NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

The N.L. Central figures to be competitive, as well, but not in the same manner as its Western Division foes. Here's a quick look at each of the six N.L. Central teams:

1. CHICAGO CUBS

The Cubs boast one of the league's most aggressive hitting line-ups, and it starts at the top with Alfonso Soriano. Finding a consistent hitter in the two-slot will be an adventure again for skipper Lou Piniella. The middle of the line-up figures to have a little more balance than last year as they've added lefty Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome, who will take over in right field. Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez will have to rebound from "off" years, and Geovani Soto and Mark DeRosa are quietly underrated and undervalued in this offense.

The pitching will once again be the Cubs strong point. The front end of the rotation is one of the best with Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly. Rich Hill is only going to get better. But there are some question marks at the back end. Ryan Dempster, Jason Marquis and Sean Marshall will all battle it out for the last two slots. The bullpen doesn't have a clear cut closer anymore with Dempster battling for a rotation spot, but a trio of Kerry Wood, Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol still makes the top of this bullpen very formidable, so long as they can all stay healthy.

The Cubs should win this division, but they will have competition.

2. MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The Brewers, like the Cubs, will be relying on the long ball. The bulk of the power is in the infield with Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy and Ryan Braun. Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks provide the stolen base threats, but Hart will be in the middle of the lineup rather than towards the top with Weeks. There is also still a question of whether Bill Hall will be moved to 3B from CF in order to allow Braun to shift into the OF.

The rotation is bundled with a lot of depth, but also a lot of "ifs", and the two biggest "ifs" are Ben Sheets and Chris Capuano's health. Another "if" is whether rookie Yovani Gallardo is as good as he appeared last season. The only consistency here is Jeff Suppan, who is almost automatic for 200 innings and rarely visits the DL. The bullpen will only be as good as new closer Eric Gagne, and the Brewers are hopeful he'll return to the form he showed in Texas in the first half of last year, and not his disastrous stay in Boston in the second half. Derrick Turnbow, David Riske and Solomon Torres give the Brewers some bullpen depth, as long as Gagne is healthy and effective.

The Brewers will battle the Cubs for the division, but ultimately, the Cubs pitching will be too much to overcome.

3. CINCINNATI REDS

The Reds could be the surprise team in this division. Their lineup is as balanced and as deep as any in the N.L. The Reds are capable of beating you with small ball, or the long ball. Ryan Freel inherits the everyday job in center field after trading Josh Hamilton to Texas, and will lead off. The middle of the lineup features Ken Griffey, Brandon Phillips, Adam Dunn and Edwin Encarnacion. And the Reds are very high on rookie sensation Joey Votto at first base.

The rotation might be as good as any in the N.L., as well, with Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo and Homer Bailey forming a nice 1-2-3. Edinson Volquez, acquired from Texas in the Hamilton deal, will likely get one of the other two rotation spots, along with Matt Belisle. The back end of the bullpen is deep with the addition of closer Francisco Cordero, allowing David Weathers to return to a set-up guy. And Jared Burton might be one of the better seventh inning guys in the league. However, unless the starters can get to those guys, the rest of the bullpen is very average, very hittable, and very beatable.

The rotation and lineup will keep the Reds afloat, but in the end, the bullpen will be the thorn in new manager Dusty Baker's side, and the Reds will fall short behind Chicago and Milwaukee.

4. HOUSTON ASTROS

Like the others in this division, the Astros lineup is loaded. In fact, this lineup might have the best offense outside of Colorado. New additions Michael Bourn and Kaz Matsui give the Astros some much needed speed at the top of the lineup. The middle of the lineup could be the deepest in the league with Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence and Miguel Tejada. Ty Wigginton could also be a sleeper in this lineup in the seventh spot.

After ace Roy Oswalt, the Astros rotation is a mess. Woody Williams had an awful 2007, Brandon Backe is coming off Tommy John surgery (2005), Wandy Rodriguez is rarely consistent and Chris Sampson can't seem to stay in the rotation at all. But if those four guys can turn all that around, the Astros might have a distant shot. The bullpen isn't much different. They acquired Jose Valverde, last season's Major League saves leader, to close out their games. But after Valverde, there isn't much depth. Doug Brocail and Mark McLemore will be the primary set-up guys, and Oscar Villarreal will gets some looks, as well, but really, this pitching staff isn't anything special beyond Oswalt and Valverde.

The Astros will score a ton of runs, but in games Oswalt isn't starting, they'll also give up a ton.

5. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

The Cards break the trend set by the first four teams in the division. There are more questions in this lineup than in the others. Albert Pujols, slowed at times last year because of nagging injuries, didn't have an Albert Pujols-type season in 2007, and comes into this season with health concerns, starting with his elbow. Rick Ankiel takes over in center field after the Cards sent fan favorite, but aging and hurting, Jim Edmonds to San Diego. They did manage to upgrade offensively at third base, swapping Scott Rolen for Troy Glaus. However, Glaus isn't the same with the glove as Rolen. Chris Duncan returns in left field, as well. The rest of lineup is average at best.

The Cards also have a lot of rotation questions. Adam Wainwright is now the ace of the staff after a very good 2007, but the health of Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder will be the key for the Cards. If they can return to some form of their old selves, the Cards could make a little noise. The back end of the rotation isn't much with Joel Pineiro and Matt Clement. The bullpen isn't all that bad though. In fact, it returns almost in its entirety with Jason Isringhausen anchoring the staff. Ryan Franklin and Russ Springer figure to get the bulk of the setup roles.

The Cards have too many "ifs" in both their lineup and pitching staff to be serious contenders.

6. PITTSBURGH PIRATES

The Bucs continue to have a stronghold on last place in the division. Their lineup does feature a lot of guys who can hit, but not consistently for power. Jack Wilson, Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche and Freddy Sanchez are all very good hitters, but only Bay and LaRoche can consistently put up power numbers if they choose. Xavier Nady, Ronny Paulino and Jose Bautista give the lineup some balance throughout and at the bottom, and Ryan Doumit or Nate McClouth add some more depth off the bench.

The rotation isn't very overpowering, but there are some bright spots here. Tom Gorzelanny, Ian Snell and Zack Duke are all good young pitchers, and Snell, the ace of the staff, should have no problems getting 200 strikeouts. Matt Morris also gives them a veteran presence, and should be good for 200 innings. The bullpen can be very good, especially if they're given a lead to work with. Matt Capps is a very formidable but virtually unknown closer, and Damaso Marte and John Grabow are solid set-up guys, although only Capps has overpowering stuff.

The Pirates figure to score a few runs, and the rotation will only get better with age, but this team is nowhere near ready to compete with the rest of the division.

Coming up soon, the National League East!

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

We start here because, well, it's what I'm most familiar with, and, it might arguably be the best and most competitive division in all of baseball. Last year, four of the five teams finished with above .500 winning percentages, the first time that has happened under the current division format. Colorado, who remained competitive enough throughout the bulk of the season to hang around, made a miraculous run at the end of the season and well into the playoffs, only to have it come to an abrupt end in the World Series against Boston. Arizona, despite having scored fewer runs than they allowed during the regular season, won the division over Colorado and San Diego, who lost a one-game playoff to Colorado for the Wild Card. The Dodgers were never consistent enough to make a real hard push, and finished in fourth, eight games back, despite finishing above .500. So where does that leave these teams for 2008? Pretty much in the same boat as last season. 2008 should be no different.

1. LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The Dodgers were able to address two needs without having to give up any of their young kids: a power-hitter in the middle of the lineup, and rotation depth. After Grady Little resigned as the manager, the Dodgers made a quick move to snatch up free agent manager Joe Torre, who walked away from the Yankees two weeks earlier. They then signed Andruw Jones to a two-year deal, and not long after, landed Japanese import, Hiroki Kuroda, and inked him for three years.

The Dodgers still have question marks, but it's not because they still have holes to fill. Jones' signing displaces Juan Pierre over to left, but Andre Ethier should be the everyday left-fielder, and Andy LaRoche should be the everyday third baseman over Nomar Garciaparra. Jeff Kent returns for another season at second, and Russell Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal fill out Torre's lineup card. If Loney and Kemp can stretch out what they did in 3/4 of a season in 2007 over a full season in 2008, and if Jones can revert back to himself after a disastrous final season in Atlanta, the Dodger lineup should be in good shape, and could boast six players with at least 20+ home runs, where they had only one in 2007.

The pitching staff won't change much from 2007, so it should still be very good. Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley all return as the 1-2-3 starters, although Billingsley has quickly emereged as the ace of the staff. Kuroda comes in to be the fourth starter and either Jason Schmidt, if he's healthy, or Esteban Loaiza will round out the rotation. Anchored by closer Takashi Saito, Jonathan Broxton, Joe Beimel, Scott Proctor and Rudy Seanez all return to form one of the game's best bullpens.

The Dodgers arguably have the most talent, the best balanced lineup, the most depth offensively, and the most complete and balanced pitching staff from top to bottom in the division. That should be enough for the Dodgers to win the West.

2. COLORADO ROCKIES

The Rockies were rather quiet in the off-season, though they lost one of their starters, Josh Fogg, from last year's World Series team. But 2007 was no fluke. The Rockies can hit, and now, they've got pitchers who have learned to and have mastered how to pitch in hitter-friendly Coors Field.

The offense is anchored by MVP runner-up Matt Holliday and veteran Todd Helton. While Helton doesn't boast the kind of power he once did, he is still a very good hitter. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has emerged as one of the game's best young shortstops, and Garrett Atkins has solidified himself as one of the game's best third basemen. Rookie phenom Ian Stewart will get some looks at second base, and Brad Hawpe returns to right field. Willie Taveras gives the Rockies some speed at the top of the lineup.

The rotation is anchored by stud, Jeff Francis, and veteran Aaron Cook. But three "rookies" round out the rotation, and that might prove to be the fatal blow in the Rockies chances to get back to the World Series, let alone the playoffs, especially from this division. Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales and Jason Hirsch are all power pitchers, but they're relatively inexperienced aside from last year's run. The bullpen, like the others in this division, is very good. Closer Manny Corpas will resume his role after displacing Brian Fuentes, now his set-up guy. Ryan Speier, Jose Vizcaino and Matt Herges round out the rotation.

This team can hit, and score runs, in bunches. They have one the games smartest pitchers in Francis, and a solid pen, but the experience, or lack of it, at the back end of the rotation will be a key factor in whether they can repeat last year.

3. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Brandon Webb and Dan Haren. That's all that needs to be said about this team. They form what might be the best 1-2 punch in any rotation since Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson anchored this rotation in the late 90s, early 2000s. And its because of this duo that many people are picking Arizona to repeat as division champs. But they have their own issues that need to be addressed.

The Arizona offense was one of the worst in baseball last year. They won the division having scored fewer runs than they allowed. And they didn't really address their need to get more offense. That's because they feel the missing pieces are already there. Eric Byrnes was their best hitter last year, but now they are counting on youngsters Stephen Drew, B.J. Upton, Chris Young and Mark Reynolds, and young veteran Conor Jackson to step up and provide the additional offense. And they can, and they might. But it's going to be an uphill battle. A healthy Orlando Hudson also helps. If they don't find a way to score more runs, they will waste some very good pitching.

Behind Webb and Haren, the rotation includes Doug Davis and Micah Owings. They're good, but not great or spectacular, although Owings does bring another bat to the lineup every fifth day. If he's healthy, Randy Johnson can still pile up the strikeouts, although he's not really over-powering anymore. Tony Pena becomes the closer after Jose Valverde was dealt to Houston. Brandon Lyon and Juan Cruz add some depth in the rotation should Pena falter as the closer.

If Arizona intends to repeat, they can't repeat. The offense needs to score more runs. If they do, they should earn a playoff spot, if they don't they're watching the playoffs on TV come October.

4. SAN DIEGO PADRES

The Padres are pretty much in the same situation as Arizona, very good pitching, but very little offense. They, too, didn't do much to address this need, although they did trade for center fielder Jim Edmonds and sign second baseman Tadahito Iguchi.

The offense is anchored by veteran Brian Giles, no longer a home run hitter thanks to spacious PETCO Park, but still a home run threat. Giles, however, will take on a new role as the everyday leadoff hitter. Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Khalil Greene give the Padres some hope offensively, but it won't be enough. The Padres need to build their team to fit PETCO Park, and right now, this offense isn't built that way.

The rotation behind Jake Peavy has become very iffy. Chris Young was spectacular for half a season, and then injuries took over and he became ineffective and average, although he still managed to keep his ERA down. Greg Maddux still knows how to pitch at age 42. Randy Wolf and Glendon Rusch fill out the rotation, assuming either stays healthy. Mark Prior was also brought in as a free agent, but he can't be relied on given his history of injuries. Prior will be brought along slowly and should find a spot on the staff by June. The bullpen is probably the best and deepest in baseball. Trevor Hoffman returns for yet another season as the closer, and Joe Thatcher, Heath Bell, Cla Meredith and Kevin Cameron round out the game's best bullpen.

San Diego, like Arizona, needs to find a way to score more runs. The pitching is probably one of the best overall in baseball, from Peavy, to the sixth or seventh guy out of the pen, but if they don't find a way to score runs, the pitching will go to waste.

5. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

The Giants are a lost cause in this division. Barry Bonds is no longer around to keep the offense afloat, but there are some positives in other areas.

With Bonds gone, the Giants were desperate to find some offense in a very thin free agency market, and found Aaron Rowand. Rowand is no Bonds, and moving from hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park in Philly, the games best park for hitters, to pitcher-friendly AT&T Park in San Francisco, isn't going to help Rowand's production. The offense then will be revolved around the speed in the lineup, from leadoff hitter Dave Roberts down to Omar Vizquel. Bengie Molina now takes over as the cleanup hitter with Rowand expected to hit fifth. Ray Durham, Rich Aurilia and Randy Winn also return to round out Bruce Bochy's lineup card.

The strength of the Giants is their rotation. Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are two of the game's best young pitchers, and will only get better. Barry Zito rebounded from a poor start in 2007 and finished strong. Noah Lowry and Kevin Correia round out an impressive rotation for a pretty bad team. The bullpen should get some consistency out of Brian Wilson and Tyler Walker as the closer and setup man. The pen lost 33 games last year, and they hope Wilson and Walker can help avoid that again in 2008. Brad Hennessey, Vinnie Chulk and Randy Messenger provide their pen depth.

The Giants are penciled in for last place across the board. Their is a lot of promise in the rotation, but the lineup still looks old. Rowand really isn't the answer here offensively, but then again, post-Bonds, who is?

Coming up soon, the National League Central.

Random Info...

As you can see, I've been playing around with widgets for this blog. I've looked and looked and looked for decent scoreboard and standings widgets for baseball. The best I could find was through ESPN. But as you can see, they don't completely fit on the sidebar. And unfortunately, MLB.com doesn't have any official widgets yet. I'm hoping to find something along the lines of the NBA widgets found on NBA.com. But until then, bear with the ESPN widgets. I also, unfortunately, don't know how to make widgets either.

I'm also getting ready to launch a new blog specifically for my Second Annual Baseball Projections/Predictions. I was originally going to post them here, but I figured a new blog would be better. So, as soon as I have it launched, I'll post the link here. It should be sometime today.

Rumors Before Camp

UPDATE (3:03pm CT): Well, that was quick! ESPN's Jerry Crasnick is reporting the Dodgers are now close to re-signing Mark Sweeney to a one-year deal.

**********
It looks like Tony Clark is headed to San Diego. The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting only "details" remain on what appears to be a one-year deal, and that an announcement could come in a day or two. Clark would be the primary power lefty (even though he is a switch hitter) off the bench for the Padres and would also spell Adrian Gonzalez at first from time to time. Looks like the Dodgers will have to turn their focus back to Mark Sweeney (which is fine with me).

And here's an interesting one involving the Dodgers. According to the Denver Post, the Dodgers and Oakland have discussed Joe Blanton again (remember the two teams made a last ditch effort before last season's July 31st trade deadline to make a deal for Blanton). However, Billy Beane reportedly wants Andre Ethier (whom Beane traded to the Dodgers two years ago for Milton Bradley), Andy LaRoche and a high level prospect. First, I can't imagine the Dodgers making this deal now as Ethier should be the everyday left fielder over Juan Pierre and LaRoche should be the Dodgers third baseman over Nomar, and second, who knows how accurate this report might be considering it came from Denver rather than Oakland or L.A.

The Quiet Front About to Get Noisier...

Why do I say that, you ask? Well, there hasn't been much to report over the last several weeks in Dodger-land. But to follow-up on a couple of items I mentioned earlier in the off-season, the Dodgers have re-signed reliever Rudy Seanez to a non-guaranteed contract, which basically means he has to earn his spot on the roster again. That shouldn't be much of a problem after the season he had last year. The Dodgers also remain very interested in Mark Sweeney and Tony Clark as the primary lefty off the bench, although reports over the last day or two suggest Clark could be headed to San Diego. Stay tuned.

But the best news of all is spring training is only days away! That's right, folks! Pitchers and catchers report in less than FIVE days. And for me, that means it's nearing the time of year where I start making my projections for the upcoming season, including how the divisions and playoffs could play out, who the all-stars might be and who has the best shot at being named the end-of-the-year award winners. Over the next month or so throughout spring training, come back here for analysis on each division, possible all-stars and award winners. There will be a total of eight installments, all free of charge for your pure enjoyment! Until then, keeps those timers countin' down 'til pitchers and catcher report next Wednesday!