OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: It seems as though every season the Angels are always competing with the Athletics for the AL West crown. With the Athletics losing Barry Zito this offseason, the Angels looked to upgrade enough to regain their division title. The move that made headlines was giving Gary Matthews a five year 50 million dollar contract. A lot of people, including myself, consider this a bit of a risk considering Matthews Jr.'s 2006 season could very well have been a fluke that was overrated by one catch he made in center field. In addition to Matthews Jr., the Angels added controversial Shea Hillenbrand to the offense. Although he may make a stupid comment here and there, there is no question that Hillenbrand has a pretty solid bat. He will fill in at DH until Juan Rivera heals from his injury. The Angels spent the rest of their money on middle reliever Justin Speier and long reliever Darren Oliver. Both players did a very good job last season and should only improve an already strong Angels' bullpen. Anaheim did lose two mainstays on their team for years when Darin Erstad and Adam Kennedy opted to sign with other teams. The Angels should only miss them in the clubhouse because Erstad was injury prone and Kennedy's replacement is the young and talented Howie Kendrick. They had no problem in letting them leave this offseason. While the jury is still out on the Matthews signing, the Angels on a whole did a very good job addressing their needs and filling them this offseason.

OFFENSE: The Angels have one of the more balanced offenses in the American League but their problem could lie in the power department. The only big bat in their lineup is Vladimir Guerrero. Granted, Vlad has been known to carry a team by himself, however the Angels would like to have some serious protection behind him. The player that used to carry this tag was Garret Anderson, but he has been on the decline due to injury and age. The Angels will have plenty of men on base this season, starting with Chone Figgins and Orlando Cabrera. Both players did a terrific job setting the table and stealing bases so that Guererro would hit with runners in scoring position. Other veterans that should help this team score are the previously mentioned Gary Matthews Jr. and budding star Howie Kendrick. The young second baseman has shown the tools to be one the best everyday second basemen in the majors this season. At designated hitter, the Angels planned to go with Juan Rivera but the injury to his left tibia forced the them to sign Shea Hillenbrand. The biggest question marks in the lineup are at first base and catcher. Casey Kotchman is the front runner to play first base, but he is clearly a better fielder than hitter and may give way to Hillenbrand once Rivera returns to play DH. At catcher last season the Angels were disappointed with the way Jose Molina played. It would not be a surprise to see Mike Napoli get significant time there this year.

PITCHING: Like their lineup, the Angels pitching staff is very solid from top to bottom. Their staff ace may not be on every one's radar, but John Lackey has evolved into one of the best pitchers in the AL. Towards the middle of the rotation will be Ervin Santana and Kelvin Escobar. Both pitchers have their problems, but on a whole they are productive middle of the rotation guys. Santana stuggles mightily on the road, and if he was ever able to put those problems behind him he would be a very good number two starter. Escobar's struggles come from injuries but in 2006 he was able to have a pretty much injury free season, so those troubles may be behind him. The young Jered Weaver will also be on the staff, and if he can pitch anywhere as well as he did last season he should be a big boost to the Angels rotation. The fifth spot in the rotation will be held by Joe Saunders until Bartolo Colon comes back from his injury. The bullpen gives the Angels a lot of depth and flexibility with their pitching. Theri closer, Francisco Rodriguez, has established himself as one of the best in baseball, and the Angels are always confident that he will get the job done. Joining K-Rod are the durable and talented Scott Shields and Justin Speier who will do the set-up work. Hector Carrasco and Darren Oliver also should prove to be solid contributors to the bullpen before the season is over.

X-FACTOR: As mentioned earlier the Angels rely mainly on Vladimir Guerrero for most of their homers and RBIs. The player that did a good job helping out last season with these categories was Juan Rivera. The key for the Angels is to get back a healthy Rivera before they dig themselves a major whole. If he returns and shows some improvement on his 2006 numbers, he will be the reliable presence that should offer some protection to Vlad in the lineup.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Kendrick evolves into one of the best second baseman in the league, Weaver continues to improve, Rivera returns and picks up where he left off last season, and Matthews Jr. proves that 2006 season was no fluke. If all this happens, we could be seeing the Angels return to the World Series

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Escobar gets hurt again, Anderson's production significantly drops off again, Hillenbrand is once again a clubhouse cancer, and no one steps up as a reliable cleanup hitter. If this is what the Angels will be facing this season, then it will be their first losing season since 2003.

-David Cassilo

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OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: We're used to seeing the Yankees spend money like its their job, so considering the past, it was a relatively quiet offseason for the Boss. Rather than blow all their money on one player, the Yankees tried to both sign players to help them win in 2007, while also strengthening their farm system. Their two biggest moves were trading veterans Jaret Wright, Gary Sheffield and Randy Johnson. Both players had proven to be susceptible to injury, and the Yankees were lucky to unload them for quality prospects. The Yankees used the rest of their offseason to reassemble a pitching staff that was devastated by season's end in 2006. They re-signed Mike Mussina and brought back familiar face Andy Pettite to the team. Also, the Yankees took a risk on Kei Igawa, a Japanese starter that should fit somewhere in the middle of the Yankees rotation. The only other notable move of the Yankee offseason was the signing of Doug Mientkiewicz, who will play first base and gives the Yanks a lift defensively. The only losses to free agency that the Yankees suffered were that of hardly used middle relievers, but it should not be a hard to overcome because they replenished their bullpen with solid arms Luis Vizcaino and Chris Britton. On a whole it was very successful offseason for GM Brian Cashman and company.

OFFENSE: Like usual, the Yankees are stacked with possibly the best offense in baseball. The lineup will look very similar to last season with Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter hitting at the top of the order. Also, Bobby Abreu would be the logical choice to hit third considering his high OBP and decent power. Their ability to get on base should once again give plenty of RBI oppurtunities for Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, and Jason Giambi. Newly acquired Doug Doug Mientkiewicz should hit towards the bottom of the order with Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano. Despite having very solid numbers, the Yankees will most likely keep Cano ninth to act as their second leadoff hitter. Bench player Andy Phillips could see a decent amount of work as well if Mientkiewicz, struggles against lefties like has in the past.

PITCHING: Clearly the biggest question mark on this team is the pitching staff. Veterans Andy Pettite and Mike Mussina will headline the rotation. The third starter will be Chien-Ming Wang, who's tremendous sinker ball led him to a terrific 2006 season in which he led the AL in wins. He is quite possibly the most reliable pitcher on the staff. Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa will most likely start the season as fourth in the rotation, while Carl Pavano, the highly touted Phillip Hughes, and Jeff Karstens will all compete for a chance to start. The bullpen is as strong as ever and will once again be headed by the league's best closer Mariano Rivera. The fire ballers Scott Proctor and Jeff Farnsworth will be the main set-up guys, and Luis Vizcaino, Chris Britton, and Mike Myers should all see significant work this year.

X-FACTOR: In an odd scenario, the Yankees X-factor is not even a member of the team. The player I speak of is Roger Clemens. The Rocket clearly seems poised to pitch in 2007, and if he chooses the Yankees over the Red Sox and Astros, it will provide a huge lift to the rotation. While the Yankees have several solid starters, Clemens would give them the one ace that is both an ace and a big time postseason pitcher. With Clemens it may once again be the year of the Yankee.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Clemens signs with the Yankees, Igawa is even better than Daisuke Matzusaka, and A-Rod sheds the label of baseball's biggest loser. If all this happens, it would be hard to find any reason why the Yankees would not be celebrating their 27th World Series title.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: No one steps up as the fourth and fifth starter, A-Rod continues his postseason struggles, and the team is once again plagued by injuries. A season like this could be the first one in over decade that will see the Yankees missing the playoffs.

-David Cassilo

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With the all-star break coming up, lets see who might be taking over starting jobs for the rest of the year. I'm sure I can find some beef around the league.

Washington Wizards-C
Brendan Haywood vs Etan Thomas
I have to mention this because the two got in another fight during practice and Etan Thomas was suspended for 2 games. I have to assume Thomas won the fight in practice because he was suspended, but as for playing time, I think Haywood has the edge. I don't feel that either player has much fantasy value, but I guess Haywood could be a decent sourece of rebounds if thats what you need.

Boston Celtics-pg
Rajon Rondo vs Delonte West
It seems that for now there will be a peaceful end to this battle as for the past two games, both players have started. Rondo at pg and West at sg. Going forward, I see West as having more value as the inexperienced Rondo will struggle through the ups and downs of a young player.

San Antonio Spurs-sg
Brent Barry vs Manu Ginobli
For the time being, Barry is the starter. However, Ginobli's value shouldn't deminish much because he is still getting plenty of playing time. It does, however, look like Manu's play is not what it used to be. Maybe he has lost some confidence. Maybe he is playing with an injury. I guess that's why he lost the starting job. Hmmm it seems like I haven't really cleared anything up with what I've just written.....Oh well.....as long as Barry is starting, he should hit at least two 3's per game. As a matter of fact, I think I'll pick up Brent Barry right now....I'll be right back.





Where was I.........






Los Angeles Lakers-C
Andrew Bynum vs Ronny Turiof
Right now it seems like Turiof may get more minutes, but I think it's clear that Bynum has more value. Bynum is a nice source of rebounds, blocks, and FG% as long as Kwame Brown is injured.

Toronto Raptors-pg
T.J. Ford vs Jose Calderon
T.J. Ford has regained his rightful position in the starting lineup and from here on out he should gain more and more of the percentage of playing time and will ultimately have more value than the now-hot Calderon.

Portland Trailblazers-C
Joel Przybilla vs Jamal Magloire vs LaMarcus Aldridge
Who cares?

Golden State Warriors-sf
Pietrus vs Barnes
Pietrus had the starting job, but after leaving last night's game with an ankle injury, it makes sense to me for Barnes to take over that slot. Although I can't make any promises because Nellie, as always, may have other plans.

~Brian Melnick aka Big Mel
contact at bigmel2k5@yahoo.com

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OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: We have come accustom to quiet offseasons in Minnesota and nothing changed this year. You know your team plays in a small market when the only two free agents you signed were Ramon Ortiz and Jeff Cirillo. Since there is really nothing else to speak of in this section, I'll take a few moments to speak about the minimal impact they will have for the team. Cirillo is the team's best bat off the bench, and he will get some time at third base if Nick Punto struggles this year. The veteran Ortiz will compete for a starting spot towards the back end of the rotation. The Twins did lose a big part of their recent success this year when pitcher Brad Radke decided to retire. His veteran leadership and steady production will be hard to replace. The Twins will be without Shannon Stewart and Phil Nevin this season, but both players are past their prime and should not be major losses in any sense.


OFFENSE: Once again the Twins will be playing with one of the better everyday lineups in the American League. The Twins have quite possibly the two best hitters in the AL in Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Both are perennial MVP candidates and tough outs for any pitcher. Both players would not be as much of a threat if it weren't for the excellent protection around them. While Torii Hunter may have lost a step, he still has 30 homer potential and cannot be taken lightly by any pitcher. While Hunter may be on the decline, it was Michael Cuddyer who has a breakout year for Minnesota last season. For the first time in his career he went over 100 RBIs. Cuddyer's ability to play several positions was also a huge help to Minnesota when they experienced their share of injuries. Outfielder Rondell White should also be able to add his share of home runs if he is able to stay healthy. Adding speed to the lineup will be second baseman Luis Castillo. His ability to get on base makes him a catalyst for the Twins offense. Rounding out the lineup are designated hitter Jason Kubel and shortstop Jason Bartlett. Both are light hitters and may be replaced before the season is over. Some positive contributors off the bench should be outfielder Lew Ford and infielder Jeff Cirillo.


PITCHING: The Twins' staff will again be lead by the league's best starter, Johan Santana. There is not a better pitcher in baseball who has proven to be better or more durable than last year's Cy Young. There is no reason to doubt that he won't be at this level for the upcoming season. The rest of the rotation is a giant question mark for Minnesota. Carlos Silva will start the season as their number two starter, but his inconsistency makes him too unreliable of an option. Young arms Boof Bonser and Matt Garza will be counted on to fill major spots in the rotation. They both have excelled in the minor leagues but have not shown that high level of pitching in their short major league stints. Glen Perkins, Sidney Ponson, Scott Baker, and Ramon Ortiz will all compete for the last spot in the rotation. Their bullpen is led by dominant closer Joe Nathan. He may not get the headlines that fellow closer Mariano Rivera gets, but he has been just as effective the past few years. Their set up men Juan Rincon and Jesse Crain have also bene very steady the past few years, and together they make one of the better late inning bullpens in baseball. As good as they are late in games, the Twins do have some trouble in middle relief. Several current minor leaguers will be counted on to fill roles in the sixth and seventh innings of games.


X-FACTOR: When the young superstar Francisco Liriano went down last year with arm trouble, the Twins learned that they would be without him for not only the end of 2006 but also all of 2007. Without him and Radke this season, the Twins are in search of some one who can step up and be the number two starter on the staff. That responsibility will fall on the shoulders of young pitcher Matt Garza. His impressive minor league numbers led to his rise to the top of many prospect lists. Garza struggled in his first major league action, and he must show this season that he can be as effective in the majors as he was in the minors. If this happens, he will be the number two starter they are looking for.


BEST CASE SCENARIO: Morneau and Mauer continue playing at their MVP level, Cuddyer shows that last season was the beginning of a good career, and Garza becomes this year's Liriano. If everything falls into place, the Twins will be making their first return to the World Series in over decade.


WORST CASE SCENARIO: Hunter's play experiences a major drop off, Santana is the only reliable starter in the rotation, and pitchers begin to figure out Justin Morneau. A year like this would almost certainly result in a failure to make a repeat appearance in the playoffs for the Twins.

-David Cassilo

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We have already passed the midway point in the season, but who knows what will happen after the all-star break?! There is still time to rise to the top of your fantasy league. There are some players that you need to sell now while they have high value and some that you need to buy low that are poised to explode in the 2nd half. Lets see who's stock is about to rise or fall.

Buy Low

Dwight Howard-f/c-Orlando Magic

Howard has slipped in the past month. His points are down, he turns the ball over like a mad man, and after leading the league in rebounding for most of the season, he has fallen behind Garnett and Camby. This guy just has too much talent to continue to fall and his value right now is the lowest it will be all season. The Magic don't have much else so Howard will have to pick up his scoring and we have seen from last year his rebounding domincance which he displayed earlier in the year. You may have to act fast if you still want to buy low on Howard because he has had two huge games in a row.

Steve Nash-pg-Phoenix Suns

Nash has a "frozen" shoulder and has missed the past 2.5 games. He says he is fine but there are speculators who think this injury could linger for the remainder of the season. Let me be the first to tell you that Nash is fine and he will be back on the court this weekend. So again, you better act quickly to pry this fantasy stud from an unsuspecting owner that is scared of his injury.

T.J. Ford-pg-Toronto Raptors
Ford has been hurt and it seems right now like he will be splitting time with Jose Calderon, who has been playing at a very high level with Ford sidelined. But I think once Ford is healthy, which shouldn't be a long time because he is already playing again, he will be get the bulk of the minutes at pg and has 20pt 10ast potential.

Lebron James-f-Cleveland Cavs
I know what you're thinking, how can you buy low on one of the best players in the league? Here's why...Lebron is having a down year and he has a badly sprained big toe. I think all he needs is a little rest(maybe he should skip the all-star game?) and a couple days in the gym working on his freethrows. His FT% is at a ridiculous .686 down from last year's 74%. You have to believe his FT shooting will improve in the 2nd half and if it does, his scoring average will rise 2-4 points. I honestly think you can get Lebron right now for a rather low price.

Luke Ridnour-pg-Seattle Supersonics
Ridnour will be recieving many more minutes with the return of Lewis on saturday, and Lewis' return should actually benefit Ridnour's points, 3's, and assists.

Allen Iverson-g-Denver Nuggets
Iverson is currently injured with a sprained ankle, but I think he's going to be fine going forward and maintain scoring about 25ppg the rest of the way. If his owner thinks he is seriously hurt and scared of him losing shots to Melo, then you might be able to steal one of the NBA's top scorers.


Buy Low/Sell High???

Luol Deng-g/f-Chicago Bulls
Deng is a buy low-sell high tweener. Although Deng is not a household name, he is quietly having an excellent season and even with his stellar play of late, I think owners will be quick to deal him as they don't recognise him as a top 40 fantasy player, but that's exactly what he is. He shoots a very high FG%, won't kill your FT%, is averaging 20-10 in his past 5 games, assists a little, steals a little, blocks a little, low turnovers. Deng is just a very efficient player and if you can get him cheap by all means go for it. By the same token, however, if you can use him to acquire a true stud then you gotta sell high on him.

Sell High

Smush Parker
Parker has been on fire lately going for at least 18 and averaging two 3's per game in 4 out of his last 6. Parker has also been an excellent source of steals with 2 games of 6 steals in his past 4 and averaging over 3 per game in that stretch. It's hard for me to believe that parker will continue this for the rest of the season. Especially when Kobe starts taking more and more shots down the stretch and with Odom getting healthier and healthier and Walton coming back soon, there just won't be enough shots to go around for parker to hold onto the value that he has right now.

Tracy McGrady-g/f-Houston Rockets
I'll give you two reasons to sell high on T-Mac. One: His back is gonna start spasming again or he is gonna go down with some kind of injury. Two: When Yao comes back, T-Mac will not score as much. So if you want, you can hold on to him til Yao comes back, but if T-Mac goes down again(which is very likely) you're gonna kick yourself for not dealing him. FYI: Luther Head's value will sky-rocket if McGrady goes down.

Marcus Camby-c-Denver Nuggets
I can't imagine Camby playing even 80% of the games left on the schedule.

Carlos Boozer-f/c-Utah Jazz
Obviously Boozer's value isn't high as he is injured, but do your best to deal him for basically anything because a hairline fracture is usually an injury that lingers until the offseason when a player has ample time to rest it.

Matt Carol, Jason Kapono, Luther Head
I group these guys together because I would've said the same thing about each of them anyway. Although Carol and Kapono start, with other scorers on their teams, they don't get many shot attempts and with Luther Head coming off the bench, he obviously doen't get enough shots per game. Either way, all three of these guys hit about two 3's per game, but thats about all they can offer you. So if you don't need 3's and you have the opportunity to sell them to an owner that does need 3's you may be able to get a player with much higher value. Luther Head could be considered a buy low candidate if you believe T-Mac will go down again, because if he does and Head starts, he will nail around 4 3's per game.

~Brian Melnick
contact at bigmel2k5@yahoo.com

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OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: Coming off a trip to the World Series, Detroit looked to keep the same core of guys that were on that team while adding a few players to make the team more complete. Their biggest move of the offseason was the trade that allowed them to acquire Gary Sheffield. Granted, Sheffield is past his prime, he still is the power threat that the Tigers lacked in the middle of their lineup last season. Giving up top pitching prospect Humberto Sanchez may prove to be costly down the line, but the Tigers now that their time is now. The team was very quiet outside of the Sheffield trade as shown by only making two other moves the rest of the winter. They retained first baseman Sean Casey who will continue to be their everyday guy. They also signed veteran Jose Mesa who will add some depth and experience to an already talented bullpen. The Tigers also did not lose many players from their American League Championship team. The one player who may be missed is reliever Jamie Walker, but he was only a middle man in the bullpen and will most likely not be too difficult to replace. The Tigers addressed their one need this offseason, power, and by still keeping most of their players, they have themselves in solid shape for next season.

OFFENSE: The balanced Detroit lineup that a took a trip to the World Series last season will look very similar in their defense of the American League crown. Possibly its biggest question lies at the top with lead off hitter Curtis Granderson. There is no question that the center fielder has the bat to hit there, but he has shown that he lacks patience and decision making skills at times. Also setting the table will be the reliable and underrated Placido Polanco who will also handle duties at second base. The heart of the lineup should be very dangerous with designated hitter Gary Sheffield, right fielder Magglio Ordonez, and first baseman Sean Casey most likely getting the majority of the RBI chances. What makes the Tigers lineup so productive is that their bottom of the lineup can at times be as strong as the top. Veteran leader and catcher Ivan Rodriguez will most likely hit at this part of the order, and despite his age, he is still the type of hitter that opposing pitchers fear. Also, the Tigers talented shortstop Carlos Guillen will be at the back end, and his perennial .300 average makes him one of the tougher outs at the end of the lineup in the league. Rounding out the order will be Craig Monroe, who can provide some extra pop, and the steady Brandon Inge. Reserve outfielder Marcus Thames should also see plenty of at bats this season off the Tigers bench.

PITCHING: One of the biggest surprises last season was how well the Tigers pitching staff performed. Their success was the main reason why they experienced such a drastic turnaround. Once again the veteran Kenny Rogers will head the staff. Rogers doesn't rely on striking people out, so the Tigers should not be concerned about him declining with age. The real staff ace is Jeremy Bonderman. He has gotten better every year in the majors and could take the final step this season to becoming a star. The young Justin Verlander will sit in the middle of the rotation, and his combination of 100 mph fastballs and off speed pitches should show that his Rookie of the Year was no fluke. At the bottom of the rotation are Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth. Usually both these guys are dependable and good enough to give their team a chance to win. Along with a solid rotation the Tigers also have a strong bullpen. Their closer once again will be Todd Jones. Rather than using speed, Jones is just a crafty pitcher who manages to get guys out. If he does however falter now that he is towards the end of his career, the flame throwing Joel Zumaya will be waiting in the wings as the team's closer of the future. Along with Zumaya, Fernando Rodney has a great young arm, and together they make up the best set up tandem in baseball. The newly acquired Jose Mesa and Wilfredo Ledezma will also eat up some innings for the Detroit bullpen.

X-FACTOR: In a lineup that has tremendous talent throughout, it is essential that men get on base to created RBI opportunities for the middle of the order. After last season, there have been some doubts whether Curtis Granderson can do that as a lead off hitter. Last season he struck out 174 times and had an on base percentage of .335. Numbers like those will not allow him to keep the top spot in the order in 2007. It's crucial that he can put up better numbers because a consistent Granderson that bats first would be part of the ideal lineup for Detroit.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Sheffield regains his old form, both Bonderman and Verlander become elite starters, Granderson shows that he can be a lead off hitter, and the Tigers can recapture the magic from last season. This would not only result in a trip to the World Series but also with a win there.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Age catches up with Rogers, Sheffield, and Jones, Verlander suffers the sophomore slump, Zumaya experience more arm trouble, and many Tigers show that 2006 was their career year. If this is what happens in Detroit, there would be a slip back into mediocrity for the Tigers.

-David Cassilo

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OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: Unlike their division rivals the Chicago Cubs, the Reds were hardly active for yet another offseason. Rather than even attempting to contend for big name players, the Reds once again hope that smaller moves like acquiring Brandon Phillips and David Ross will turn out as well this season. Cincinnati's biggest move this offseason was signing shortstop Alex Gonzalez to a three-year deal. Gonzalez is a light hitter but should help his pitchers with his stellar defense. GM Wayne Krivsky continued his plan of strengthening his bullpen and minimizing the offense by signing Mike Stanton, Dave Weathers, and Paul Wilson rather than going after steady hitters to help boost the lineup. The Reds also acquired Jeff Conine in a trade. His experience should be a welcome addition to the Reds' bench. A late trade for Kirk Saarloos from Oakland will help add some depth to a rotation that clearly has needed some over the years. The only significant loss to the team was infielder Rich Aurilla, who signed with San Fransisco. Aurilla was on the downside of his career, and the addition of Conine and Gonzalez should be good enough to replace him. The Reds like to improve their team with late deals for lesser players, so it is very likely that they may not even be done this offseason.

OFFENSE: Unlike Reds teams of years past, the 2007 version features a lineup with a lot less power and more small type players. It's a peculiar plan considering that their home ballpark is clearly a place where home runs fly out frequently. These new small ball type players are Ryan Freel, Brandon Phillips, Scott Hatteberg, and Alex Gonzalez. Both Freel and Phillips took major steps last season in their development, and they now appear to be solid everyday players. Hatteberg shows great plate discipline, and when he is not drawing walks, he is usually moving runners over. The Reds have not eliminated all of their power, and they should see home runs from returning regulars Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr., assuming he stays healthy. It is very likely that Griffey will get hurt again, so if he does the Reds will most likely shift Freel to center field and play Conine in the outfield. The two wild cards in the lineup are catcher David Ross and third baseman Edwin Encarnacion. Ross is an interesting case because he hit 21 home runs in just 247 at bats, but all his other numbers fell off considerably post All-Star break. Encarnacion, showed a bit of pop in his bat as well, and his first year numbers suggest that he will be at least a solid regular in the majors.

PITCHING: While the Reds have always seemed to have the offense, it has been the pitching that has been the weak link for Cincinnati. This season they will return several familiar faces to an improving rotation. The staff is headed by Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang. Arroyo got off to a fast start last year in the National League, but once he went around the league the second time, batters began to catch up with him. It will be interesting to see which Arroyo will show up in 2007. Harang, with much less publicity, is clearly the better pitcher of the two. He has been a solid starter in the Reds rotation for the last two seasons while posting an impressive strikeout rate. The rest of the rotation will be comprised of some sort of combination of mediocre starters Eric Milton, Kyle Lohse, Paul Wilson, and Kirk Saarloos. Talented, young prospect Homer Bailey will most likely begin the season in the minors, but he clearly has the talent to eventually be the Reds' third starter this season. The bullpen, which was a mess this time last season, has been improved, but at the costly price of trades involving players like Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez. The middle relief should be solid this season with veterans such as Gary Majewski, Mike Stanton, Rheal Cormier, and Todd Coffey. However, the bullpen will continue to be a problem if the Reds expect Dave Weathers to get the job done as their closer.

X-FACTOR: With a pitching staff that has been so inconsistent over the years, the emergence of Homer Bailey could do wonders for the Reds. It has been over a decade since Cincinnati has has a young pitcher come through their system like him. If he can join the team out of spring training and pitch up to his potential, the Reds may actually have a chance to win the Wild Card rather than choke it away like last season.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Homer Bailey is this year's Justin Verlander, Griffey plays 140 games, and the Reds find some one who can be lights out in the ninth. A year like this could quite possibly end up with Cincinnati celebrating a Wild Card berth.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Bronson Arroyo falls back into mediocrity, Griffey plays less than half a season, Bailey struggles in his first season, and David Ross shows that 2006 was a fluke. A season like this for Reds' fans would result in yet another losing record and a finish towards the bottom of the NL Central.

-David Cassilo

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OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: During this past year's free agency period, few teams were even half as active as the Chicago Cubs. Without question, their biggest move was the signing of outfielder Alfonso Soriano. The move sent ripples throughout the rest of MLB as his 8 year $136 million dollar contract went on to inflate every other deal that was made. Possibly the most underrated move of the entire offseason was the Cubs re-signing third baseman Aramis Ramirez to a five-year deal. The Cubs were also able to sign veteran free agents Mark DeRosa and Cliff Floyd to relatively reasonable contracts. Chicago tried to upgrade their rotation by signing Ted Lilly and throwing an unreasonable amount of money to Jason Marquis, who was was coming off a season with an ERA over six. While both pitchers most likely will not make too many headlines, the Cubs view them as reliable middle of the rotation starters that will usually keep their team in games. The only major free agent that Chicago lost this season was center fielder Juan Pierre. The speedy Pierre never really made an impact on Chicago, but replacing his defense in center field with Alfonso Soriano looks to certain to fail miserably. All things being considered though, the Cubs gave their roster a major upgrade and now new manager Lou Pinella has a lot of talent to work with.

OFFENSE: The Cubs spent their offseason looking to significantly upgrade their offense, and after a successful job they are left with one of the better lineups in the NL. Soriano should lead off for the Cubs, and he will most likely close in on the 40-40 numbers he posted last year with Washington. However, this season he should have even more runs and RBIs due to the amount of talent in the rest of the lineup. The heart of the order should feature Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee once again. Unlike years past, they will most likely have several more opportunities to hit with men on base. The other big bat, Cliff Floyd, will most likely platoon with Matt Murton. Floyd gives the Cubs a lefty hitter with 30 HR potential. What makes the rest of the Cubs lineup so difficult on opposing pitchers is that there is not one easy out among the group. Players such as Michael Barret, Mark DeRosa, and Jacque Jones are all threats to hit close to .300 this season. The weakest link in the lineup is shortstop Cesar Izturis, but all-world defense should make him worth having on the field.

PITCHING: Like last season, the picthing rotation is headed by ace Carlos Zambrano. The Big Z is a strikeout machine, and he could approach 20 wins this season with an improved offense supplying the run support. Newly acquired Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis should fill in the middle of the rotation spots, but the one player poised to take on the role of number two starter is young Rich Hill. Like Zambrano, Hill has an impressive strikeout rate and could evolve into one of the better pitchers in the NL this season. The often injured Wade Miller and Mark Prior should battle for the final rotation spot. The messiest picture on the Cubs is that one assembled by their bullpen. The closer role is up for grabs and should come from a group that includes former starter Kerry Wood, Bobby Howry, and Ryan Dempster. The rest of the Chicago bullpen is equally as unimpressive and if anything seems like a weak spot for Chicago it would be this. If they are lucky, a few younger arms will come up and help stabilize the pen.

X-FACTOR: After years of setbacks due to injury, the Cubs have finally learned not to expect anything from their starter Mark Prior. With no expectations for possibly the first time in his life, any sort of Prior production will only be a bonus for the Cubs. If Prior can stay healthy this season and regain his 2003 form, the Cubs will have one of the best rotations in the NL to go along with their top notch offense. A healthy Prior would make Chicago one of the most feared teams in the majors.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Mark Prior stays healthy, Rich Hill becomes a dominant young ace, and Kerry Wood steps up and becomes a dominant closer. If all this happens, you can expect Chicago's fans to be on the edge of their seats as the Cubs play for their first World Series title in over 100 years.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Derrek Lee once again gets injured, Alfonso Soriano plays without any desire now that there is no free agecny looming, no one becomes a reliable closer, and Rich Hill fails to develop into anything more than a middle of the rotation guy. A season like this will leave the Cubs with a losing record and a finish towards the bottom of the NL Central.

-David Cassilo

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This weeks edition of Waiver Wired looks mostly at players that have recently been recieving more playing time and therefore have begun to produce. This list is highlighted by a trio of Magic players and a young pg in Boston.

Grant Hill-g/f-Orlando Magic
Many owners have dropped Hill because of his recent injuries, but he should be back in less than 2 weeks and if you can offord to stash him on your bench for that week or two more that he's gonna be out, it could pay off for you in the long run. This season Hill has averaged 15 points, four rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while shooting an excellent 53% from the field. Those look like solid fantasy numbers to me.

Rajon Rondo-pg-Boston Celtics
Rondo is a hot pickup right now after his first start of the season. He scored 23 points on 10-16 shooting including two 3's while adding 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Note that he shot very well and played 42 minutes. I'm assuming both of those things are not going to happen every night. If you need help at the pg spot I would recommend giving him a shot, but if you do pick him up, don't make one of those stupid posts on your leagues home page saying that you got the next hot guy and he's going to bring you a league championship.

Marcus Williams-g-New Jersy Nets
After about a week of confusion between Antoine Wright, Hassan Adams, Bostjan Nachbar, and Marcus Williams, it seems that it is now Williams who will be the most productive in Jefferson's absence, which will be about another month. I still wouldn't expect too much out of Williams. I project about 14 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 trey per game.

Luke Ridnour-pg-Seatlle Supersonics
We all know the story of Ridnour losing his starting job to Earl Watson, but Coach Bob Hill has said that he likes Ridnour more when Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen are also in the game. And it just so happens that Rashard lewis will be coming back to play the Kings on February 10th. This isn't a sure thing, but with the return of Lewis, it is possible that Ridnour could regain his starting job and his fantasy prowess.

Paul Millsap-f-Utah Jazz
Boozer is going to be out at least until the all star break and as long as he is out, it looks like Millsap will be the starter. If you need rebounds and blocks Millsap could be your man, but once Boozer comes back, you can dump him.

Jarvis Hayes-f-Washington Wizards
Now that Jamison is going to be out about six weeks, the Wiz have inserted Jarvis Hayes into their starting lineup. Needless to say Hayes is no Jamison, and in his first start he scored just 5 points in 25 minutes. I really don't have much confidence in Hayes but if you are in a really deep league where almost every starter is on a roster, I guess you should pick up Hayes.

Darko Milicic-f/c-Orlando Magic
Darko is still not starting, but half the season is still left and it can still happen. Even despite not starting, Milicic has scored 14, 14, and 19 in his past 3 games while averaging 2 blocks and 6 rebounds. Darko could be a viable fantasy option if he keeps up these numbers and if he becomes a starter, look for Darko to make an impact.

Hedo Turkoglu-f-Orlando Magic
It may only be while Grant Hill is out, but for now, Turkoglu has been a solid fantasy contributor especially from beyond the arc, so if you need 3's, this could be your guy. He has also been scoring a decent amount and could be considered for a full time job on your fantasy roster.


Smush Parker-pg-Los Angeles Lakers
Smush has been on fire lately even since the return of Lamar Odom. Smush has been a great source of 3's and steals in particular and I think he could keep it up for the rest of the year.


~Brian Melnick
contact at bigmel2k5@yahoo.com

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OK fans, I know this has been a rough time for you being that I haven't posted any columns in a few weeks. But my schedule has just been too greuling with college work, and cheerleading, and all the hot chicks I have to get with here in sunny Miami. The super bowl is tomorrow and that should be a good time, except that I'm going to be a little tired while I watch it since I have a little cheerleading competition Sunday at Donald Trump's mansion where I'll get to meet him. Maybe I'll mention my fantasy basketball blog? Ok anyway, what I'm saying, is that I'm gettin back on the wagon, but I will have a new schedule. Monday will be "Waiver Wired" Wednesday will be "Stock Watch" and Friday will be "Position Battles". All of these columns will be posted by 4:00 PM on those days. If anyone actually has any questions for me, then Saturday I will write a column answering your email questions. And Sunday will be "Fantasy MD". As always, you can email me with any questions OR SUGGESTIONS at bigmel2k5@yahoo.com I'm back baby!!!!

~Brian Melnick
contact at bigmel2k5@yahoo.com

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