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2005
MLB Baseball NL WEST Preview RHP Javier Vazquez believes his drop in velocity during the second half of last season was because he dropped his arm angle and was pushing the ball as he tired. That also affected his command. The D-backs are still working with RHP Jose Valverde on his mechanics. The club would like him to stride a little further and finish off his pitches better. Right now, he doesn't use his back leg to drive the ball and that puts more strain on his arm. SOFT SPOT: The Diamondbacks still lack a true leadoff
hitter. By default the club will try 2B Craig Counsell
in that spot. Counsell isn't a speedster and he hit just
.241 last year, which is not ideal for a leadoff guy. However,
Counsell is a heady player, who will work counts deep,
which should help other hitters. On the bases, he knows
when to take the extra base and can pick his spots for
steals. The D-backs could also try Jose Cruz Jr. in that
role as he has hit there during his career. Rookie C J.D. Closser will have intense work in camp with bench coach Jamie Quirk, a former catcher. Closser had six passed balls and watched 15 wild pitches go by in 32 games last season. SOFT SPOT: The lack of a closer is well documented, but
there's the matter of the young lineup getting leads worth
protecting. 1B Todd Helton is a force at No. 3, but the
team faces many offensive questions: Will Miles, who hits
for average but had a low on-base percentage for a leadoff
guy, and Barmes give Helton RBI opportunities? Can CF Preston
Wilson rebound from last year's knee injury, regain his
N.L. RBI champion form of 2003 and avoid strikeouts enough
to protect Helton from the cleanup spot? Can new RF Dustan
Mohr realize his potential? Will the young bottom of the
order produce? When J.D. Drew signed, he said he wanted to play center field, even though the Dodgers already have a centerfielder in Milton Bradley. When Steve Finley was acquired last summer, Bradley made room for him by switching to right. Bradley said last week he's more comfortable in center, but he'll play wherever manager Jim Tracy tells him to play. Tracy said he will move a lot of outfielders around in the spring. SOFT SPOT: From the organization that has squatted Roy
Campanella, John Roseboro, Mike Scioscia, Mike Piazza,
Charles Johnson and Paul Lo Duca behind the plate, the
Dodgers enter this spring training with David Ross and
Paul Bako contending for the starting catching job, with
all eyes on former Yankee prospect Dioner Navarro, who
can steal the job if he's ready. Navarro was the player
that the Shawn Green trade was keyed to, so general manager
Paul DePodesta is convinced Navarro has the tools. The
only question is when. Ross seeks to regain the power he
had in his rookie season and somehow lost last year. Bako
is a defensive specialist. Brian Lawrence will fly under the radar this season with fellow righthanders Woody Williams and Jake Peavy holding down the top of the rotation. That's good for Lawrence, who won a career-high 15 games last season. A slow starter, Lawrence struggled in spring training a year ago but rebounded in the regular season with good command of both his sinker and slider, two pitches he must have to pitch effectively. SOFT SPOT: The Padres looked to improve the bench and
added Eric Young, Geoff Blum and Mark Sweeney. Xavier Nady
is the fourth outfielder and Miguel Ojeda is the backup
catcher. Although Young can back up second in the event
that Mark Loretta suffers an injury, there is no pure reserve
shortstop. Nady replaces veteran Terrence Long in the outfield
but must show he can hit consistently beyond Class AAA.
Sweeney is a big league pinch hitter, but he provides minimal
depth as an extra fielder. The key is to rest the starters,
none of whom is fighting for a job, and get to opening
day healthy. How RHP Brad Hennessey fits on the staff also remains unclear. He jumped from Class A to the Giants for emergency duty but in 2005 needs to improve location and reduce opponents' batting average amidst fierce staff competition. A full year at Class AAA Fresno for more seasoning seems likely. SOFT SPOT: With the starting lineup's average age at 36 years, chronic injuries -- especially Barry Bonds' back and knees, Marquis Grissom's leg, Ray Durham's overall health -- could be problematic this spring and beyond and severely impact the club. Durham has lost considerable time the past two seasons but reportedly increased his offseason workouts to forestall injuries. Bonds' winter surgeries on both knees will limit spring duties until about mid-March. Although the bench is strong, any position players going on the disabled list will force minor league players such as Todd Linden, Tony Torcato and Jason Ellison to contribute on a daily basis, which is something they haven't done.
Baseball
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