't a 90 win team, and the team philosophy has started to crack; despite the most rookies on any 40-man roster in the league, Atlanta has over $78 million (of their $82.5 million payroll) tied into five players. With exactly $0 of wiggle room under his cap, GM Jim Masters has the stress of hoping his big stars do well, but not so well that they win a post-season award and destroy his carefully planned finances.

Batting Order

CF Gregory Burns
2B Curt Smaza
SS James Ewing
LF Darren Lemming
3B Chest Rockwell
1B Justin Morneau
C Jeffrey Clement
RF Josh Brady

While Darren Lemming and Chest Rockwell is about the scariest 1-2 punch you can think of in the middle of a batting order, the chance of their being a lot of guys on base in front of them seems slim. Burns is getting his first shot at full-time work after collecting about 400 PA's in his rookie year, and #3 hitter James Ewing struck out 136 times in 690 AB's. Jeff Clement is a scary good catcher, but he can't seem to stay healthy. Justin Morneau is certainly serviceable, but the aging veteran's good numbers only serve to hide the fact that John Twain isn't developing the way the team would like.

Pitching Rotation: Homer Bailey, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Tucker, Al Krieger, Corey Wade
Closer: Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez

There's no doubt that Bailey will be a Cy Young contender if healthy. Zambrano is always a coin flip (9-16 last year is not what they need again). Tucker is an underrated young arm, Corey Wade is just not good. Rookie Al Krieger (1st Round Pick out of U. of Miami, 2013) was 9-4, 3.01 last year in AAA (and 42-15 overall in 4 minor league seasons) and hopes to make up for the recent losses of Prior and Zito. The bullpen is not a team strength (outside of closer K-Rod).

This seems to be a "litmus test" type season in Atlanta; let's see what this team is made of and if another run of Atlanta dominance is on the horizon.