The 2005 season will be dominated by three major storylines: Steroids, the return of baseball to Washington, D.C. and the Curse Reversed. Steroids continue to be a major topic in baseball circles. A March Congressional hearing did nothing to stop the controversary and maybe added some fuel to the fire. Several current and former players testified in front of the committee with some of them nearly admitting they used illegal performance enhancers in the past. The biggest loser of the hearings was ex-Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire. He refused to talk about the past and answer any of their questions. McGwire, who is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2006, placed a lot of doubt in the eyes of the voters and the fans that adored him over the years. With a new testing procedure in place for steroids this year, the first causalities of the new and improved rules have been felt. The first player suspended was Alex Sanchez of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was forced to sit out the first 10 games of the season following a positive test he took during Spring Training. Colorado Rockies outfielder Jorge Piedra also tested positive and faced the same displinary action of 10 games. More names are bound to be coming down the pike, as the season progresses so stay tuned. Baseball has also returned to the nation?s capital for the first time since 1971. The Montreal Expos have officially relocated and been renamed the Washington Nationals. It ends several years of uncertainty for the franchise and now gives them a permanent home. The Expos played several home games in Puerto Rico the past couple of seasons and will enjoy 81 home games in the same venue. The Nationals have jumped out to a fast start including taking their home opener on April 14th over the Arizona Diamondbacks. They made a splash in the off-season by signing of a number of key free agents to show their commitment to fielding a competitive team. They still have a ways to go in the NL East but are moving in the right direction. At 11:41 PM on October 27, 2004, the members of Red Sox Nation saw their lives change forever. The Boston Red Sox were celebrating their first championship since Babe Ruth pitched for the team in 1918 thus reversing the ?Curse of the Bambino.? The lives of Red Sox fans will never be the same. On April 11th, the Boston Red Sox received their World Series championship rings for the 2004 season in an emotional ceremony prior to their home opener. The Red Sox erased 86 years of bad breaks by rallying from a 3-0 deficit to the Yankees in the ALCS and then sweeping the Cardinals in the World Series. The Red Sox lost a number of players to free agency but also filled those holes by signing players that they perceive are better quality. Free agents Edgar Renteria, Matt Clement, and David Wells signed with the team to try for bring back-to-back championships to the city of Boston. The Red Sox and Yankees opened the 2005 season by splitting the first six games their played against each other. It looks like it is going to be another battle of those teams in 2005. Here is a preview of the six divisions and 30 teams. Their 2004 record are in parenthesis. AL East For the past several years, it has been the most lopsided division in baseball. It is the Yankees, Red Sox and then the rest of the division. The Yankees have won division titles for the past several years with the Red Sox finishing second fiddle. It looks to be much of the same this year as the Yankees and Red Sox have reloaded while the rest of the division is looking for pitching. Boston Red Sox (98-64) For the first time since 1919, the Red Sox open the season as World Champions. It will be tough for the Red Sox to live down the dramatic 3-0 comeback against the Yankees in the ALCS and the sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series. The Red Sox lost a number of free agents over the winter but brought back their heart and soul of the team, catcher Jason Varitek. Varitek was signed right before Christmas and was instantly named captain of the team. He is one of the top catchers in the game and will help to mold the new pitching staff into a winner. Best newcomer: Edgar Renteria. He was signed to replace Orlando Cabrera at shortstop. In Renteria, the Sox signed one of the top players at the position. He was excellent range, soft hands and is an excellent hitter. Biggest loss: Pedro Martinez. Losing one of the top pitchers in the game is always tough to swallow. Pedro Martinez signed with the Mets over the winter and his value will be debated in New England for the next four years. Biggest Question Mark: Starting Rotation. It has to be the pitching staff. The Red Sox lost Martinez and Derek Lowe and they were replaced with David Wells, Matt Clement, and Wade Miller. The jury is out to see if Wells is too old, if Clement can handle the AL, and if Miller can return healthy. Breakout season: Johnny Damon- Since Damon is a free agent at the end of the season, he is playing for next year this year. He struggled in the playoffs last year before breaking out in Game 7 of the ALCS and carried it into the World Series. People still think that the Red Sox overpaid for him four years ago. Baltimore Orioles (78-84) The Orioles spend a lot of money last season and couldn?t finish above .500. They spent the money on bats but ignored pitching. That has been the area of struggles for them the past couple of years. They added another bat in Sammy Sosa but still lack the necessary pitching to overtake the strength of the division. Best newcomer: Sammy Sosa- The addition of Sosa adds another bat to an already dangerous lineup. With Javy Lopez, Miguel Tejada, Melvin Mora, and Rafael Palmeiro, Sosa will get a number of RBI opportunities. Biggest loss: Buddy Groom- A solid lefthander out of the bullpen is a necessity and Groom was one of the better ones. Even though he struggled with a 4.78 ERA in 2004, his veteran presence will be missed in the Oriole pen. Biggest question mark: The pitching staff. They are young and inexperienced. With Rodrigo Lopez as the ace, they have a ways to go but are definitely building for the future. Their development will yield the fate of the team this year. Breakout Season: Jay Gibbons- Gibbons has hit over 20 homers in the past two seasons for the Orioles. With Sosa?s bat added to the lineup, it should help Gibbons see more RBI opportunities. Toronto Blue Jays (67-94) The Blue Jays supplanted Tampa Bay for last place in the AL East. The Jays struggled last year with the loss of ace Roy Halladay to an injury. They lacked pitching depth and will need to find some arms to complement him. The Jays are an always-dangerous offense team and are building for the future with a number of youth players. Best Newcomer: Corey Koskie. Koskie signed to play 3B for the Blue Jays, helping to strengthen a corner position. In Koskie, the Jays get a solid defensive player and a dependable bat. Having spent his entire career with the Twins, Koskie needed a change of scenery and can be the leader of the young Blue Jays. Biggest Loss: Carlos Delgado. Delgado refused to be traded last season prior to the trading deadline. He played out his contract and signed with the Marlins. Delgado?s offense will be missed by the Blue Jays. Biggest Question Mark- Roy Halladay. Coming off an injury-plagued season, he hopes to rebound to him dominance of the 2003 season. He is the ace of the staff and his loss hurt the Jays immensely last year. Breakout Season: Vernon Wells. He was supposed to be the offensive leader of the Jays last year. He struggled to hit .272 with 23 homers. Those numbers followed a breakout season in 2003. His offensive will help lead the Jays and take the pressure off of Hinske and Koskie in the lineup. New York Yankees (101-61) The Yankees are the Yankees. They have a lot of talent and a bigger budget but the jury is out if they can win the World Series. They revamped the pitching staff over the winter to go along with the best offense in baseball. With Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, and Jaret Wright signed for the starting rotation; the pressure is even higher in the Bronx. Best Newcomer: Randy Johnson. After trying forever to land the Big Unit, the trade was finally done in December. Johnson is instantly the ace of the staff and will have the weight of the world on his shoulders every five days. Let?s hope that the cameraman episode is not repeated during the season. Biggest Loss: Kenny Lofton. Even though Lofton is not the same player he was in Cleveland, he was an insurance policy in the outfield if Bernie Williams struggles. He also had the playoff experience to play in the bright lights of the Bronx. Biggest Question Mark: Jason Giambi. Now the steroids issue is front and center, Giambi is going to be scrutinized heavily in the New York media. This season will go a long way to determine if Giambi was only as good as the steroids made him. Breakout Season: Alex Rodriguez. After a sub par first year in the Bronx, Rodriguez is ready to get back to playing baseball. He was the biggest story last off-season and would rather focus on baseball than everything else. He has to put up Alex Rodriguez numbers in order for the Bronx faithful to get off his back. Tampa Bay Rays (70-91) At least they didn?t finish in last place last year. Unfortunately, that is not the logo for the upcoming season. Manager Lou Pinella was able to get the Rays out of the AL East basement for the first time in their short history. But they still have a long way to go before they are able to compete for the division title. They have a young nucleus and pitching staff that needs time in order to battle the Yankees and Red Sox. Biggest Newcomer: Hideo Nomo. Nomo will instantly become the veteran member of the pitching staff. With some good young arms, Nomo will bring his experience to the young staff. Biggest Loss: None. Have the Rays ever lost a good player? The answer is no because they have always have players one step below the rest. They continue to build a young team for the future. Biggest Question Mark: Alex Sanchez. Sanchez came over from the Tigers and became the first player suspended for steroids. He will forever be labeled as the face of steroids and will be treated differently. Breakout Season: Carl Crawford. After signing a six-year extension, Crawford is poised to become a superstar. He is already on pace to break numerous stolen base records after swiping 59 of them last year. AL Central It is a scarily thing to say that the AL Central runs through Minnesota but it is true. The Twins have won the division for the past three seasons and look again like the team to beat. They have a deep pitching staff and a number of solid young players. Detroit and Chicago have improved themselves and will compete with the Twins. Cleveland is building a winner through youth and Kansas City is a very long shot for the upcoming season. Minnesota Twins (92-70) The Twins have the pitching depth to beat the better teams in the league and are doing it with significant less in their checkbook. Johan Santana is a legimate ace after winning the Cy Young last year. Brad Radke adds some veteran leadership after he chose to re-sign with the Twins in the off-season. Joe Nathan is the closer. The offense centers on Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones. Biggest Newcomer: Michael Cuddyer. The Twins first round draft pick in 1997 will replace Corey Koskie at the hot corner. After playing 112 games at various positions last year, he will be penciled in as the everyday third baseman this year. Biggest Loss: Christian Guzman. Guzman signs with Washington in the off-season and the Twins lost a good defensive shortstop. Guzman provided speed and a decent leadoff bat for the Twins. Biggest Question Mark: Youth. Jason Bartlett will replace Guzman at SS. Bartlett has only eight games of major league experience and will be tested throughout the season. Cuddyer also has been up and down for the past couple of years and is now a starter. Their success will pave the way for the Twins if they develop well. Breakout Season: Justin Morneau. When the Twins traded Doug Mientkiewicz last July, it opened up the first base position to Morneau. He finished last year with a .271 average to go along with 19 HR. Let?s see what he can due with a full season at 1B. Cleveland Indians (80-82) The Indians are now a legimite division contender after several years of finishing near the bottom. General Manager Mark Shapiro has brought a number of players through the Indians? farm system and they are now starters at the big league level. Omar Vizquel signed a free agent deal and they have Jhonny Peralta waiting in the wings. This is a lot like the Indians of the mid 1990?s. Biggest Newcomer: Kevin Millwood. Millwood is coming off a disappointing 2004 season with the Phillies. He hopes that a new team and a new league can help to turn his fortunes. Plus he is now the veteran of a young staff. Biggest Loss: Matt Lawton. Lawton was traded over the winter for Arthur Rhodes. Lawton?s bat and speed will be missed in the lineup. He hit .278 last year with 20 HR. Biggest Question Mark: Back of the Pitching Staff. Cliff Lee, Scott Elarton, and Jason Davis need to pitch well in order for the Indians to contend for the division. The trio combine for 19 wins last year with Lee winning a career-high 14. Breakout Season: Jhonny Peralta. He is replacing perennial Gold Glover Omar Vizquel at SS and the Indians hope that he is the future of the franchise. His ability to hand the position is key to the success of the Indians in 2005. Chicago White Sox (83-79) The White Sox finished second last year and are expecting more this season. They have made a number of key acquisitions in order to overtake the Twins in the division. They have added a number of bats to go along with a solid pitching staff. If they are able to stay healthy this year, they will be in the hunt to play in October. Biggest Newcomer: Jermaine Dye. Dye spent the last couple of seasons with the A?s and will replace Ordonez in left field. He is a solid bat that could fit in nicely with the Sox. Biggest Loss: Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez was nearly traded two winters ago to the Red Sox and finally bolted town. The Sox were able to find a suitable replacement in Dye for him. Biggest Question Mark: Starting Pitching Staff. After Mark Buehrle, the staff has a number of retreads. Freddy Garcia, Jose Contreras and Orlando Hernandez were dumped last year to the White Sox. If they pitch well, the Sox will win the division. If they struggle, the Sox will not win the division. It is that simple. Breakout Season: Aaron Rowland. Rowland had a solid 2004 and hopes to build upon last season this year. After a .310 batting average in 140 games last year, Rowland is poised for a big 2005. Detroit Tigers (72-90) The Tigers added another big name free agent by signing Magglio Ordonez. After last year?s addition of Ivan Rodriguez, the Tigers are one of the sleepers in the division. If the young pitching staff continues to improve, they will be in contention. Manager Alan Trammel is trying to bring the good old days back to Detroit. Biggest Newcomer: Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez is coming off of an injury plagued 2004 but the Tigers are willing to take the chance. After the Ivan Rodriguez experiment last year, the Tigers are hoping for the same results. Biggest Loss: Alex Sanchez. It is not as big of a loss with the addition of Ordonez and the emergence of Craig Monroe. Plus being the first player suspended with the new steroids policy is a distraction that the tigers didn?t need. Biggest Question Mark: Carlos Pena. Pena has yet to live up to the expectations of a first round draft pick. 2004 was a step in the right direction but he will need to improve on his batting average. Breakout Season: Starters. After losing 106 games in 2002 and 119 games in 2003, 2004 was a big improvement with just 90 losses. Jeremy Bonderman, Jason Johnson, Mike Maroth, and Nate Robertson have taken their licks and are ready to turn their fortunes around. Kansas City Royals (58-104) The Royals are the only team in the division without a legimite chance of winning the division. They have a young team and are coming off of a 100-loss season. When you are forced to trade players of the caliber of Carlos Beltran prior to free agency, you know that your team will struggle. The Royals do have a good track of developing talent so they are a contender for future seasons. Biggest Newcomer: Terrence Long. With not much money to spend, Long becomes the biggest addition to the team and he isn?t even an everyday player. He has playoff experience with Oakland and can bring some leadership to a young team. Biggest Loss: 2004. With their worst season in recent memory behind them, the Royals have nowhere to go but up. There are no major defections from a 104-loss team. Biggest Question Mark: Mike Sweeney. After signing a long-term contract two years, Sweeney was hurt last year. He needs to live up to the big contract and put up similar numbers that he posted in 2001 and 2002. Breakout Season: Angel Berroa. Berroa is the future of the Royals. He hit 17 homers in 2003 but slipped to only eight last year. If he improves his defense (28 errors in 2004), he could one of the better SS in the league. AL West This division has the possibility of seeing a number of 12-10 types of games. The Angels and Rangers have loaded offensive lineups. The A?s are always dangerous and the Mariners have brought in a couple of big bats. The division was decided on the final weekend of the season last year and it looks like another dogfight this year. Texas Rangers (89-73) The biggest surprise of 2004 was the Rangers? pitching staff. They were able to keep the Rangers in the hunt until the final week of the season. The Rangers have the bats to win the division but need a similar performance out of their arms. Ryan Drese is a budding ace. They Rangers will have to win a lot of 8-7 games in order to win the division. Biggest Newcomer: Sandy Alomar, Jr. Alomar Jr is not nearing the player he was a couple of years ago but he will help to bring stability to the pitching staff. With all of their struggles in recent years, Alomar, Jr could be a huge asset on the bench for a team that was in the race until the final weekend last year. Biggest Loss: Travis Hafner. Hafner moved on to Cleveland but his departure also opens up more playing time for Hank Blalock and Mark Teixeira. Biggest Question Mark: Pitching Staff. That has been the downfall of the Rangers for the past couple of years. Ryan Drese has emerged as a solid starter but Kenny Rogers and Chan Ho Park are not the pitchers they used to be. Let?s hope they don?t rely too heavily on the bullpen. Breakout Season: Mark Teixeira. With Hafner out of the mix, Teixeira has first base to himself. Coming off a 38 HR year, he has the capability of hit 40 plus and driving in 120 runs. Los Angeles Angels (92-70) The Angels are the best team in the American League on paper. They don?t have too many weaknesses in their lineup to go along with a solid bullpen. One major area of concern might be the starting pitching. Bartolo Colon signed a big contract last year and didn?t live up to the hype. The Angels also changed their name again. It has gone from California Angels to Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Let?s hope that this is the last name change for a while. Biggest Newcomer: Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera comes over from the Red Sox and replaces David Eckstein. The defense is a wash but Cabrera adds some pop to an already stacked lineup. Biggest Loss: Troy Percival. Yes, Percival was hurt but he still had the closer mentality. He threw hard and had no fear of entering a tough situation. Biggest Question Mark: Third Base. Robb Quinlan is slated to replace Troy Glaus and has big shoes to fill. If the Angels are to win the division again, they will need to get good production out of this position. Breakout Season: Francisco Rodriguez. K-Rod has been a nasty setup man for Percival and now moves into the closer role. He has the stuff to close games but the Angels will need to find a replacement for K-Rod in the setup role. Oakland A?s (91-71) Billy Beane continues to show why he is the best general manager in the game. He is given a small budget and continues to field competitive teams. He drafts well and finds the necessary players to fit the A?s way of playing baseball. If the young arms pitch well, the A?s will be in the race for the entire season. Biggest Newcomer: Jason Kendall. Kendall has been a solid catcher for many years in the NL. He will know be in charge of developing a young pitching staff. He fits the Billy Beane mold as a guy that gets on base. Biggest Loss: Tim Hudson/Mark Mulder. Both were traded away in the off-season to the NL. Beane was smart enough to get them out of the league so they won?t come back to hurt the A?s, except in the World Series. Biggest Question Mark: Youth. Rich Harden, Dany Haren, and Joe Blanton are all 24 years old and behind the 26 year old ace, Barry Zito. If the pitchers mature during the season, the A?s will contend for the division. Breakout Season: Nick Swisher. The 2002 first round pick of the A?s hit 29 HR last year in the minors and is ready for the big leagues. He is the guy that Beane coveted in the draft and now can showcase his talents. Seattle Mariners (63-99) The Mariners have nowhere to go but up. They had a horrible season last year and were able to reload with a number of key free agents. Big bats Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre will help anchor the lineup. If the pitching is able to improve on their dreadful performance of 2004, the Mariners will have a chance to finish over .500. Biggest Newcomer: Richie Sexson. Sexson paid immediate dividends as he homered in his first two at-bats for the Mariners. He will provide some much needed punch for the Mariners with their big ballpark. Biggest Loss: Edgar Martinez. Even though he was a shell of himself last year, his leadership will be missed in retirement. The 18-year veteran retired at the end of last season. Biggest Question Mark: Bret Boone. With all of the steroid allegations, Boone needs to prove that his 2003 was not a fluke. Boone is still solid defensive second baseman but needs to regain his power stroke for the Mariners to be successful. Breakout Season: Gil Meche. Meche has show signs of being a good pitcher but has also shown signs of being a journeyman. He has the stuff to be a good pitcher and needs to show it this season for the Mariners to compete in this hitter friendly division. NL East It looks like a two team race for the division. The Braves, winners of the last 13 titles, and the Marlins, the 2003 champions are clearly the front-runners. The other teams have a number of questions marks and if they work out the kinks, it could be an exciting September. Atlanta Braves (96-66) The Braves just win division titles. They secured their 13th consecutive division title last year and are the front-runners for a 14th. They added Tim Hudson to an already depth pitching staff. The Braves moved John Smoltz out of the closer role to be a starter again and watched him strike out 15 in his second start. They also still have all-stars in Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones. Biggest Newcomer: Tim Hudson. Hudson came over from the A?s and helps to bolster an already strong pitching staff. Hudson is a proven starter that should get better under the tutoring of Leo Mazzone. Biggest Loss: JD Drew. His offense will be missed. Drew found his power stroke last year by belting 31 homers and hitting .305. Biggest Question Mark: First Base. Adam LaRoche is penciled in for first base but managed just 13 homers in 110 games last year. Julio Franco is the backup but is just that, a backup. Breakout Season: Chipper Jones. How can a guy with 310 career roundtrips have a breakout season? Well first of all, he is back at third base. After spending a couple of years in the outfield, Jones is back to his comfort zone in the infield and his offensive production should be back as well. Florida Marlins (83-79) After coming out of nowhere in 2003, the Marlins couldn?t capture the same magic last year. But in signing Carlos Delgado and having Josh Beckett healthy, the Marlins are legimite contenders this year. They have a good mix of young players and veterans plus the experience of the 2003 World Series. Biggest Newcomer: Carlos Delgado. Delgado has hit at least 30 homers in the past eight years and helps to solidify the first base position for the Marlins. Despite his struggles last year, a chance of scenery will help Delgado to an MVP season. Biggest Loss: None. The Marlins have experience from their run of 2003. They added veterans during the winter and should be poised for a big 2004. Biggest Question Mark: Guillermo Mota. He is the new closer, switching roles with Antonio Alfonseca. Mota has been solid in the setup role but will now need to get the toughest out of the game, the last one. Breakout Season: Josh Beckett. The 2003 World Series MVP is coming off of an injury-plagued season. His healthy arm is one of the keys for the Marlins to overtake the Braves for the division. Philadelphia Phillies (86-76) The Phillies need to get good efforts from their starters in a pitching rich division. They have the lineup necessary to contend but need good performances from Jon Lieber, Randy Wolf, and Brett Myers to stay in the division race. They were able to fill in their biggest hole last year with Billy Wagner as the closer. Biggest Newcomer: Kenny Lofton. Lofton has been bouncing around the past couple of seasons and seems to end up on pennant contenders. He will add veteran leadership to the Phillies. Biggest Loss: Kevin Millwood. Millwood only won nine games last year but he brought experience to the staff. Newcomer Jon Lieber is not the same pitcher than Millwood is. Biggest Question Mark: Pat Burrell. Which Pat Burrell is going to show up this season? The one that slugged 37 homers in 2002 or the one that batted .202 in 2003. Or maybe the one that rebounded to .257 last year with 24 HR. Breakout Season: Chase Utley. Utley hit 13 HR in 93 games last year and is poised to be the everyday second baseman this year. He has the tools to be a solid major leaguer but will need to earn his playing time this year. New York Mets (71-91) The Mets made the biggest splash in the free agency by signing Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez. After dropping the first four games of the season, the New York papers are already killing general manager Omar Minaya. The Mets still have a number of holes on their team so they are a big question for the season. Biggest Newcomer: Pedro Martinez/Carlos Beltran. It is a tie for biggest newcomer. Martinez adds an ace to a depleted pitching staff. Beltran adds a big bat to a soft lineup. They both need to have big seasons for the Mets to be in the division hunt. Biggest Loss: Al Leiter. He has been the ace of the staff for the past couple of seasons. Even though he is not the dominant pitcher anymore, he provided a veteran arm for the struggling staff. Biggest Question Mark: Number Two Starter. Tom Glavine is slated to be the number two guy behind Martinez. But Glavine has struggled since signing with the Mets two years ago. He needs to find his groove again for the Mets to be successful. Breakout Season: Kaz Matsui. He is the other Matsui in New York. He has been moved to second base this year and needs to prove that he can play in the majors. The Mets thought that they were acquiring a better player than a .272 season last year. Washington Nationals (67-95) The Montreal Expos have finally moved to a permanent house in Washington. They even went out and signed a couple of free agents. However, they are not much better than last year. They should have a bigger fan base and attract more attention than in the past. Biggest Newcomer: Vinny Castilla. Castilla signed a contract in the off-season and is out to prove that he has power outside of Colorado. It should help to bring fans o the new home of the Nationals. Biggest Loss: Montreal. The team is finally free of the lack of support over the border plus they have a permit home. It should help the team this year not to be on the road as much. Biggest Question Mark: Jose Guillen. Guillen was kicked out of Anaheim last year following a number of problems. If he can keep a level head, he has the tools to hit 30 HR and drive in 100 runs. Breakout Season: Nick Johnson. After being traded by the Yankees, Johnson struggled north of the border. We have seen a glimpse of his ability and he needs to stay healthy. NL Central This division might be the best in baseball despite the Pirates and Brewers. Four teams have a chance to win the division while the runner-up is a wild card contender. The Cardinals are the best team in the division and added Mark Mulder. The Cubs have a number of health issues along with the Reds. The Astros are young and lost a superstar. Look for a heated division race late into September. Houston Astros (92-70) The Astros went from World Series contender to a .500 team when they failed to resign Carlos Beltran. They will have to replace Beltran with a couple of rookies. They once stacked pitching staff is getting older and a potential liability in their run for the division. Biggest Newcomer: Willy Taveras. He has been tapped to start in CF for the Astros. Taveras will replace the departed Carlos Beltran and has pushed Craig Biggio back into the infield. Biggest Loss: Carlos Beltran. Beltran left for the Mets when the Astros made an ultimatum in the off-season. The Astros lost one of the best young players who almost carried them into the World Series. Biggest Question Mark: Andy Pettitte. After signing with the Astros following a successful career with the Yankees, Pettitte appeared in only 15 games last year. He will need to be healthy in order for the Astros to contend. Breakout Season: Brad Lidge. Lidge assumed the closer?s role after the trade of Octavio Dotel. He saved 29 games last year and pitched lights out in the postseason. He has the stuff to be the top closer in the league. Milwaukee Brewers (67-94) See the Kansas City Royals. The Brewers have little or no chance of contending in their division. Even though they have more talent than the Royals, the Brewers need a career performance from everyone on the team to overtake the Cardinals, Cubs, and Astros. If Ben Sheets signs with the Brewers, they might be able to attract talent in order to build a contender. Biggest Newcomer: Carlos Lee. Lee comes over from the White Sox and is a pure power hitter. The question of his impact will be the batters around him. If they are hitting, opponents will be forced to pitch to Lee with runners on base. If not, it could be a long season in Milwaukee. Biggest Loss: Dan Kolb. Kolb was the closer the past couple of years and provided stability to the bullpen. His presence in the bullpen will be missed. Biggest Question Mark: Ben Sheets. Not for his stuff but because Sheets is a free agent at the end of the season. Will the Brewers deal him away prior to the trade deadline or will they give him a contract extension? The question was answered on April 15th with a four-year deal. Breakout Season: Junior Spivey. After a sub-par 2004, Spivey needs to regain his hitting stroke for the Brewers. He has the ability to be the catalyst at the top of the order to be on base for Lee to drive him in. Cincinnati Reds (76-86) The Reds pulled off a major trade when they acquired Ken Griffey Jr in 2000. They have yet to feel the positive vibes of the trade. Griffey has been each of the past four years and is a shell of the player he was in Seattle. If he is healthy and plays over 130 games, the Reds are a contender and have a great outfield with Griffey, Austin Kearns, and Adam Dunn. Biggest Newcomer: Rich Aurilla. Aurilla has large shoes to fill at shortstop. He takes over for the retired Barry Larkin. Aurilla spent a season in Seattle and is ready to regain the magic that he had in San Francisco. Biggest Loss: Barry Larkin. Larkin retires after 19 seasons with the Reds. His veteran leadership will be missed and will have to be absorbed by someone else on the team. Biggest Question Mark: Ken Griffey, Jr?s health. If Junior can stay healthy, the Reds have a chance. If he continues his bad luck, the Reds will be well under .500. Breakout Season: Adam Dunn. Dunn can hit the ball a country mile. He needs to cut down on his swing every once and a while in order to make contact. If he does, Dunn is the most feared hitter in the league. Chicago Cubs (89-73) Now that the Curse of the Bambino is over, the Curse of the Goat is next. The Cubs have the pitching to win if they are healthy. The Cubs have the lineup to win if they are healthy. The Cubs have the team to win the World Series if they believe that they can win. Biggest Newcomer: Jeremy Burnitz. Burnitz is tasked with replacing Sammy Sosa in right field. Burnitz has the power to replace Sosa but is not the greatest fielder. He needs to have a good season in order for the faithful to forget about Slammin? Sammy. Biggest Loss: Sammy Sosa. Sosa was the best player to wear a Cub uniform since Ernie Banks. He is high in every category in the record book and a fan favorite. He has big shoes that need to be filled. Biggest Question Mark: Arms of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. Both have been injured in the past and early in spring training. Prior will start the season on the DL and if both are healthy, they are the best 1-2 punch in baseball. Breakout Season: Nomar Garciaparra. Garciaparra finished a disappointing 2004 season, hoping to land a big contract. The Cubs were the only bidder and he re-signed there. In order for teams to bid on his services this off-season, he needs to prove that he is healthy and capable of putting up big numbers again. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-89) The Pirates have a beautiful ballpark but not a very competitive team to fill it night in and night out. The Pirates need to rely on a young team and hope that everything comes together in order to be a contender. They lost their leader in Jason Kendall and replaced him with a 40-year old. Biggest Newcomer: Matt Lawton. After a couple of decent seasons in Cleveland, Lawton takes his game to Pittsburgh. He is instantly the best outfield for the Pirates and has the possibility of putting up big numbers. Biggest Loss: Jason Kendall. He has been the heart and soul of the Pirates. He was traded to the A?s in the off-season and replaced with Benito Santiago. He was the jack-of-all-trades, batting and playing anywhere for the Pirates. Biggest Question Mark: Benito Santiago. He is 40 years old now and might be showing signs of his age. How many more innings can he catch before it catches up to him? Breakout Season: Jack Wilson. It is finally time for people outside of Pittsburgh to realize how good Wilson is. He has been steady the past couple of years and is projected to be that way again this year. St. Louis Cardinals (105-57) The Cardinals showed a lot of weaknesses in the World Series last year. They showed how a good pitching staff could cool off good hitters. With Scott Rolen and Albert Pujois hitting horribly in the playoffs, they Cardinals are lucky that they made it as far as they did. They have reloaded with the trade of Mark Mulder and now have an ace of the staff. They are capable of winning it all as long as the bats doesn?t disappear in the playoffs. Biggest Newcomer: Mark Mulder. After acquiring Mulder from the A?s, the Cardinals were able to get another dependable pitcher. It will give Tony LaRussa the much-needed lefty in the starting rotation. Biggest Loss: Edgar Renteria. Renteria signs with the Red Sox in the off-season and replaced with David Eckstein. His bat will be sorely missed in the lineup. Biggest Question Mark: Up the middle defense. The Cardinals prided themselves with excellent defensive up the middle but now three of the four of them are new. With Eckstein and Mark Grudzielanek the new double play combo and Yadier Molina as the everyday catcher, it might take some time for these guys to jell together. Breakout Season: Scott Rolen. After a disappointing performance in the playoffs, Rolen will want to redeem himself. He was hitless in the World Series, looking bad in every at-bat. He has something to prove to himself and the Cardinal?s fans. NL West This division has the potential of seeing a new sheriff in town. The Padres are poised to win their first division title since 1998. They have a good young nucleus and the confidence to win. The Dodgers are looking for back-to-back titles. They lost a couple of players but signed some people that might make them a better team. The biggest question mark is Barry Bonds. If he is healthy, the Giants are contenders. Without him, the Giants will be battling the Rockies and D-Backs for third place. San Diego Padres (87-75) The Padres took their lumps for many years and are now seeing the fruits of their labor. A good young team that added a number of veterans to help a team to a playoff push. The pitching staff is good and adds Woody Williams for the veteran presence to go along with a good lineup. If Trevor Hoffman remains healthy, the Padres are capable of winning the NL West. Biggest Newcomer: Woody Williams. Williams will help to anchor an emerging starting staff. He has playoff experience and will help in the continued development of Brian Lawrence and Jake Peavy. Biggest Loss: Jay Payton. Payton was traded to the Red Sox for Dave Roberts. Payton has more pop than Roberts but Roberts is older. The trade was made for a dependable leadoff hitter and solid defense. Biggest Question Mark: Expectations. A number of people are picking the Padres to win the NL West. Can they handle the expectations with a young nucleus? Breakout Season: Brian Giles. Giles has been unable to duplicate his success with the Pirates. In two seasons with the Padres, he has only hit 27 HR after posting four consecutive 30 plus homer season from 1999-2002. San Francisco Giants (91-71) The Giants chances rest squarely on the knees of Barry Bonds. If he is able to return healthy and continue to make his push towards history, the Giants will be fine. If he is hurt for the majority of the season, the Giants will struggle. Despite all of the controversy of steroids surrounding him, Bonds still is the top player in the game. Biggest Newcomer: Moises Alou. Alou will play for his father, Felipe. He will also add a bat to the lineup in order to protect Bonds. If Bonds is in the lineup, Alou will see a lot of good pitches. Biggest Loss: Barry Bonds. If Bonds is serious about retiring, the Giants are in trouble. The Giants will only be as good as Bonds. If he plays, they are division contender. If he doesn?t play, they will struggle. Biggest Question Mark: Barry Bonds. See above. Breakout Season: Pedro Felix. With Bonds on the shelf in the early part of the season, Felix will get a chance to play. Last year, he hit 22 HR and Alou had trouble keeping him out of the lineup. Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69) The Dodgers made a surprise appearance in the postseason last year but were quickly kicked out. They have gone out and added depth to a good pitching staff. If they are able to replace Beltre?s production, they will win the division again. If the pitching staff doesn?t recover from early injuries, they will be doomed. Biggest Newcomer: Derek Lowe. Lowe comes to the Dodgers after winning all three of the Red Sox series clinching games. He desperately needed a chance of scenery and show pitch well this year. Biggest Loss: Adrian Beltre. After 48 HR and 121 RBI last year, Jose Valentin has huge shoes to fill this year in his first season with the Dodgers. Valentin did hit 30 dingers last year. Biggest Question Mark: Health of pitching staff. With Eric Gagne and Brad Penny starting the season on the DL, the Dodgers are missing two of the top arms in the league. They need to make sure that these guys are healthy and stay that way. Breakout Season: Jason Phillips. After a couple of years as Mike Piazza?s understudy, Phillips has the starting job with the Dodgers. He struggled from the plate last year but has the ability to finish in double digits in homers. Colorado Rockies (68-94) The Rockies have a young team and lost a number of key players from last year. If the young players are able to get in their licks now, the Rockies have the possibility to be a contender in the future. This year is all about development of the young players. Biggest Newcomer: Dustan Mohr. Mohr joins the Rockies from the Giants. He will get plenty of playing time in the outfield. He is a veteran on this young team. Biggest Loss: Jeremy Burnitz/Vinny Castilla. In the thin air of Denver, the ball flies off of their bats. The Rockies will miss their veteran leadership. Biggest Question Mark: Bullpen. It has struggled the past several years. With B.H. Kim as the new closer, it is as shaky as ever. Kim will have to overcome the problems he has had since blowing two saves in the 2001 World Series. It is also not very helpful that the air is so thin in Denver. Breakout Season: Preston Wilson. When healthy, Wilson hit 36 HR in 2003. He needs to stay healthy in order to be the leader of this young Rockies team. Arizona Diamondbacks (51-111) After their worst season in history, the D-Backs look to reload for another run at the title. With the signings of Troy Glaus and Russ Ortiz and the trade of Shawn Green, they will all need to perform well in order to overcome the loss of Randy Johnson. The rest of the players are young and might need some time to develop. Biggest Newcomer: Troy Glaus. It failed the last time the Diamondbacks signed a power hitting third baseman. Glaus brings defense and a big bat to the desert. He needs to regain his touch from the 2002 World Series. Biggest Loss: Randy Johnson. The Big Unit was finally traded to the Yankees over the winter. He was the ace of the staff and has big shoes to be filled. Russ Ortiz will try to fill them. Biggest Question Mark: Staying healthy. In order to be competitive, the Diamondbacks can?t afford to lose any of their top players. They all have had a history of injury problems so it is a major concern. Breakout Season: Shawn Green. Green needed a chance of scenery after a couple of tough years in Los Angeles. He has the power to hit 30 plus homers and the Diamondbacks are hoping that he can regain his pop.