I think Roy and Backe will both win over 15 games, and Chacon should be ok..... Maybe we pick up someone in trade.... Heck, bring Redding back, he has figured it out !! DD
Somewhere between last years win total (73) and .500. Last year we had that weird 10 game losing streak )which I believe to be an aberration, even for that team) which really hurt our overall record.
I know it's only 4 games but, the pitching has look better than what anybody thought and the batting is not look good. So far Oswalt has look the worse in the pitching to me. Like i said i know its only 4 games. Get the bats going and keep the pitching like it is and the can get up there around 88 - 90 wins.
The pitching will be not be good. Oswalt is great. And Backe is good when he's healthy, but we're going to give up a ton of runs this year. Maybe we can bring in Clemens to pitch from May through the playoffs. 69 wins.
We need to deal for a quality 2 that can eat innings.I can't imagine Drayton would spend all this without finishing it off....giving us a window. with a deal fairly early in the year...........91 without...alll the difference in the world
I'll say 86 wins anything more is gravy. Many questions surround this team and most are pitching. Will anyone step up after Oswalt in the rotation? Early on, with exception of Wandy in SD, the answer is the rotation has done fairly well. But, how will this pan out in June and July? That's the real question. To be determined. Shawn Chacon, a hidden asset or a younger version of last year's failure, Jason Jennings? Backe can he rise to the challenge and be a leader on this team by being the #2? Can Wandy find consistency overall? Can Sampson put it all together and be a true competitor and an innings eater for the team? Now, what we do know is potentially we have perhaps the best lineup top to bottom we have EVER had! To include even the '98 Astros! Lastly, how does Coop fair as a manager? Can he find that balance between motivator, competitor and teacher? So based on all that, I say we finish at least 3rd and possibly 2nd. However, no one in this division is invinceable. So a first place finish is not out of the realm of possibility. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brewers will their lineup with Fielder and Hardy pick up where they left off? Can they recover from losing Cordero as their closer? Cubs? Well some curses are just meant to be for anecdotal and aesthetic purposes. Cardinals? LOL. They're in BAD shape to compete even in this division! Though they still have LaRussa and Phat Albert. Reds? Pitching, pitching, pitching. Pirates? Could be a darkhorse in the division at 3rd or 4th.
I voted 85-87. Oddly, Oswalt hasn't looked as solid as i'd have liked... Sampson Backe W-Rod and Chacon all looked good though.
