Montreal Expos
 

By all rights, the Expos should have been moved to Northern Virginia by now.  Les Expos haven't drawn more than 2 million fans in a season since 1983.  For the second year in a row, the ownership group has failed to get an English-speaking radio broadcast contract.  Majority partner Jeffery Loria is trying to revitalize baseball in Montreal by keeping the Expos' good young players and spending more on free agents, but as long as he continues to be undermined by incompetent and recalcitrant partners, it probably won't happen.  Commissioner Bud Selig always says he is proud that baseball hasn't moved a team in 30 years, and vows to prevent it from happening on his watch.  Perhaps he should reconsider.
 

Offense

In 2000, the Expos 14th in run scoring in the NL.  It sounds much worse than it was, though.  They got little-to-no production from their catcher and third base spots because the couldn't decide whether they wanted their catcher to be a third baseman or a catcher.  They traded their centerfielder in mid season and thus were playing rookies in center and in left for three fourths of the at bats.

This year will be different.  For one, the two rookies in the outfield aren't rookies anymore.  Peter Bergeron and Milton Bradley are both talented youngsters who will now have additional guidance from newly signed Hall-of-Famer-to-be Tim Raines.  Raines doesn't have much left in the tank but the man who was arguably the best player in baseball in the early 80's will have plenty of wisdom for them.  It's interesting to note that since his first stint in Montreal, Raines spent four years with the White Sox, who coincidentally won their first division title in 10 years with Raines there, and then went to the Yankees in 1996, who not only won their division for the first time since the early 80's but started an impressive series of world championships as well.  So either Raines is extremely lucky, extremely smart or such a good player that he has a profound impact on his team's chances of winning.  The truth is probably some of each.

The third base/catcher problem was solved when 'staff ace' Dustin Hermanson was traded to the Cardinals for third baseman Fernando Tatis.  Tatis spent good portion of last year struggling with injuries, primarily a badly pulled leg muscle.  When he's healthy, he's one of the best third basemen in the game.  His career numbers at his age compare well with those of Chipper Jones, Mike Schmidt and Scott Rolen.

Michael Barrett will finally get to play one position all season.  The constant switching back and forth between third and catcher never allowed him to get comfortable.  This year, he'll be the Expos' catcher, plain and simple.  While he's probably not gonna produce as well as his early minor league press billed him (the next Scott Rolen), he has the potential to offer above average production from behind the plate.

Orlando Cabrera has the talent to be the best offensive shortstop in the National League.  The one thing holding him back is his over-aggressiveness at the plate.  While he doesn't strike out much - 28 times in 422 at bats last year - he doesn't lay off bad pitches either.  So his .237 average last year is largely due to making contact with pitches he couldn't do anything with.  If hitting coach Pat Roessler can get him to lay off those pitches but still be aggressive in the strikezone, his average will go up, as will his walks and power.  He has the talent to produce Barry Larkin-like 20 homer/30 steal years if he can just be more disciplined.

First baseman Lee Stevens was brought in mostly for his tremendous glovework in order to settle a young inexperienced infield - Cabrera, Tatis and second baseman Jose Vidro are all just 26 years old.  The fact that he had a reasonably productive offensive year was a bonus.  He was a shade below average for a first baseman.

The two big guns in the Montreal line-up are Jose Vidro and Vladimir Guerrero.  Vidro gets forgotten a lot in discussions about who the best second baseman in baseball is or will be.  He shouldn't.  His overall numbers for the past 2 years are better than those of Edgardo Alfonzo and Jeff Kent at the same age.  Vidro is also just the second player at his position to hit 20 homers and 50 doubles in the same year.  Craig Biggio was the other.  However, Biggio didn't accomplish the feat until he was in his peak years at age 33.  Now 35, he's unlikely to ever do it again.  Vidro, on the other hand, still hasn't reached his peak years.  He's a good bet to do it several more times and may end up as the best second baseman of this decade.

Vladimir Guerrero has been called the best player that no one has ever heard of.  Outside of Alex Rodriguez, he might be the best player, period.  Like Rodriguez, he's just 25 years old.  His .322 career batting average is good for 5th amongst active players.  He's 3rd in slugging behind Helton and McGwire.  There are as many stories about him hitting home runs on balls that were a foot outside the strikezone as there are stories about him throwing out runners at the plate from the right field corner.  At the rate he is progressing, he will be the first player to have 200 hits and 50 homers in a season since Jimmie Foxx did it in 1932 and be one of 4 players in history to do it.  The other two are Hack Wilson in his epic 1930 season, and some guy named Ruth.  Guerrero has already had 200 hits in a season and has averaged 43 homers the past 2 years.

The Expos have most of the pieces to an offensive powerhouse.  The new strikezone probably won't affect them as adversely as some other teams as they are already aggressive at the plate and most of the hitters make contact a high percentage of the time.  If these young hitters can learn a little better discipline, they will be better than the halcyon Expos of Carter, Dawson and Raines.  Much better.  RATING: 60
 

Defense

It wasn't that long ago that the Expos were the Keystone Cops in the field.  And they were again among the league leaders in errors last year.  But as I've said before, errors don't tell the whole story.  Lee Stevens is a very good fielding first basemanl.  When he's healthy, Tatis is above average, as is Cabrera.  Vidro has worked hard to limit his liabilities in the field.  He doesn't possess exceptional range, but he makes all the routine plays.  Guerrero is a terrific right fielder who likes to show off his arm a bit too much for his own good.  Once he's heard, "you've got the best arm since Clemente", enough, he'll use his head more in the field and be the unquestioned best right 'fielder' in the game.  Bergeron and Bradley both come with reputations of being solid defensive players.  Barrett may struggle initially, but like his offense, should come around to being at least average.  RATING: 60
 

Starting Pitching

When the Expos won the division in 1994, they had everything - a very good offense, solid D, a terrific bullpen and a starting rotation that was good enough to have Pedro Martinez as their 4th starter.  OK, so he was just 22 years old then, but you get my point.  I don't want to spoil my preview of their bullpen, but suffice it to say that the Expos only lack the rotation, at least talent-wise, to surpass that 1994 team.  Javier Vasquez, the new staff ace, is a good place to start though.  His ERA has dropped nearly a full run in each of the past 2 years.  Still just 24, he has all the makings of a true ace; the guy who stops losing streaks, starts Games 1 and 7 of the World Series... a pitcher who dominates opposing hitters.  He has excellent command of 2 pitches - a low-to-mid 90's sinking fastball and a fine change-up - and improving command of a cut fastball and a curve.  In short, he's Greg Maddux with a good fastball.  OK, not yet.  Behind Vasquez are 2 very injury-prone, but very talented pitchers: Carl Pavano and Hideki Irabu.  Pavano has had arm trouble the past 2 years and Irabu has had a number of health issues, from his weight to bone chips in his elbow.  If the Expos can ever get 30 starts apiece out of these two, they will have a formidable rotation.  In the meantime, Mike Thurman and lefty Chris Peters will get those starts.  Thurman's major league record hasn't shown much promise.  Peters was primarily a reliever for the Pirates for the past 5 years.  Tony Armas Jr also has a terrific arm and has shown flashes of brilliance, including last September's 3-hit, 7 shutout innings against the Mets.  His consistency should improve with a higher strikezone.  Britt Reames, who came over with Tatis in the Hermanson deal, is a rookie who performed extremely well down the stretch for the Cardinals last year.  However, his minor league record does not support a performance level that high.  In all likelihood, uber-prospect Donnie Bridges will push him for his spot by mid-August.  Irabu and Pavano start the season on the shelf and neither are expected to return before June.  If both were healthy now, an argument could be made that the Expos had the best staff in the division.  But for now, that is just a dream.  RATING: 55
 

Bullpen

Ugueth Urtain Urbina.  Best name in baseball.  At least, he has the best initials.  He's also one of the game's best closers.  He was out much of last year due to bone chips in his elbow, but looks like he's 100% healthy this year.  The Expos need to trade for Brewers hard-throwing prospect Nick Neugebauer, so they could have the fearsome "Uguie" and "Neugie" combo in their bullpen.  All kidding aside, the Expos have a terrific bullpen, anchored by Urbina.  Setting him up in the 7th and 8th innings will be Scott Strickland, Guillermo Mota and lefty Graeme Lloyd.  Like Urbina, Strickland and Mota both rush the ball to the plate in the mid-90s.  Either one has the stuff to close should Urbina be traded as rumored.  Lloyd, whose release point is very tough for left-handed hitters to pick up, missed last year due to shoulder problems, but looks healthy this year.  As long as Urbina's in Montreal, the Expos will be tough to score against after the 6th inning.  Anthony Telford will provide more quality relief when he returns in May from offseason arthroscopic surgery.  RATING: 70
 

Management

Felipe Alou is regarded by many, including his peers, as the best manager in baseball. Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa said that if everyone had the same pieces, Alou would win every time.  There's no reason to doubt him, either.  He handles a pitching staff well, rarely lets young starters exceed reasonable pitch counts and is a wizard with in-game strategy.  The only knock against him the past few years is that his teams don't walk enough.  Considering that he's almost always been saddled with some of the youngest teams in the league and that its the hitting coach's responsibility to teach hitting, I'm not sure how that's Alou's fault.  GM Jim Beattie has done admirably, given the limited resources he has.  It's unfortunate he felt compelled to deal Pedro Martinez due to salary reasons, as I think Martinez would have earned his keep by drawing more fans to the game.  Regardless, Beattie did get decent value in return, acquiring Pavano and Armas in the deal.  For the most part, he's done a very good job getting equivalent talent - the Rondell White trade excepted - when his players get "too expensive".  It remains to be seen how well he'll do when actually trying to acquire talent to help win now if the Expos get in a tight pennant race.  RATING: 70
 

Conclusion

With a healthy Pavano and Irabu, the Expos would have a very good chance of winning the East.  Like Toronto in the AL, their aggressive style of hitting is suited to the environment created by the high strike.  However, without better rotation strength, they are probably relegated to just missing the playoffs.