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Well the National League East are pretty beast themselves, although they don’t compare to the Big Three of the American League East, but the defending Champion World Series Philadelphia Phillies had something to say about that as they beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 World Series. However, all three teams of the AL East have revamped and have gotten even better.  But what about the Little Beasts of the East in the NL East: the Phillies, Marlins, and Mets.

Sorry Braves and Nationals, you guys don’t make the cuts as far as the Little Beasts of the East. Well let’s breakdown the Little Beasts of the East First up are the defending Champs Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies

Lineup:

1 Jimmy Rollins SS

2 Shane Victorino CF

3 Raul Ibanez LF

4 Ryan Howard 1B

5 Jayson Werth RF

6 Pedro Feliz 3B

7 Carlos Ruiz C

8 Marcus Giles 2B*

*All-Star 2B Chase Utley is injured for the start of season but when he returns, Giles moves to the bench and Utley will return to second base and bat third for the Phillies.

Rotation:

SP1 Cole Hamels LHP

SP2 Brett Myers RHP

SP3 Joe Blanton RHP

SP4 Jamie Moyer LHP

SP5 Kyle Kendrick or J.A. Happ

SU Ryan Madson

CL Brad Lidge

Florida Marlins

Lineup:

1 Cameron Maybin CF

2 Jeremy Hermida RF

3 Hanley Ramirez SS

4 Jorge Cantu 1B-3B

5 Dan Uggla 2B

6 Dallas McPherson 3B or Gaby Sanchez 1B

7 Cody Ross LF

8 Josh Baker C

Rotation:

SP1 Ricky Nolasco RHP

SP2 Josh Johnson RHP

SP3 Andrew Miller LHP

SP4 Chris Volstad RHP

SP5 Anibal Sanchez RHP

SU Scott Proctor RHP

CL Matt Lindstrom RHP

New York Mets

Lineup:

1 Jose Reyes SS

2 Luis Castillo 2B

3 David Wright 3B

4 Carlos Beltran CF

5 Carlos Delgado 1B

6 Ryan Church RF

7 Fernando Tatis or Daniel Murphy LF

8 Brian Schneider C

Rotation:

SP1 Johan Santana LHP

SP2 Derek Lowe RHP

SP3 John Maine RHP

Sp4 Mike Pelfrey RHP

SP5 Tim Redding or Jonathan Niese

SU J.J. Putz

CL Francisco Rodriguez

  Well there is a new Big Three in the East and I am not talking about the Big Three of the Boston Celtics. I am talking about Baseball’s Beasts of the East in the AL East Division. I am talking about those upstart and flashy Rays, those gritty and champion Red Sox and the high-profiled and over-priced Yankees. All three are up and down the roster, the best teams in the Major Leagues.  They are the Beasts of the East, but who is the one Beast of the East?  I am going to breakdown each team by its Lineup and Rotation and Key Bullpen Arms. First up are the Tampa Bay Rays!

Tampa Bay Rays

Lineup:

1 Akinori Iwamura 2B

2 B.J. Upton CF

3 Carl Crawford LF

4 Evan Longoria 3B

5 Carlos Pena 1B

6 Pat Burrell DH

7 Matt Joyce RF

8 Dionner Navarro

9 Jason Bartlett SS

Rotation:

SP1 James Shields RHP

SP2 Scott Kazmir LHP

SP3 Matt Garza RHP

SP4 David Price LHP

SP5 Andy Sonnanstine

SU Grant Balfour

CL Dan Wheeler/Troy Percival

Boston Red Sox

Lineup:

1 Dustin Pedroia 2B

2 Rocco Baldelli or Jacobe Ellsbury CF

3 Kevin Youkliis 1B

4 David Ortiz DH

5 Mike Lowell 3B

6 J.D. Drew RF

7 Jason Bay LF

8 Jed Lowrie SS

9 Josh Bard C

Rotation:

SP1 Josh Beckett RHP

SP2 Jon Lester LHP

SP3 Daisuke Matsuzaka RHP

SP4 John Smoltz RHP

SP5 Brad Penny RHP

SU Hideki Okajima/ Justin Masterson

CL Jonathan Papelbon

New York Yankees

Lineup:

1 Johnny Damon LF

2 Derek Jeter SS

3 Mark Teixeira 1B

4 Alex Rodriguez 3B

5 Xavier Nady RF

6 Hideki Matsui DH

7 Jorge Posada C

8 Robinson Cano 2B

9 Brett Gardner/ Nick Swisher CF

Rotation:

SP1 C.C. Sabathia LHP

SP2 A.J. Burnett RHP

SP3 Chin-Mien Wang RHP

SP4 Joba Chamberlain RHP

SP4 Phil Hughes RHP

SU Damaso Marte LHP

CL Mariano Rivera RHP

 The Arizona Diamondbacks probably have been the least busiest team in the NL West. So far in the offseason, gone are free agents Randy Johnson (signed w/ Giants) and First Baseman/Outfielder Adam Dunn, Second Baseman/Shortstop David Eckstein, Second Baseman Orlando Hudson, Closer Brandon Lyon, and Reliever Juan Cruz.  And the only signings the D-Backs have done is re-sign backup First Baseman Tony Clark, sign second baseman Felipe Lopez to fill the void there and sign Catcher Chris Snyder to an extension.  The D-Backs still have one or two holes in the starting rotation and need some bullpen help and depth on their bench.  The healthy return of Eric Byrnes to the outfield should help.  So the D-Backs need to address their rotation, they have no closer set in stone yet with the loss of Lyon so signing someone with experience to help the bullpen out is a need. Other than that, there isn’t much  the D-Backs can do with their limited funds, so I don’t see the D-Backs contending with just Haren and Webb at the top of their rotation. You can’t expect Webb to get 20 plus wins again in 2009.  It’s just not very likely. Look for the Giants or Dodgers to be the favorites in the division with the Rockies as the dark horse in this division and the Padres and D-Backs in rebuild mode and looking for financial flexibility in the future. 

Projected Lineup:

1 Stephen Drew SS .291 21HR 77RBI as the leadoff man for the D-Backs in 08′.

2 Chris Young CF Excellent defensive centerfielder with some pop in that bat. Hit 22HR and 85RBI in 08′.

3 Eric Byrnes LF His return should help this lineup out with his balance of power and speed. 

4 Conor Jackson 1B This Cal Product is a beast and is a rising star. Hit .300 with 12HR and 75RBI in 08′.

5 Mark Reynolds 3B Hit only .239 but had 28HR and 97RBI.

6 Justin Upton RF This 21 year-old phenom has so much upside but needs to put it together. Hit .250 with 15HR and 42RBI in 08′.

7 Chris Snyder C hit .237 with 16HR and 64RBI in 08′

8 Felipe Lopez 2B Had a terrible 1st Half with the Nationals, but bounced back in the 2nd Half with the St. Louis Cardinals. Lopez hit .283Avg. with 6HR and 46RBI combined in 08′ and added 8 SB in 2008.

Projected Rotation:

SP1 Brandon Webb - CY Young Runner-Up notched 22 Wins in 08, best in the NL but he is the ace and workhorse of the staff.

SP2 Dan Haren- Could be an ace on most teams, solid #2.

SP3 Doug Davis- Good Story with his comeback, Average-type pitcher.

SP4 Max Scherzer- Great upside, top prospect, not yet proven.

SP5 Yusmeiro Petit- WHO?

CL Chad Qualls - D-Backs need some help if he is their set closer.

The Los Angeles had numerous free agents going into this offseason and they have brought a few of them back, with still one big one remaining on the market in Manny Ramirez.  The Dodgers have re-signed free agents shortstop Rafael Furcal and third baseman Casey Blake.  They are still negotiating with outfielder Manny Ramirez and his agent, Scott Boras. Boras wants a huge four or five year deal worth about 100 million and 25 million a year annualy for his client. However, that might be to deep and sweet for the Dodgers to bite into and might move on to other big bats left on the market, primarily Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu or Garrett Anderson as fallback options.  So look for the Dodgers to either re-sign Manny Ramirez or sign Adam Dunn to fill their left field void.  The Dodgers also have restructured Andruw Jones contract and will save 12 million off their books and only pay Jones 5 million, whether they trade him (which is unlikely) and release him (more likely).  The Dodgers have signed Claudio Vargas on a low-risk one year deal to help shore the bottom two spots of their rotation.  Other contenders for the two remaining spots in the rotation are Jason Schmidt, looking to comeback from injury, and upcoming prospect pitcher James McDonald. I would say look for the Dodgers to sign one more starter or reliever to their staff and a corner outfielder.  But if Dodgers get Manny, I would have to say they are the favorites to win the NL West, and not the Giants. 

Projected Lineup:

1 Rafael Furcal SS- speedy leadoff hitter with some gap to gap power, looking to rebound after an injury-riddled season in 08′.

2 Matt Kemp CF- one of the upcoming players in the major leagues and a speedy outfielder with some pop in that bat

3 Russell Martin C- All-Star Catcher the past two seasons, enough said!

4 Adam Dunn or Manny Ramirez LF- both power hitting outfielders, but Ramirez the better and more impact-type player.

5 James Loney 1B- had a solid season in 2008 and was clutch in the playoffs.

6 Andre Ethier RF- Hit .305 20HR 77RBI in 2008.

7 Casey Blake 3B- Hit .275 21HR 81RBI in 2008.

8 Blake Dewitt 2B- replaces Jeff Kent as the everyday second baseman.

Projected Rotation:

SP1 Chad Billingsley- young stud, upcoming player like Lincecum of the Giants, ace of this staff!

SP2 Hiroki Koruda- moves to the #2 spot in the rotation with the loss of Derek Lowe and Brad Penny.

SP3 Clayton Kershaw- Kershaw got a mini-taste of what the playoffs is like. At 20 years old, look for him to grow up and breakout in 2009.

SP4 Jason Schmidt- Schmidt looks to make a comeback  and return to his old form when he was with Giants after some injuries hurt him the last two seasons. 

SP5 Claudio Vargas- Low-risk deal gives him a shot to anchor this rotation as the #5 guy. If he falters, James McDonald or another prospect can get a look.

Closer Jonathan Broxton- This big framed, power pitcher who throws in the upper 90’s looks to be the everyday closer in 2009, rather than the fill-in closer/setup guy as he was in 08′.

   The Colorado Rockies are not necessarily in rebuilding mode, but they are making moves and not staying pat and have already moved star left fielder Matt Holiday to the Oakland A’s in return for a young starting pitcher Greg Smith, setup/closer Huston Street to help their bullpen out, and young outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who should fill the void in left field for the Rockies in 2009, unless returner Seth Smith wins the job in Spring Training.  The Rockies are also in the process of trading a reliever for starting pitcher Jason Marquis  (from the Cubs) to furthermore upgrade and complete their starting rotation.  The Rockies are probably content now going with the young outfield in Seth Smith, Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Spilborghs, as well as Brad Hawpe.  The bullpen should be stronger, even with the loss of closer Brian Fuentes to the Angels.  They have Huston Street who will most likely be the setup man to closer Manny Corpas, unless Corpas falters in spring training or during season. Taylor Bucholz also was a solid setup guy and workhorse for the Rockies in 2008.

Projected Lineup:

1 Carlos Gonzalez/ Seth Smith LF, both young outfielders could serve as a platoon, but both are left-handed hitters.

2 Troy Tulowitzki SS ,  this young stud looks to rebound in 2009, after an injury-riddled 2008 season. 

3 Todd Helton 1B, the veteran also looks to bounce back in 09′ after a dismal, injury-riddled season in 08′.

4 Garret Atkins 3B, Should move back to third base with the return of Todd Helton to full health at first base.

5 Brad Hawpe RF, Expect to put up similar numbers in 09′ as he put up in 08, 20 plus home runs and 90-100 RBI’s.

6 Ryan Spilborghs CF, Finally gets a chance to be an everyday hitter and should put up a solid season in 09′

7 Chris Ianetta C, Mostly an offensive-type catcher, who shall hit 15-20 HR’s.

8 Clint Barmes 2B, Should be the everyday second baseman, but look for young stud Ian Stewart to compete for a platoon at this position, if not the everyday job.

Projected Rotation:

SP1 Aaron Cook, This sinkerballer and 2008 All Star will be the ace for the Rockies.

SP2 Jeff Francis, the 2008 ace will move down to the number slot in rotation and looks to bounce back after a rough, injury-riddled season.

SP3 Ubaldo Jimenez, has raw talent with his upper 90’s fastball, hopefully he can put it together for a whole season and gain some consistency.

SP4 Greg Smith, comes in the Matt Holliday trade and shall have more success in the NL with a better offense and no DH, but E.R.A should go higher at the hitting-friendly Coors Field. 

SP5 Jason Marquis, comes over from the Cubs and shall anchor this rotation.  Jorge DelaRosa will fight for one of the two open spots and try to bounce either Marquis or Smith to the bullpen. 

Closer Manny Corpas, the 2007 closer who helped the Rockies to their playoff run to the World Series, shall bounce back as the everyday closer in 2009. 

  The San Diego Padres are coming off a dismal season, where they finished in last place  in 2008 after finishing third in 07′ and winning the division in 06′.  The Padres are in rebuild mode and are trying to shed salary and build from within their minor league system, as they moved short stop Khalil Greene to the Cardinals and are trying to move 2007 Cy Young Award winner and ace Jake Peavy and his big salary.  The Padres have a few strong pieces in their core in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, and right fielder Brian Giles.  But their rotation, bullpen, and the rest of the lineup are weaknesses for this team. So don’t look for the Padres to contend in 2009, but expect them to play some solid fundamental ball and compete.  So far, the Padres have upgraded their minor league system with the trade of Khalil Greened, have signed free agent pitcher Kevin Correia (from Giants) to help their rotation out, re-signed infielder Luis Rodriguez, who will play second for the Padres in 09′, and have signed backup catcher Elezier Alfonzo (from Giants).  The Padres will most likely sign a short stop, either David Eckstein or the aging Omar Vizquel and that will most likely complete their offseason, unless they trade ace Jake Peavy in a blockbuster deal. So that is what is on tap for the San Diego Padres.

Projected Lineup:

1 Jody Gerut CF, after being out of the majors the last two years, made a strong comeback and had a solid year for the Padres in 08′.

2 David Eckstein SS, solid defender and great bunter, best days are behind him.

3 Brian Giles RF, .306 BA 13HR, homeruns are down, and off the field problems have been the story

4 Adrian Gonzalez 1B,  2008 All Star Nominee, swatted 37HR in 08′

5 Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B, hit into a triple play in 2008 against the Giants, swatted 23HR in 08′

6 Chase Headley LF, upcoming player, potential to hit 20+ homeruns

7 Nick Hundley C, young hitting and catching prospect

8 Luis Rodriguez 2B, hit .287 in 202 AB for the Pads in 08′

Projected Rotation:

SP1 Jake Peavy - Ace, 2007 Cy Young Award Winner, Big Salary/Contract

SP2 Chris Young- Solid #2, had an up and down year due to an injury after getting hit in the face by a long drive off the bat of the great Albert Pujols.

SP3 Cha-Seung Baek

SP4 Josh Geer- Upcoming Pitching Prospect, expect some more growing pains in 08′

SP5 Kevin Correia- San Diego local product,  had a terrible season for Giants in 08′, hopes to start off fresh with his hometown team and anchor the bottom of the rotation.

Closer Heath Bell- 23 Holds, 3.58 E.R.A in 2008, transition to closer should go well for this power pitcher.

The San Francisco Giants have had a busy offseason, thus far.  They have bulked up their bullpen with the free agent signings of Jeremy Affeldt (from Reds) and Bob Howry (from Cubs) and strengthened an already formidable rotation with the signing of 5-time Cy Young Award Winner Randy Johnson (from rival Diamondbacks).  They have also upgraded in the middle infield and filled their void at SS with the signing of Edgar Renteria (from Tigers).  They are looking to upgrade their offense with one or two more big bats, preferably a third baseman. They have been rumored to have sincere interest in Manny Ramirez.  So that would be a big bat that would fill the giants void at cleanup and upgrade a dismal offense.  However, the signing of Ramirez in an already crowded outfield of Lewis, Rowand, and Winn, as well as the veteran Dave Roberts and unproven top prospect Nate Schierholtz.  So one of the five would have to be moved in order to sign Manny.  The other bat the Giants could and will most likely sign in the next week or two is third baseman Joe Crede, who hasn’t had too much interest because of his recent injuries and his agent is Scott Boras. However, the Giants have a need for third base and have a history with Scott Boras.  Manny Ramirez’s agent also is Scott Boras. My prediction is Giants will sign one of the two Boras guys: either 3B Joe Crede or LF Manny Ramirez.  And my other prediction is Giants are the favorite to finish first in the weak and inconsistent NL West, unless Dodgers sign Manny Ramirez. Ramirez is the key to first place in this weak division, whether it be the Giants or Dodgers, only time will tell.

Projected Lineup:

1 Randy Winn RF - .306 Avg. 10HR 64RBI’s  25 SB

2 Edgar Renteria SS- .270 Avg. 10HR 56RBI’s 4 SB

3 Pablo Sandoval 1B- .345 Avg. 3HR 25RBI’s w/Giants in 145 AB’s  (23 HR 120 RBI total in 2008)

4 Bengie Molina C- .292Avg. 16HR 95RBI’s

5 Joe Crede 3B- .250 Avg. 17HR 56 RBI’s

6 Fred Lewis LF- .282Avg. 9HR 40RBI 21 SB

7 Aaron Rowand CF- .271 Avg. 13HR 70RBI 2 SB

8 Emmanuel Burriss 2B- .282 Avg. 1HR 18RBI 13 SB

Projected Rotation:

SP1 Tim Lincecum - 18 Wins in 08′, 265 K’s, 2008 Cy Young Award Winner

SP2 Randy Johnson - 11 Wins in 08′, 5 Cy Young Awards

SP3 Matt Cain- 8 Wins in 08′, only 24 years old

SP4 Barry Zito- 10 Wins in 08′, 2002 Cy Young Award Winner

SP5 Jonathan Sanchez- 9 Wins in 08′, power lefty only 26 when 2009 season begins.

Closer Brian Wilson - 41 Saves in 08, 2008 All Star Nominee

 I remember writing a post back in October on “Manny Ramirez in Orange and Black?”. Well  I guess my instincts were right that the Giants have sincere interest in him and Manny Ramirez makes sense for the Giants in the short term.  I think a two or three year deal at about 40-60 million makes sense with a fourth year vesting team option to sweeten the deal for Manny.  And Scott Boras and Ramirez would probably have to bite at that kind of deal and it would turn the Giants into contenders rather than pretenders.  Signing Manny Ramirez would also allow the Giants and GM Brian Sabean to fill their void at cleanup and furthermore deal from a position of depth in their outfield, as is their starting rotation. So either outfielders Randy Winn (FA after 09′), Aaron Rowand, or even Dave Roberts (also FA after 09′) could be dangled to a team in need of some outfield help for the short-term and  free up salary for the Giants long term. Or the Giants can increase payroll for 09′ and keep the team intact as is.  The Giants could also package a deal of Jonathan Sanchez and outfield prospect Nate Schierholtz or outfielder Randy Winn for a big corner bat, such as Prince Fielder.  Or the Giants could just go to the via free agency route and sign third baseman Joe Crede, who the Giants have showed some interest in and he makes sense for the Giants on a low-risk, low cost one or two year deal based on his recent injuries. But when healthy, Crede is an all-star caliber third baseman with some pop in his bat, something the Giants need to their offense. So you add in All-Stars Manny Ramirez and Joe Crede to a lineup that ranked  in the bottom of the league and you got a bigger payroll for 09, but you also have a contender and you’re getting your money worth in those guys. There should be more sellouts with future Hall of Famers Randy Johnson, in search of his 300th win (only 5 away) and Manny Ramirez (MVP of the Dodgers in 08′ and MVP of Red Sox before that) and with rising stars like 2008 Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, the new face of the Franchise and rookie sensation Pablo Sandoval, a young 22-year old corner infielder with some pop in that bat and can play three positions.  So the Giants fans have something to look forward to in 09′ if Giants add a couple more pieces and faces to this already talented bunch.  This will also allow Sabean some flexibility in the trade market and allow the Giants to contend now in 09′ and have financial flexibility for the future and it allows them to develop their younger prospects that are on the rise, such as pitchers Madison Bumgarner,  Tim Alderson, Kevin Pucetas and catcher Buster Posey.   And their should be about 29 million in payroll coming off the Giants book after the 2009 season.  So for now the Giants are in great position to strike forward and sign a couple bats or can stand pat with the team and roster intact right now and build for the future and still contend with a strong rotation and bullpen in this very weak and inconsistent NL West.