S6 Season Preview - NL

NL NORTH
Seattle Skinny Puppies
Last season: 95-67, 1st Place / Division Champs
Payroll: $71.8M
Key Acquisitions: P Fred McCormick (FA-VAN)
Key Losses: LF Walt Melville (FA-Unsigned)
Overall Grade: B+

Chicago Rooftops
Last season: 80-82, 2nd Place
Payroll: $53.5M
Key Acquisitions: P Walker Brunson (FA-SYR), P Trent Ventura (FA-MNT), P Wayne Bass (FA-MIN)
Key Losses: LF Stuart Skinner (FA-ROC), 2B Rickey Neagle (FA-Unsigned), P Charles Taft (FA-LR)
Overall Grade: B-

Rochester Mountain Dwellers
Last season: 78-84, 3rd Place
Payroll: $99.9M
Key Acquisitions: SS Kyle Farr (FA-PHI), P Alfredo Martin (FA-OKC), P Gerald Vining (FA-LA)
Key Losses: 2B Sidney Snow (TRADE-RIC)
Overall Grade: C+

Montreal Olympians
Last season: 73-89, 4th Place
Payroll: $72.3M
Key Acquisitions: P Benji Pride (FA-NY)
Key Losses: P Paul Meng (FA-MEM), P Todd Miller (TRADE-PAW), P Alan Flood (FA-ATL)
Overall Grade: C

DIVISION OUTLOOK: Seattle looks to be above and beyond the rest of the competition. Chicago made some improvements, but question marks still remain. Rochester and Montreal appear basement bound, where we give the slight edge to Rochester.

NL NORTH PREDICTION: Seattle – Division Champs

NL EAST
Philadelphia Cheese Steaks
Last season: 99-63, 1st Place / Division Champs
Payroll: $61.1M
Key Acquisitions: P Lewis Knight (FA-JAX), 1B Piper Gardner (FA-AUS), P Terrell McCartin (TRADE-SFE)
Key Losses: SS Ewell Bierbrodt (TRADE-SFE), 3B Tom Rivers (TRADE-SFE)
Overall Grade: A-

Boston Stricken Gods
Last season: 86-76, 2nd Place / WC
Payroll: $81.5M
Key Acquisitions: CF Ron Perry (FA-SAL)
Key Losses: CF Al Cortazar (FA-Unsigned)
Overall Grade: B

San Juan Expos
Last season: 53-109, 4th Place
Payroll: $67.5M
Key Acquisitions: SS Ken Wallace (FA-ARI)
Key Losses: 3B Hack Owens (FA-Unsigned), P William Tanaka (WAIVERS-MEM), P Charlie Upshaw (TRADE-RIC)
Overall Grade: C-

Kansas City Pine Tar
Last season: 85-77, 3rd Place
Payroll: $60.8M
Key Acquisitions: P Freddie Foster (TRADE-JAX), P Brian Sullivan (TRADE-SFE), P Yamid Villa (TRADE-SFE)
Key Losses: RF Jeremi Richardson (FA-Unsigned), P Harvey Schmidt (FA-Unsigned),
Overall Grade: B-

DIVISION OUTLOOK: Look for the Cheese Steak to dominate this division. They upgraded significantly with the additions of McCartin and Knight. Boston is a good club and will challenge the WC spot. Kansas City and San Juan round up the bottom.

NL EAST PREDICTION: Philadelphia – Division Champs / Boston - WC

NL SOUTH
Montgomery Touchstools
Last season: 70-92, 3rd Place
Payroll: $84.4M
Key Acquisitions: 3B Jamie Mays (FA-RIC), SS Donaldo Guillon (FA-SFE)
Key Losses: 3B Howard Schalk (FA-Unsigned)
Overall Grade: C+

St. Louis Soul
Last season: 62-100, 4th Place
Payroll: $73.3M
Key Acquisitions: 2B Tony Llanos (TRADE-OKC), LF Giomar Mercado (TRADE-SAL), SS Robert Henley (TRADE-SAL)
Key Losses: 3B Tomas Wilfredo (FA-Unsigned), P Javier Montanez (TRADE-STL),
Overall Grade: C

Santa Fe Santa Clauses
Last season: 92-70, 1st Place / Division Champs / Defending WS Champs
Payroll: $95.6M
Key Acquisitions: P Lou Roberts (FA-ARI), P Brendan Buss (FA-SYR), P Jimmie Colon (FA-NY)
Key Losses: 3B Pablo Montanez (FA-Unsigned), P Merv Hunter (FA-NY), P Terrell McCartin (TRADE-PHI)
Overall Grade: A-

Little Rock Lightning
Last season: 88-74, 2nd Place / WC
Payroll: $88.1M
Key Acquisitions: P Charles Taft (FA-CHI), P Mitch Hermsen (TRADE-ROC), 1B Juan Pelaez (TRADE-ROC)
Key Losses: NONE
Overall Grade: B+

DIVISION OUTLOOK: Santa Fe is the class of the division, but they're a question mark at the same time. They shifted around a ton of talent, sending some off (McCartin, Hunter) and getting some back in return (Bierbrodt, Buss, Roberts). We still think they'll get the division crown. Little Rock will close the gap between the two even more this season. Montgomery and St. Louis battle it out for 3rd place.

NL SOUTH PREDICTION: Santa Fe – Division Champs / Little Rock - WC

NL WEST
San Diego Padres
Last season: 83-79, 2nd Place
Payroll: $77.6M
Key Acquisitions: CF Malcolm Hyzdu (FA-PAW), CF Rocky Lange (TRADE-BOS)
Key Losses: P Johnnie Smart (TRADE-BOS)
Overall Grade: C

Oakland Athletics
Last season: 80-82, 3rd Place
Payroll: $89.4M
Key Acquisitions: NONE
Key Losses: 1B Charlie Blake (FA-LA)
Overall Grade: B-

Los Angeles BLUE Bombers
Last season: 72-90, 4th Place
Payroll: $64.2M
Key Acquisitions: 3B Danys Neruda (FA-CHI), 1B Charlie Blake (FA-OAK)
Key Losses: 1B Harry O'Keefe (FA-Unsigned)
Overall Grade: C

Arizona Gunslingers
Last season: 105-57, 1st Place / Division Champs
Payroll: $103.0M
Key Acquisitions: P D.J. Goldberg (FA-PHI), SS Fred Owen (FA-SAL), 1B Victor Grey (TRADE-AUS)
Key Losses: P Lou Roberts (FA-SFE)
Overall Grade: A-

DIVISION OUTLOOK: Arizona was surprisingly knocked out early in last season's playoffs. They're back, and they're loaded. Despite losing Lou Roberts to Free Agency, they still should have enough to get the division crown. Last season's Oakland team is this season's Oakland team, and that should net them 2nd place. Los Angeles and San Diego slug it out for 3rd place, with the edge going to San Diego.

NL WEST PREDICTION: Arizona – Division Champs

NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS OUTLOOK: Santa Fe made some major changes to their team, but I still expect a deep run from the Santa Clauses. Same goes for Philadelphia, as well. But when it's all said and done, look for Arizona to get the NL crown. That lineup is just too tough to keep down another season.

NLCS PREDICTION: Arizona over Philadelphia, 7 games