Houston Astros
 The Astros suffered one of the most visible late-season collapses in recent
memory. After leading their division by two and a half games in late august, the
Astros lost twelve road games in a row and finished behind the Cardinals... out
of the playoffs. So, during the off-season General Manager Gerry Hunsicker made
some major changes, including a 10 player deal with Detroit that brought some
fresh faces to the struggling pitching staff.
The big move from the mound was the off-loading of high salaried disappointment
Doug Drabek. Instead, Daryl Kile and Mike Hampton, who combined for 38 victories
last season will team with Shane Reynolds and Sid Fernandez to lead the Astros
from the mound. In the bullpen, there is a fight between John Hudek, an all-star
in 1994, and sophomore star Billy Wagner, for closer. Either way, the Astros
have a strong closer -- and possibly even a talented fifth starter.
Unfortunately, the Astros lack strong middle relief and will have keep their
fingers crossed every time Jose Lima, Ramon Garcia, Donne Wall or Chris Holt
takes the mound.
Offensively, the Astros are still led by all-star infielders Jeff Bagwell and
Craig Biggio. And, the addition of 1992 Rookie of the Year Pat Listach should
give some welcome relief to Bagwell and Biggio who tired near the end of last
season after playing in every single game during the season (as they had in 1992
as well). Luis Gonzalez and Bob Abreu, have been added to the Astros outfield in
hopes of providing some pop to the lineup. And, despite hitting a disappointing
.263 last season, Derek Bell is ready to lead this team to the playoffs.
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Florida Marlins
The Marlins spent $89 million in the offseason to build a team ready to make a
run at the playoffs. With the addition of several high-priced players including
Moises Alou, Alex Fernandez, Bobby Bonilla, and Jim Eisenreich, the Marlins
became instant contenders. But, will Florida be able to come together as a team
in time to beat the Atlanta Braves?
The Marlins have the best starting rotation in their franchise history, with Cy
Young runner-up Kevin Brown and all-star Al Leiter leading the way. Off-season
pickup Alex Fernandez will be slide nicely into the number three spot and fill
out a rotation that can easily challenge the Braves aces down the stretch. The
Marlins bullpen, however, lacks the big names that the starting rotation
cherishes. The Marlins bullpen continues to be shaky, with Dennis Cook and a
slew of young talents acting as a bridge between the starters and the closer.
Robb Nen, who had an unbelievable 1996, will once again be the closer.
The Marlins catcher, Charles Johnson, is the best defensive catcher in the
league. He is joined in the infield by Bobby Bonilla, Luis Castillo, potential
gold glove winner Bret Conine, and Edgar Renteria, the runner up in Rookie of the
Year balloting in 1996. Right fielder Gary Sheffield will use 1997 to build on
his MVP caliber year in which he ranked in the top ten in 13 offensive
categories, and is joined by Moises Alou, who is stellar on defense and one of
the most dangerous right handed hitters in the league. Fighting for the
privilege to share the outfield with these two all stars are Joe Orsulak, Tom
Cangelosi, and Jim Eisenreich, who has hit over .300 for each of the past four
season and may give the young Marlins the leadership they need to make a run at
the Braves.
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Magic City
