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Weekly FHFS Power Rankings ::
2005 POWER ALLEY: POST-FREE AGENCY LOOK
Rank Team

 

 Comment
1
Devil Rays
  Determined to ward off their bitter rivals the Blue Jays, the Devil Rays spent freely in the off season to bolster their back-to-back FHFS championship-winning team. Their clubhouse may have a vastly different feel, but they enter the season with a more accomplished roster than any team in baseball and will be strong contenders to return to the World Series. Certainly the most intriguing acquisition is reigning Cy Young runner-up Zach Day.
2
Pirates
   This season will require all of Mr. Rayman's patience, as ownership pushes and prods for the title that eluded the Pirates last season, especially given the team's gaudy payroll and a roster resembling an All-Star team. Rayman will be under intense pressure from the outset of the season. The Pirates imported talented players but prickly personalities. Rayman will have to be the same calming influence he has been over the past few years in an environment that could potentially be negative and loaded with pressure.
3
Blue Jays
  In an era of free-agent wheeling and dealing, the Toronto Blue Jays' front office has done a wonderful job of building a winner the old-fashioned way. The heart of their batting order – Carl Everett, Jeff Kent, Mark Teixeira, Josh Phelps, and Darrin Fletcher – haven been with the team for an extended period now or were draft picks, along with rotation stalwarts Gil Meche and Joe Mays. Current GM Tim Johnson deserves a lot of credit for sticking with this nucleus despite heartache in the playoffs the last few years. The shrewd moves he’s made this off season, bringing in Runelvys Hernandez, Jose Valverde and re-tooling the Jay bench, will aid the team in its championship run significantly.
4
Reds
 After four years of drifting aimlessly as an organization, the Reds finally have regained a sense of direction, investing in their farm system and building a young team with an eye towards competing now, rather than later. They will begin to reap the rewards of their patience last year, when the Reds' offense scored more runs than the league average for the first time in several years -- with a lineup filled with players in their early to mid 20s. The Pirates are obviously the class of the National League Central. But should they falter; the Reds lead a group, with the Cubs, of teams that have a chance at 90 victories and a postseason berth. What's more, GM Jacob Henry has to be the early favorite for NL GM of the Year.
5
Diamondbacks
   The ingredients for a successful season are in place, and there will be high hopes aplenty when the D-Backs take the field on Opening Day. For now, the end result appears to be a club with talent and depth in virtually every phase of the game. With the weapons this team has and GM Paul Potter's track record, the Diamondbacks will be strong contenders to win the National League West and, perhaps, the unthinkable -- the World Series.
6
Rangers
   One thing this team doesn't lack is stars: Andruw Jones, J.D. Drew, Mike Sweeney, Hank Blalock in the lineup. Josh Beckett anchoring the rotation and lights-out closer Francisco Cordero in the pen. If the supporting cast can just hang with that crew, it would be fascinating to see what Beckett and Bruce Chen would do in a short series against, say, Pavano and Hudson.
7
Padres
   The Padres took a body blow to their core during the off season, letting Albert Pujols, J.D. Drew and Josh Beckett leave in trades. They patched the holes, but their star power and firepower are lacking. Still, these are the Padres, and through all of their changes, they have reeled off a 372-276 record in four FHFS seasons. Never count them out. The Padres' front office has shown the ability to make bold and surprising moves when it needs to. Expect the Padres to at least stay in contention and improve as the year goes on.
8
Cubs
 Dustin Hirsch has continued to cultivate a young nucleus of players that fit his style -- all while shedding payroll, which ownership mandated he do to make successful runs at Carlos Beltran and Kerry Wood. He has jettisoned the likes of Brian Anderson, Shannon Stewart, Jim Parque, Tony Batista, et al. And he's made some savvy acquisitions for bargain prices this off season, like pitchers David Bush and Brad Penny. He traded for Bill Mueller to start at 3b and provide some veteran leadership. And he picked up Geronimo Gil to catch until Michael Barrett completes his development or top prospect Erik San Pedro is ready for the bigs -- Gil hit .273 for the Indians last year.
9
Nationals
   At some point I'll have to end the gushing, but I have one question...can Zack Greinke win the Cy Young Award as soon as this year? It’s possible, according to all the experts; he is the best young pitcher to come out of the minors in a dozen years. Assuming the Nats’ feel ready to give the kid a shot, Greinke could emerge as a true dominator at any time. The question is, how will ownership respond to this if/when it happens? Will the Nationals expect Greinke to shoulder an ace-like workload if he starts pitching like an ace on a per-inning basis? Even if the team does the right thing and keeps Greinke’s workload reasonable, it doesn't guarantee that he won't get hurt. But that doesn't make it any less imperative to take good care of this crown jewel.
10
Giants
   Payroll flexibility. Those are FHFS's buzz words of the moment, and for good reason. Payroll flexibility is exactly where the Giants had fallen seriously short in recent seasons. While the G-Men did push forward to their first playoff and NL championship appearance, while a the same time pushing their payroll to the league max, it's safe to say that the rest of the National League wasn't exactly quaking in its collective boots. Shedding itself of extraordinary contracts the Giants have given themselves the only thing they really needed this off-season: breathing room.
11
A's
   In the case of the A’s, it all starts at the top, as Oakland's lineup opens with perhaps the most dynamic combination of speed and on-base success in the history of FHFS. Incredibly, the Athletic's No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 hitters all stole at least 75 bases and, even more importantly, posted an average .340 on-base percentage. Thus, you have MVP candidate Vernon Wells, who drove in 122 runs, most by a Oakland A’ in FHFS franchise history. Might we expect more of the same in 2005? Extremely likely.
12
Yankees
   In any other division, the Yankees could expect to move up in 2005 after four consecutive years looking up at Tampa and Toronto. But they'll have to petition to leave the AL East before leapfrogging the two Leviathans’ ahead of them. At least they'll be more interesting to watch this season -- and more difficult to beat -- after trading for premier shortstop Alex Rodriguez, a true leadoff man and leader in Johnny Damon and signing a familiar face in Yankee legend Mariano Rivera. Runs won't be as scarce. Neither will wins.
13
Marlins
   The word from Miami is that the Marlins are going to make a run for the wild card. These days, every team that wins 84 games in a season thinks they have a shot for the wild card the following year. Florida does have a chance. But have they actually improved themselves? The ‘Fins ranked fourth in the majors in ERA, a respectable showing, but bottom of the pack in runs scored. Obviously, the thing to do is try to improve the bats without hurting the pitching attack. Have they done this?
14
Indians
 No excuses. It's time for the Indians to ascend back to the American League Central throne. The White Sox and Twins have each lost significant talent or only marginally upgraded and the Royals still aren't ready. The Indians are the only team in the division that has added premium talent the past two winters. This winter they've brought in former Yankee every-man Derek Jeter, and free agent Jose Vidro to form the best middle-inflied this side of Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano. Each should push each other to the top of the league MVP voting. New captain. Plenty of talent. A division in transition. This is the Indians' time.
15
Philles
   Jeff Weaver, Matt Morris, Kaz Ishii, possibly Jarrod Washburn and take your pick. This is the group that will constitute the Phillies' starting pitching in 2005. At first glance (and probably second and third as well), the Phils’ do not have a playoff-caliber rotation. While the Marlins, Braves and Mets can't claim deep rotations either, the big difference is the Marlins have Robert Person and Jose Lima, with a Pettitte to boot. Ishii has tailed off in recent years and remains unproven as a starter. Morris will be hard-pressed to duplicate last season's success. Weaver has been healthy and effective recently, but his development has been rocky and inconsistent at times. So that brings us to Washburn, who could go a long way in deciding if Philadelphia can contend from start to finish.
16
Mets
   Any lineup that adds Richard Hidalgo to the mix will be significantly better, but will Hidalgo be the difference in the Mets’ hopes of returning to the postseason? Probably not. That's not to say Hidalgo won't provide a boost to the lineup, given his outstanding overall credentials and success in the National League. Hidalgo had a banner year in 2004, finishing tenth in the NL in home runs (35) and 6th in doubles (42). In the end, the difference between contending in 2005 and not will come down to the health and production of the starting pitching, which ranked 13th in the league in ERA (4.31) last season. If the staff comes up lame, even Hidalgo won't be able to save the day or the team's playoff hopes.
17
Brewers
 For a franchise that has historically been identified with power -- tape-measure homers, runs by the bucketload -- the Brewers now find themselves cast in another light. For the first time in franchise history, the Brew Crew will now defined by a pitcher. In just two short weeks, Pedro Martinez has come to be the most popular, essential and identifiable player on the team. Martinez alone makes the Brewers contenders, providing them with a security blanket once every five days. No losing streak will last long with Martinez in the rotation. It's as if, after years of watching the game in black-and-white, the Brewers are now playing the game in color. Martinez makes them that much more vibrant.
18
Mariners
 Assuming Zito’s late season problems were simply a result of fatigue; no team in baseball has a better 1-2 punch in the rotation than Vazquez and Zito. But even under the best of circumstances, that's about 70-72 starts, leaving the balance for Andy Ashby, Makato Suzuki, and Scott Elarton. Elarton’s a strong candidate to bust out on the American League, and he's still a relatively young pitcher. One of two things needs to happen: Either two of these three step up a little bit and pitch well enough to stabilize the rotation and take a load off the pen, or one of them, probably Elarton, needs to blossom into a full blown star.
19
Braves
 With the Braves making few, if any, significant off-season moves, and a new General Manager already endearing himself to the league, this is a critical campaign ahead. The Braves won't be permitted to win only 80 games this season by their fans. Jason Giambi may be a franchise icon, but there will be little patience if the Expos keep them out of the playoffs for the fourth straight season. But is this team really that much better?
20
Cardinals
 With all the emphasis on the pitching staff (a now formidable, if not overpriced, quartet of Santana, Ortiz, Park, and Milton) it looks like the offense is being neglected. Letting Roger Cedeno go to San Francisco robs St. Louis of its table setter. Mark Quinn and Mike Lowell are good hitters, and Mark Loretta is disruptive at the top of the order, but that trio can't carry the team by itself. An outfield led by Quinn and Gerald Williams is hardly contention material. Any gains in pitching may be offset by problems with the hitting attack.
21
Twins
 The Twins, barring disaster, should rank better than league average in hitting, especially with the additions of David Ortiz and Gary Sheffield to the middle of the order. The pitching, on the other hand, could easily collapse into a heap of dust. The arms were a liability in ‘04, ranking 25th in ERA. Guys like Tim Crabtree and Kaz Ishii were above average given their roles, but not massively so, while Greg Maddux, Jose Contreras, and Paul Wilson were all below average, or worse.
22
Dodgers
   Can Dodger Blue find value in retreads? Shawn Green, Brian Anderson, Curt Schilling, Robb Nenn, and Rockie failures Scott Strickland and Jon Garland have all been brought in to fill roster spots until kids are ready. Green is certainly an offensive upgrade in the outfield, and many people think his defense is best suited for the team's pitcher’s park. The downside of this is that management must avoid the temptation to continue shipping in retread vets if the current ones actually play well. Patching a hole with a vet is a defensible expedient, if temporary. Over-reliance on guys like Schilling and Nenn is suicidal in the long run for a team like the Dodgers. If they do play well, trading them to a contender for prospects later in the season must be a priority.
23
Red Sox
Take a gander at the Bo Sox’s projected rotation for 2005 ... Can you say, "Rebuilding"? The "ace" of the staff is Jon Rauch, all 26 years of him. Next is Cory Lidle, who liberated from a significant rotation spot, has only managed a 17-20 record with a 4.96 ERA over the last two seasons. Steve Traschel pitched decently enough (9-10, 4.76) for the Sox in 2003, but in 2004 he went 5-9 with a 5.33 ERA. Those are the known quantities (if not qualities). And after them? A whole bunch of big question marks.
24
Astros
   Wither Minute Maid Park? With the departures of dos' Carlos, Houston's monster line scores may become a mere distant memory. Where's the beef? New GM Derek Trickett tried to address this problem (see Raul Mondesi), but missed out on such big-name free agent sluggers as David Ortiz and Gary Sheffield. Showing their free-spending days may be over, the ‘Stros fell out of the bidding on both Doug Mientkiewicz and Jason Varitek, relatively early. So they'll need 30 to 35 homers from Mondesi and healthy and productive seasons from veteran Ken Griffey Jr. and youngsters Xavier Nady and Joe Crede to give their pitching staff even a chance.
25
Orioles
 Age, Age, and more Age. The O’s are depending on continued health and excellence from a very large number of old ballplayers. Vander Wal’s going to be 39. Hitchcock turned 35 during the winter. Finley will play this season at 41, and with his reckless, yet effective, play in center, one has to question the risk. Alou was just signed to a one-year $6 million deal, and he'll be 39 in 2005. The bench is old, too, with Todd Hundley (37) and Eric Karros (38) nearly earning a combined eight figures to alternate at DH and 1b. There are a lot more players on the O’s squad who can realistically be expected to get worse than better. They'll need some luck to keep everyone healthy and playing well.

 

2005 BOTTOM 5: POST-FREE AGENCY LOOK
Rank Team   Comment
26
Rockies
 What's the easiest way to keep hitters from taking advantage of the thin air and spacious dimensions at Coors Field? Don't let them hit the ball. Sounds like a simple plan, but it could be a major issue for the Rockies this season. There's a good chance a lineup led by Chipper Jones, Ichiro Suzuki, and Jason Kendall will lead the league in runs scored. But that doesn't guarantee they'll be as productive as they need to be for Colorado to finish with a winning record.
27
White Sox
The Twins spent the off-season getting considerably better on the lineup side, adding two guys that get on base and can hit for ridiculous power. The White Sox major move was getting rid of their most promising hitter, Alex Escobar, and one of their better pitching prospects in Brandon Backe. It would seem the Sox did little to keep pace with the rest of the division, either in the short term or long term.
28
Royals
   It’s intriguing, that Mr. Nakagawa is not letting the youth movement go full-bore. With the stated pretext of not wanting to force their young prospects into major-league action before their ready, the Royals absorbed Manny Ramirez's contract from the Red Sox last year, then managed to keep him out potential deals to both New York squads, and San Francisco. The Royals also went full tilt in free agency signing warhorses Brian Bohanon (1 yr, $9.5 million) and Brad Radke (4 years, $18.5 million). David Segui was also added at $4.25 million and John Smoltz was brought in at $8.25 million for his leadership influence. The result is a bloated payroll stuffed with aging veterans long in the tooth who will be very well-compensated to do little more than show up.
29
Angels
   Can anyone here pitch? Aside from bullpen mates Brendan Donnelly and Todd Jones, not a single member of the pitching staff was healthy and effective all season. The Angels have some young starters who have the potential to improve, like Kyle Lohse and John Lackey, and several minor leaguers capable of making a big impact, including Joaquin Benoit. But "potential" and "capable" doesn't win games; the Angels need to turn some of their question marks into exclamation points.
30
Tigers
 There's no rhyme, reason, or coherent plan to the Tigers' player moves. A look at the list of players acquired this off-season by the Tigers includes a number of players who, at best, are stopgaps or waiver wire pickups -- but there's no one waiting to come in after the stopgap. This organization is hopelessly marooned, and bringing in Matt Herges, Dustin Hermanson, Lorenzo Barcelo, or a hundred other replacement-level contributors isn't going to help. This organization needs an entirely new leadership team and direction.
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