The Robinson Division
Predicted Order of Finish
- Beaconsfield
- Montreal
- Ottawa
- Bristol
Going into the draft there is not a lot of difference between these four teams. Beaconsfield gets the nod because they feature the Division’s best bullpen and best defense. This season will be a turnaround in their strategy, as pitching was once the scarce resource, we now find teams searching for offense to make the biggest difference in the standings.
Beaconsfield
Last year the Pathfinders found themselves in the League Championship finals for the second time in a row. Owner Don Brodeur attributes this to a defined change in strategy which is to jettison draft picks and future security for established players to plug in holes which are clearly known about in the present. Again Brodeur has been active on the trade scene shoring up areas that he knows will not be remedied by the draft. This season he has already traded for Paul Konerko and Ryan Braun who instantly become his #1 and #2 offensive threats with Ryan Howard experiencing a down year.
Strengths: Felix Hernandez, Tim Lincecum and Chris Carpenter. With these three horses in the stables, one only needs a meager offense. The bullpen is also the strongest of the division which should make a difference later in the year, unlike last year where every team’s bullpen exploded.
Weakness: The #4 and #5 starters are nothing to be fearful of and the outfield by and large is one of the worst in the league when it comes to offense by strong defensively. Look for a lot of close games this year.
Overall: Could use another starter for the tail end of the rotation. Right now they are hovering around replacement value. Not sure they will find the offense to make a difference in the outfield. Not a lot of early draft picks to pick up prospects to move for later talent. Although ranked on top, they are certainly capable of being pushed off the top rung.
Montreal
Montreal is at a cross roads. They have been stock piling young talent for a long time and this appears to be a down enough year for other teams that they could really shine right now. Montreal boasts three strong arms in the rotation and have a steady enough offense that they could easily jump to the top of the list. They also possess enough young talent that they could easily bring in another difference maker through trades.
Strengths: Wainright, Sabathia and Hamels are three top choices at the front of the rotation. Hanson and Gallardo are also above average so there is no worry to panic in that spot. In fact they could stand to lighten their rotation by a single arm and still be able to compete. Votto and Zimmerman at the corners is something to celebrate about. They players are both young and talented and are the cornerstone to this offense. Markakis, Hunter and Kemp make for a competent outfield as well.
Weakness: The middle infield isn’t much to speak about. Polanco and whoever they decide to start at SS are not going to win them many games with their bats. The team might be better served finding the two best glove men in the league and having them do their damage with the glove instead of the bat. The bullpen needs some help as well. Bard remains a talent, but beyond that, nothing above average here to be found.
Overall: Can easily compete and their greatest weakness can easily be overcome in the draft and in through trades. Montreal already has young talent that other teams on the drift would certainly like to get their hands on. A definite contender for their first time!
Ottawa
The Ottawa Nationals have an interesting personality as a team. They seem to not make any splash deals via trades or draft yet … but still manage to hang around the top of the standings. However it’s not because they are experiencing an exceptional year, it’s just that they seem to shine when all else are failing to shine.
Strengths: Talent isn’t the issue here, it’s the depth. Offensively the team’s strength is found in the outfield. Choo is the All Star on this team and he is followed by the speedy youngster McCutchen. Hart and Scott are strong enough bats to be of no concern to owner Barras. The rotation is strong at the top as well with Price and Sanchez and surprise CJ Wilson. It’s tough not to say that Teixeira is a strength, but this year is a down year for him, but should bounce back in the next season.
Weakness: Beyond Wilson in the pen, there is nothing. This should be remedied in the draft. The left side of the infield is pretty sad as well. Reynolds is no answer at the hot corner, and there should be some talent to help there. At short however, there might not be any help for Pennington. The bottom two slots of the rotation need help … and there might be an arm or two in the draft which could make a significant improvement here. Certainly have the ability to do the Ottawa … which is the other teams underperform Ottawa will contend, so there is a chance and that is enough to drive this Barras owned team!
Bristol
The key to the future of this division is Bristol. Bristol is sitting on a lot of young talent and could make a North Bay type of run in the Robinson Division. With four first round picks in the upcoming draft there is no reason to believe that Bristol will continue to have the other teams looking in their rearview mirror this season and the next.
Strengths: Besides plenty of youth, the offense is lacking true superstars beyond the emergence of Bautista and Weeks finally living up to his potential. The outfield is fine, but not spectacular. Jay Bruce is turning into an upcoming All Star. The rotation is solid from one through five. There is no need for them to grab an arm to make a difference unless it’s a Cy Young candidate. Cahill, Gonzalez, Anderson and Chacin are all young and promise to get better. Oswalt makes for a fine old man until his arm finally breaks off his 5’9” body.
Weakness: Youth. Too much youth, but they all seem to be growing together. If they continue to grow in the right direction then this will quickly turn into a strength. Third base could use some improvement as Stewart hasn’t come around as expected. Mind you, Bristol could bring in a firstbaseman and have Bautista move to the hot corner, plenty of areas to move players around. Martin is fine defensively but he is no longer the offensive force that he once was, but could bounce back. There is nothing to this bullpen that strikes fear into an opposing hitter
Overall: This is a team that could contend this season but with the amount of quality youth they possess they quickly can turn things around. If they draft well, Bristol’s eyes simply won’t be on BDB 2011… but on BDB 2011 to 2021.