Quick thoughts on the Reds: I forgot how long the Reds were in the playoff race last year. They played their hearts out. It's why I feel so terrible for teams like the Reds, Royals, and Pirates of the world. When they top out, when everything comes together, they'd be lucky to make the playoffs. If the Yankees, Angels, or BoSox had a season like the Reds last year, it'd be an utter disappointment. My point? Cincinnati sucks.
Houston Astros
Pitching: You gotta love Roger Clemens. Wait, did I say love? Excuse me. You gotta dislike Roger Clemens. Understand that the Astros are the only team he'd sign with. He knew it last year and he knows it this year. Why make a team scramble, not knowing if you're going to be at or near the front of their rotation? It'd be so much easier on the Astros if they knew if he was playing or not. Brett Favre slows down the Green Bay Packers if they don't know if he'll be back under center the next year. Ricky Williams did the same thing when he retired right before training camp, leaving the Dolphins no time to effectively plug the bong shaped hole in their backfield. These athletes have become entirely too selfish in this decision making process. I'm all for them trying to get the most money possible, it is a business after all. However, in business, you should handle yourself as a professional and treat the franchise you might end up joining with respect.
Anyway, the Astros pitching is okay. They have a nice ace in Oswalt, but if Clemens doesn't come back, and with Pettitte gone back to the Bronx, they'll miss that veteran presence in their rotation. It severely weakens the strength on the back end of that rotation.
Bullpen: Like their starting pitching not knowing if they'll have Clemens, their bullpen is similarly pondering the state of Brad Lidge. Unlike Clemens, we know Lidge will lace up the cleats. Like Clemens, the Astros have NO idea what they will get out of Lidge, and this affects the rest of the bullpen. Is Wheeler closing with an inadequate set up man in front of him? Or do Wheeler and Lidge go back to shortening the game to 7 innings for the Astros starters? Or maybe this is the year Lidge blows yet another save to Pujols and the Cards, resulting in Lidge heading over to jump off the old Astrodome.
Hitting: They made a nice addition with Carlos Lee, finally concentrating on some offense in an offseason. He will provide great protection from Berkman, who put up some monster numbers last year (45, 136, 95). I'm eager to see if Morgan Ensberg can bounce back to his 2005 form, where he hit 36 dongs and broke the 100 RBI mark. If he returns to form and you throw him in there with Berkman and Lee in a hitters' ballpark, Houston might make a run at 90 wins even without Clemens.
Miscellaneous: I want Mark Lorette to play. And if he doesn't, I want to know why the Sox parted with a hard worker like Loretta and downgraded to Dustin Pedroia, then spent millions of dollars on JD Drew who won't play 100 games this year, all the while giving up on young, powerful Wily Mo Pena, a move that Saj waxed poetic on earlier this week. The two moves are contradictory philosophies, though Red Sox Nation should be getting used to that.
Astros-related Ridiculous Proposition Bet: Let's make it non-ridiculous: Line on when Roger Clemens throws a pitch for the Astros - July 1.
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NL Central
Cincinnati Reds
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