AL North
Buffalo- Looking to shore up pitching they signed 3 arms to steady the rotation. They also signed steady catcher Pedro Amarista to add some offensive juice and keep the arms in line. With 3 prospects on Kartchy's top 10 list I'm guessing they will do some promoting from within. They did choose not to bring back a couple key pieces to last years season but they were clearly replaceable. No team has more young talent. Tough division but I'd look for them to compete much better this year.
Montreal- This team competes year in and year out. Very solid management. They lost a couple really good Type B players but always find a way to be at the top of the pack. They can lose some good players because the owner is smart with payroll and are able to draft and spend well. Also having a couple players on Kartchy's list they will get contributions from younger players. As always this team will compete for the division crown.
Chicago- I don't know if a team was hit harder by free agency then Chicago. They lost the new $30 million man Kendry Tarasco and, 2 time MVP Joe O'Connor. The squad has six players under the age of 27 and with a rating of 71 or higher so there is some young talent. Plus we can't forget about the slugging Juan Gallardo who can anchor any lineup. With that said this teams strength will be pitching and they have lots of it. Even with the losses they are still the team to beat.
Wichita- After improving their record by 5 games last season Wichita is looking to make the next leap. They have a bunch of young talent like Rhiner Redondo, Ned Hobbes, and Gary Saunders. They are anchored by veterans Vic Casilla in the bullpen and Andrew Patrick on the offensive end. I don't think they are ready to compete but are not far off. If the offense struggles they have enough talent to flip for a great bat.
Fascinating!!!
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