2005 Record: .611 (99-63), World Series Champs

2004 Record: .512 (83-79)

Who’s Out: Geoff Blum (3B), Carl Everett (DH), Frank Thomas (DH), Chris Widger (C), Aaron Rowand (OF), Orlando Hernandez (P)

Who’s In: Javier Vazquez (P), Jim Thome (DH), Rob Mackwiak (OF), Travis Hinton (1B)

Notes: Cynics may attribute Chicago’s amazing rise to the World Series to a streak of incredible luck, but one need look no further than their pitching to see the truth behind their success. In hopes of repeating last year’s accomplishments, the Sox did very little in the way of changes this winter, keeping the basic core of the team the same. Their pitching lineup still boasts Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, John Garland and Jose Contreras, and they’ve added Javier Vasquez in place of El Duque. Offensively, they swapped Aaron Rowand for the oft-injured but very powerful Jim Thome, which, so long as Thome can keep his joints and bones in order (as DH rather than position player he should be ok), should add some home-run power to the speedy Sox lineup. They may not be World Champs again in 2006, but Ozzie and his gang will come out on top of their division at the very least.

Next Up: St Louis Cardinals

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .586 (95-67), AL East Champs

2004 Record: .605 (101-61), AL East Champs

Who’s Out: John Flaherty (C), Ruben Sierra (OF/DH), Mark Bellhorn (INF), Kevin Brown (P), Alan Embree (P), Tom Gordon (P), Al Leiter (P), Matt Lawton (OF), Tino Martinez (1B), Felix Rodriguez (P)

Who’s In: Johnny Damon (CF), Mike Myers (P), Kyle Farnsworth (P), Octavio Dotel (P), Miguel Cairo (INF), Kelly Stinnett (C)

Notes: With Bernie Williams heading towards the end of his career, the main concern for the Yanks was to sign an all-star outfielder; the answer was Johnny Damon. They signed Bernie to a 1-year deal as a 4^th outfielder and DH, which at $1.5 million could prove to be a steal of a deal for the Yanks. Tom Gordon moved on to the Phillies for a closing gig, so Kyle Farnsworth of the Braves and Octavio Dotel (of the Tommy John Surgery) were signed for bullpen duty. On the coaching side, skipper Joe Torre signed a deal to stay with the Yanks for at least the 2006 season and possibly the 2007 season, Ron “Gator” Guidry was brought in as the new pitching coach, and the very competent Lee Mazilli (ex- manager of the Orioles) was drafted to be Torre’s bench coach. Barring an unfortunate meteorite crashing into the Yankees’ infield, it looks like the Yankees will be near the top of the AL East yet again in 2006.

Next Up: Chicago White Sox

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .586 (95-67), 2^nd place in AL East, AL Wildcard

2004 Record: .605 (98-64), 2^nd place in AL East, AL Wildcard

Who’s Out: Johnny Damon (CF), Chad Bradford (P), Chard Harville (P), Kevin Millar (1B), Wade Miller (P), Bill Mueller (3B), Mike Myers (P), Bronson Arroyo (P), Edgar Renteria (SS)

Who’s In: Mike Lowell (3B), Josh Beckett (P), Coco Crisp (OF), Mark Loretta (2B), Alex Gonzalez (SS), Rudy Seanez (P), JT Snow (1B), Julian Tavarez (P), Andy Marte (3B), David Riske (P)

Notes: The biggest blow to the Bosox this off-season was Damon’s move to NY, which will cost the Sox both speed and leadership. They replaced him with Coco Crisp, though, who had one of the best years of his career in 2005 and will likely prove to be very productive for the Sox. Boston’s pitching looks to be their forte this year, with Beckett in the starting rotation and Schilling, who is expected to rebound from last year’s downswing. They also added Tavarez and Riske to the bullpen for some stability, and the home-grown Jonathan Papelbon—who was 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA—is talented enough to be the star of the Boston pen.

Next Up: New York Yankees

Labels: 2006 team profiles

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .574 (93-69), 2^nd in AL Central

2004 Record: .494 (80-82)

Who’s Out: Scott Elarton (P), Bob Howry (P), Kevin Millwood (P), Coco Crisp (OF), Scott Elarton (P), Arthur Rhodes (P), David Riske (P), Josh Bard (C), Jose Hernandez (P), Juan Gonzalez (OF), Sean Douglass (P)

Who’s In: Paul Byrd (P), Jason Johnson (P), Lou Merloni (3B), Guillermo Mota (P), Jason Michaels (OF), Eduardo Perez (1B), Andy Marte (3B), Kelly Shoppach (C), Steve Karsay (P), Danny Graves (P), Einar Diaz (C), Todd Hollandsworth (OF)

Notes: The Tribe was in the wild-card race right up through the last weekend of the 2005 season, and although they fell short they proved that they are a resilient ball club with World Series dreams. They had to give up payroll-suckers Kevin Millwood and Bobby Howry and weren’t able to add Trevor Hoffman or Nomar Garciaparra this winter, but the Indians still have a few tricks up their sleeve that could propel them to the post-season. They have Sabathia, Lee, and Westbrook—25, 27, and 28 years old respectively—in their starting rotation, and Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta are both under 24. Cleveland may not have the biggest stars, but they have young pitchers and rising talent in Sizemore and Franklin Gutierrez. Expect the Tribe to be in playoff contention right up through October again this year—though I don’t envision them making it to the playoffs just yet.

Next Up: LA Angels (of Anaheim)

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .556 (90-72), 1^st place in NL Central

2004 Record: .593 (96-66), 1^st place in NL Central

Who’s Out: Kyle Farnsworth (P), Julio Franco (1B), Rafael Furcal (SS), Leo Mazzone (Pitching Coach)

Who’s In: Todd Pratt (C), Edgar Renteria (SS), Lance Cormier (P)

Notes: The Braves are accustomed to cruising into the post-season without much struggle, but that will likely not be the case this year. Their pitching is barely a shade of what it was last year: Mike Hampton will be out recovering from Tommy John surgery, probably for the entire season, and Tim Hudson has been injured several times in the past couple seasons and cannot be counted on as a “sure thing”. The loss of Kyle Farnsworth left a gaping hole in the bullpen, so the Braves are going to need to make some serious pitching moves to continue to compete with the red-hot NL Eastern Division. The Mets have made enough improvements to give the Braves a serious run for their money, and if the Braves want to make it to the post-season they will probably have to aim for the wild card this year.

Next Up: Cleveland Indians

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .549 (89-73), 2^nd place in NL Central, National League Champions

2004 Record: .568 (92-70)

Who’s Out: Jose Vizcaino (P), Charles Gipson (OF), Mike Burns (P)

Who’s In: Preston Wilson (LF), Raul Chavez (C), Trever Miller (P), Danny Klassen (INF), David Borkowski (P), Steve Sparks (P), Eric Munson (INF), Kevin Orie (INF)

Notes: The Astros made precious few changes to their club since getting swept by the white-hot White Sox in the 2005 World Series, leaving essentially the same team to take another stab at a World Series title. Like last year, there is likely to be a lot of pressure on their pitching to shut down their opponents’ offense; Astros offense did not offer much in run support in 2005 and it is not likely that they will give much more this year. Jeff Bagwell’s shoulder injury has knocked him out of the lineup—possibly for the whole season; he could even be done for good—, and Berkman had surgery to repair his knee over the winter, leaving his offensive potential for the season in question. Overall, fans can probably expect the Astros to finish behind the Cardinals again in the NLC, but a Clemens return could propel them to another wild card post-season spot.

Next Up: Atlanta Braves

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .543 (88-74), 2^nd place in NL East

2004 Record: .531 (86-76)

Who’s Out: Kenny Lofton (OF), Todd Pratt (C), Billy Wagner (P), Robinson Tejeda (P), Ugueth Urbinad (P), Tim Worrell (P), Pedro Liriano (P), Ramon Martinez (INF), Endy Chavez (OF), Michael Tucker (OF), Jim Thome

Who’s In: Tom Gordon (P), Ryan Franklin (P), Abraham Nunez (OF), Alex Gonzalez (3B), Arthur Rhodes (P), Julio Santana (P), Sal Fasano (C), David Dellucci (OF), Aaron Rowand (OF)

Notes: The Phillies have been making post-season runs for the past several years, winning 86 games in ’01, ’02, ’03, and ’04. Last year, they won 88 games and were in the NL Wild Card race right up to the bitter end, but ended up missing the playoffs for the 12^th consecutive year. A 12^th playoff-less year seemed to push the Phillies over the edge, as they kicked GM Ed Wade to the curb in favor of post-season veteran GM Pat Gillick, who won back-to-back World Series titles with the Blue Jays in the early nineties. Gillick is a respected front office manager who has a reputation for putting together key trades at key moments.

Billy Wagner’s move to New York could have been devastating to the team, but the Phillies moved quickly and locked up Tom Gordon and signed Arthur Rhodes for relief duty. Gillick wisely traded injury-prone Jim Thome for Aaron Rowand and 2 White Sox pitching prospects (a steal of a deal for the Phillies—were the Sox confused as to who Thome was?) and will use young Ryan Howard at first base. The Phillies didn’t make any truly blockbuster trades, and they could have benefited from a starting pitcher to support Jon Lieber, Brett Myers, and Cory Lidle, but with the slim free-agent market they were unable to capitalize. Regardless, their roster still includes Abreu, Utley, Burrell, and Rollins behind the plate and near-superstar Jon Lieber at the mound, so it is certainly within the realm of possibility that 2006 could be the Phils year.

Next Up: Houston Astros

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .543 (88-74), 2^nd place in AL West

2004 Record: .562 (91-71)

Who’s Out: Octavio Dotel (P), Scott Hatteberg (1B), Ricardo Rincon (P), Juan Cruz (P), Freddie Bynum (INF), John Rheinecker (P), Ramon Alvardo (OF), Alberto Castillo (C), Erubiel Durazo (DH), Scott Hatteberg (1B)

Who’s In: Esteban Loaiza (P), Frank Thomas (DH), Milton Bradley (OF), Brad Halsey (P), Juan Dominguez (P), Kazuhito Tadano (P), Chad Gaudin (P), Antonio Perez (3B), Matt Roney (P)

Notes: The A’s came thisclose to making it to the post-season last year, surrendering the AL West spot to the Angels by just a few games despite having the best defense in the MLB and ranking 4^th in the AL in ERA. As soon as the season ended, though, they went about their business acquiring more young players in hopes of an October finish in 2006. They added injury-prone potential superstar Milton Bradley to their outfield and solid starting pitcher Esteban Loaiza to their rotation, and got a steal of a deal on veteran power-hitter Frank Thomas ($500,000 for a year’s service from one of the most prolific hitters in recent history?! Yes, please!). They also boast one of the youngest lineups in the MLB: each player in their starting infield is younger than 29. Having such a young team does pose a potential instability threat as they get used to their positions and pro pitching, but by all accounts the AL West division is theirs to lose this year.

Next Up: Philadelphia Phillies

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .512 (83-79), 4^th place in NL East

2004 Record: .438 (71-91)

Who’s Out: Marlon Anderson (2B), Miguel Cairo (2B), Roberto Hernandez (P), Braden Looper (P), Doug Mientkiewitcz (1B), Mike Piazza (C), Kris Benson (P), Mike Cameron (OF), Mike Jacobs (1B), Jae Seo (P)

Who’s In: Chad Bradford (P), Julio Franco (1B), Jose Lima (P), Jose Valentin (P), Billy Wagner (P), Carlos Delgado (1B), Duaner Sanchez (P), Xavier Nady (OF), Pedro Feliciano (P), Darren Oliver (P), Paul Lo Duca (C)

Notes: The Mets are on a mission. General Manager Omar Minaya has been stocking up the roster with a beautiful balance of home-grown talent (David Wright, Jose Reyes) and big-name superstars (Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran), and he also has a knack for finding talented players that manage to fly under the radar (Xavier Nady, Duaner Sanchez) and using them to fill in gaps in the lineup. This year’s additions of Nady, Lo Duca, Wager, Delgado and Sanchez have given the Mets the edge they needed to climb on top of perennial NL East-dominators Atlanta, and they definitely have what it takes to head to the post-season. Subway series, anyone?

Next Up: Oakland A’s

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .512 (83-79), 3^rd place in NL East

2004 Record: .512 (83-79)

Who’s Out: A.J. Burnett (P), Jeff Conine (OF), Damion Easley (SS), Juan Encarnacion (OF), Alex Gonzalez (SS), Todd Jones (P), Paul Quantrill (P), Paul Lo Duca (C), Carlos Delgado (1B), Ron Villone (P), Juan Pierre (OF), Luis Castillo (2B)

Who’s In: Alfredo Amezaga (SS), Joe Borowski (P), Wes Helms (3B), Miguel Olivo (C), Mike Jacobs (1B), Reggie Abercrombie (OF), Randy Messenger (P), Scott Tyler (P), Renyel Pinto (P), Franklyn German (P)

Notes: For the second time in a decade the Marlins all but gutted their team, sending off big namers like Delgado, Encarnacion and Castillo in favor of cheap young blood and cash savings. The Marlins are looking toward the future and are spending their time breeding their future stars—kids that, with any luck, will be playing for the Marlins in a different city and new stadium a few years from now. Aside from rookies like Mike Jacobs and Reggie Abercrombie, the Marlins have also secured some of the top potential stars from the draft pool: last June they drafted eight of the top 96 high school and college players. No one expects the Marlins to have a repeat of either of their World Series seasons this year (least of all the Marlins themselves), but if they do a good job training their young players they could realistically have an incredible team in just a few short years.

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .512 (83-79), 3^rd place in AL Central

2004 Record: .568 (92-70), AL Central Division Champ

Who’s Out: Bret Boone (2B), Jacque Jones (OF), Matthew LeCroy (1B), Joe Mays (P), JC Romero (P)

Who’s In: Tony Batista (3B), Ruben Sierra (OF/DH), Rondell White (OF), Luis Castillo (2B)

Notes: The Twins made very few moves during the off-season, and I have a feeling that their record will reflect that. They have a solid team, there’s no doubt about that (the addition of Batista and Castillo can’t hurt), but it is unlikely that they will be able to surpass division rivals Cleveland or Chicago. The Twins’ offense has the potential to be dominating, and their defense is tight, but their pitching staff has not been able to pull together to shut out opposing batters (despite their obvious talent). Minnesota will finish 2006 a few games behind Cleveland again, and will probably rue the day they lost power-hitting Jones and relief-master Romero.

Next Up: Florida Marlins

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .506 (82-80), NL West Division Champs

2004 Record: .537 (87-75)

Who’s Out: Xavier Nady (OF/INF), Ramon Hernandez (C), Robert Fick (C), Chris Hammond (P), Damian Jackson (2B), Joe Randa (3B), Mark Sweeny (1B), Rudy Seanez (P), Akinori Otsuka (P), Adam Eaton (P)

Who’s In: Mike Cameron (OF), Mike Piazza (C), Geoff Blum (INF), Mark Bellhorn (3B), Doug Brocail (P), Alan Embree (P), Shawn Estes (P), Terrmel Sledge (OF), Chris Young (P), Adrian Gonzalez (1B), Scott Cassidy (P), Clay Hensley (P), Josh Barfield (INF), Ben Johnson (OF)

Notes: Last year the Padres won their division based on their opponents’ weakness. They had a decent team and were able to cruise into the playoffs, but once there it was clear that they were severely outmatched. This year, though, the Friars are prepared to beat not only their NL West compadres but the rest of the NL. They locked up closer extraordinaire Trevor Hoffman and brought defensive star Mike Cameron over from New York this winter, and they’ve brought up some young stars from the minors to fill out the roster. Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Barfield and Ben Johnson have made a big impact on the team, and there’s nothing better than a young core to carry you to the post-season.

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .500 (81-81), last place in NL East

2004 Record: .414 (67-95) [in Montreal]

Who’s Out: Gary Bennett (C), Hector Carrasco (P), Deivi Cruz (2B), Esteban Loaiza (P), Junior Spivey (2B), Preston Wilson (CF), Brad Wilkerson (OF, 1B), Vinny Castilla (3B), Terrmel Sledge (OF)

Who’s In: Marlon Anderson (2B), Robert Fick (C), Damian Jackson (2B), Matthew LeCroy (INF), Ramon Ortiz (P), Felix Rodriguez (P), Mike Stanton (P), Michael Tucker (P), Alfonso Soriano (2B), Brian Lawrence (P), Royce Clayton (1B)

Notes: The Nationals had a roller coaster year in 2005. They packed up and moved from the Great White North down to D.C. before the season began and had the tough goal of establishing themselves in a new city and as a contender in the cutthroat NL East. They had a great first half, inexplicably followed by an abysmal second half of the season and finished 2005 right at 2005. This year, the Nats intend on being more stable and have added some big names to their roster (despite their low payroll) in Lawrence, LeCroy, and Soriano (who is doing quite well in left field in spite of his fussing). They also offered extended contracts to veterans like Nick Johnson, Tony Armas, and Brian Schneider.

The Nationals actually look pretty good this year, but they have a lot of obstacles to overcome before they will really be a threat. They would benefit from a new stadium and increased payroll—and an owner!

Next Up: San Diego Padres

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .500 (81-81), 3^rd place in NL Central

2004 Record: .416 (67-84)

Who’s Out: Wes Helms (3B), Chad Moeller (C), Julio Santana (P), Gary Glover (P), Lyle Overbay (1B), Russ Branyan (INF)

Who’s In: Corey Koskie (3B), Dave Bush (P), Zack Jackson (P), Brent Abernathy (3B), Brian Dallimore (INF), Gabe Gross (OF)

Notes: Last year’s .500 record was the Brewer’s first non-losing season since 1992, and they are in no hurry to go back to the losing side of the fence. They are hoping to improve on their 2005 record, and will be wearing their 1987 jerseys (they had a winning season that year) every Sunday, perhaps in hopes that the jersey will rekindle some sort of winning spirit in the players. They have their eye on the future and have a good group of potential stars developing in the minors; they also made some trades for young players like Gross and added power with Koskie. The Brewers’ pitching is where they’ll shine, though: when Ben Sheets is healthy he is completely dominating, Chris Capuano had 18 wins last year, and Doug Davis has been steady. In the bullpen they have De La Rosa and Turnbrow, as well as Cappellan, their 24-year-old reliever.

As I see it, the Brewers are a winning team no matter what their record. They are the only team in the majors (or any sport, as far as I know) that has a giant slide in the outfield for their mascot to slide down in the event of a home run, and they should be proud of that.

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .494 (80-82), 3^rd place in AL East

2004 Record: .416 (67-94)

Who’s Out: Corey Koskie (3B), Orlando Hudson (2B)

Who’s In: A.J. Burnett (P), Bengie Molina (C), B.J. Ryan (P), Jason Phillips (C), Brian Wolfe (P), Troy Glaus (3B), Lyle Overbay (1B)

Notes: Toronto spent a lot of money this off-season (owners Rogers Communications Inc. increased payroll by $210 million over the next three seasons), and they’re hoping that 2006 will be the year that the Jays make their presence known again in the AL East. The pitching staff, both the starting rotation and the bullpen, is loaded with talent new and old. They also added run-scoring power at the plate with Overbay and Glaus, and of course they still have Hillenbrand’s and Wells’ longball bats.

The Jays have put together an impressive team with the increased payroll, but one area that could prove to be an issue is their infield defense. After losing Gold Glove second baseman Orlando Hudson in the Glaus deal, last year’s third baseman Aaron Hill will be moving to the second base post and whether the transition will be a smooth one remains to be seen. Shortstop Russ Adams committed 26 errors last season, and new third baseman Glaus is a career .945 fielder. Burnett, Roy Halladay and Josh Towers all tend to be ground-ball pitchers, so the infield defense—or lack thereof—could cause some trouble.

Regardless of any potential defensive problems, the Blue Jays look good for 2006. Luckily for them, Boston is in a rebuilding phase, giving the Jays the perfect opportunity to make a run for the playoffs.

Next up: Milwaukee Brewers

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .488 (79-83), 4^th place in NL Central

2004 Record: .549 (89-73)

Who’s Out: Jeromy Burnitz (OF), Nomar Garciaparra (INF), Chad Fox (P), Corey Patterson (OF), Todd Wellemeyer (P)

Who’s In: Scott Eyre (P), Bob Howry (P), Jacque Jones (OF), John Mabry (OF), Wade Miller (P), Nate Spears (INF), Carlos Perez (P), Lincoln Holdzkom (P), Zach McCormack (P)

Notes: The Cubs made an effort to improve this winter, but I honestly don’t anticipate much increase in wins or runs scored. Jones and Pierre are both good players, but neither is a huge upgrade over Burnitz. Eyre and Howry are good additions to the bullpen, which was lacking quite a bit last year (save for Dempster, I suppose), but the starting rotation is shaky at best. Prior, Wood, and Miller will all be out for most of April (if not more) on account of various injuries, and Zambrano simply can’t carry the team alone.

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .488 (79-83), 3^rd place in AL West

2004 Record: .549 (89-73)

Who’s Out: Sandy Alomar (C), Doug Brocail (P), Kenny Rogers (P), Gerg Colbrunn (1B), Alfonso Soriano (2B), Freddie Bynum (INF), David Dellucci (OF)

Who's In: Kevin Millwood (P), Brad Wilkerson (OF), Termel Sledge (OF), Armando Galarraga (P), John Koronka (P), Robinson Tejeda (P), Akinori Otsuka (P), Adam Eaton (P)

Notes: Pitching instabilities have been the bane of the Rangers’ existence for the past several years, and the focus of their off-season moves has been to create some consistency in both the starting rotation and the bullpen. Otsuka has a good track record as a setup reliever, and since the concerns over closer Cordero’s shoulder waned after it proved to be healthy and strong during spring training, the 8-9 relief looks very solid. Adam Eaton was slated to lead the starting rotation, but had to be placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right middle finger (was ex-Ranger Kenny Rogers give him some tips on what he could do with that finger?). The Rangers had picked up former Indians righty Kevin Millwood earlier this year, and with the loss of Eaton they made some quick trades in order to acquire former Cubs lefty John Koronka just before opening day. The club is still crossing their fingers in hopes that Roger Clemens will join the team later in the season; if the Rocket gets on board the Rangers have a good chance of winning their division.

Next Up: Chicago Cubs

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2005 Record: .475 (77-85), 2^nd place in NL West

2004 Record: .315 (51-111)

Who’s Out: Javier Vazquez (P), Lance Cormier (P), Oscar Villareal (P), Troy Glaus (3B), Sergio Santos (SS), Jason Bulger (P), Brad Halsey (P), Royce Clayton (SS), Shawn Estes (P), Kelly Stinnett (C), Tim Worrell, Buddy Groom (P)

Who’s In: Orlando Hernandez (P), Johnny Estrada (C), Damion Easley (INF), Jason Grimsley (P), Miguel Batista (P), Orlando Hudson (2B), Eric Byrnes (OF), Jeff DaVanon (OF), Alberto Callaspo (INF)

Notes: The Diamondbacks are in a rebuilding phase. They’re not pushing to win the pennant (much less the World Series) this year, but they made some valuable moves this winter and they have several young kids ripening in the minors. The good thing for the D-backs is that the NL West is definitely the place to be during a rebuilding year. They are a part of a very weak division, and there is always the chance that they could surge ahead of the Padres or the Dodgers—especially if the Dodgers’ core ends up on the DL again.

Next Up: Texas Rangers

Labels: 2006 team profiles

2004 Record: .562 (91-71)

Who's Out: LaTroy Hawkins (P), Edgardo Alfonzo (INF), Scott Eyre (P), J.T. Snow (1B), Brett Tomko (P)

Who's In: Steve Kline (P), Mark Sweeny (INF/OF), Matt Morris (P), Steve Finley (OF), Jose Vizcaino (1B)

Notes: Barry Bonds’ absence in 2005—due to his “knee injury”—caused a lot of problems for the Giants, but now that he is back to attack they will likely have even more obstacles to contend with. Regardless of how many times Bonds and his teammates claim that the constant booing and media pestering does not affect them, the scrutiny and controversy will eventually take its toll on the team. Commissioner Bud Selig recently announced that he is launching an investigation into the alleged steroid abuse by Bonds and others, the consequences of which are yet to be determined.

In more positive news, the Giants locked up their young pitching star, Noah Lowry, for the next four years. GM Brian Sabean has called Lowry "one of the most competitive young pitchers in baseball," and it is apparent that he is hoping to rely on Lowry as an integral part of the team. Lowry and newcomer Matt Morris join Jason Schmidt and Matthew Cain in the starting rotation, which seems to be one of the Giants’ stronger areas this year.

Next up: Arizona Diamondbacks

Labels: 2006 team profiles