By Brian Gillespie, MLB Contributing Editor (My Sportsbook)
2002 FINISH (83-79) - Second Place (NL East)
KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: Bartolo Colon (RHP); Andres Galarraga (1B); Matt Herges (RHP); Troy O'Leary (OF); Masato Yoshii (RHP)
KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: Rocky Biddle (RHP); Orlando Hernandez (RHP); Jeff Liefer (1B-OF); Jose Offerman (INF); Livan Hernandez (RHP)
PROJECTED LINEUP: Endy Chavez (CF); Orlando Cabrera (SS); Jose Vidro (2B); Vladimir Guerrero (RF); Fernando Tatis (3B); Jeff Liefer (1B); Brad Wilkerson (LF); Michael Barrett (C)
PROJECTED ROTATION: Javier Vazquez (RHP); Tony Armas Jr. (RHP); Orlando Hernandez (RHP); Tomo Ohka (RHP); Livan Hernandez (RHP)
PROJECTED CLOSER: Scott Stewart (LHP)
MANAGER: Frank Robinson
OVERVIEW
Don't look now, but the Montreal Expos may be using your hometown stadium as their own. Well, not exactly, but Montreal will be as close as it gets to a traveling circus this summer.
No longer will the Expos be spending the bulk of their time north of the border. Instead, they will be nomads, playing 22 of their so-called home tilts in Puerto Rico. The new-look schedule will force Montreal to be on the road for 103 of its 182-game slate, including almost the entire month of June.
The good news is that the franchise is still alive, but its future has yet to be determined. Groups from Washington, Northern Virginia and Portland, Oregon have all shown interest in bringing the club to town. It is unknown when the decision about what's to come for the Expos will be made, but Major League Baseball is hoping to come to a conclusion prior to the All-Star Game.
"Our goal is to have a resolution by the All-Star Game or as soon thereafter as possible," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer.
Nonetheless, the focus for manager Frank Robinson and the front office must be for the present campaign. Robinson doesn't have the luxury to bypass this year and look toward the hereafter. He must try to weld the old with the new while understanding that his franchise player (RF Vladimir Guerrero) will more than likely be gone with the wind come the offseason.
Gone is mercenary twirler Bartolo Colon, who was acquired from Cleveland just in time for the Expos' playoff dreams to go up in flames last season. Colon is off to the Windy City to play for the White Sox, while Cuban righthander Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez joined the fold via the New York Yankees in the three-way deal.
Sending Colon packing was simply a payroll cutting move pulled off by general manager Omar Minaya, who was mandated by current Montreal owner MLB to do so and get under the salary cap. It took most of the offseason to find a solid exchange for Colon, but the Expos think they have done the best possible deal. Also joining the Expos in the three-way deal for Colon was righty twirler Rocky Biddle.
The Expos added some much-needed pitching help in late March, acquiring Livan Hernandez, cash and catcher Edwards Guzman from the San Francisco Giants for pitcher Jim Brower and a player to be named. Livan joins half-brother El Duque in Montreal. Last year, Livan was 12-16 with a 4.38 ERA last year for the Giants. He has a 69-69 major league record and 4.42 ERA since defecting from Cuba.
"I think there's an upside in this trade," Minaya said. "He pitches a lot of innings. Let's hope they're quality innings."
Despite the intense media scrutiny on Minaya during the winter months, the Expos had a rather quiet offseason. Their lack of quality free agent signings speaks to the fact that the Expos have very little room to move when it comes to contracts.
INFIELD
Through the middle of the infield, the Expos are pretty solid with shortstop Orlando Cabrera and second baseman Jose Vidro on the field. Cabrera, a 2001 Gold Glove award winner, struggled with 29 errors last season, but he should be ready for improvement in 2003. Back problems limited Cabrera's mobility and it showed in his lack of fielding prowess.
Meanwhile, Vidro hit .315 with 19 homers and 96 RBI despite back issues of his own. His batting average finished above .300 for the fourth consecutive season. Vidro also posted just 11 errors, giving him a 98.6 fielding percentage. Montreal must have Vidro healthy to set the tables for Guerrero's success.
The Expos don't look so good at third and first base. Overpriced trade bait Fernando Tatis didn't garner much interest in offseason trade talk, forcing the Expos to keep him penciled in at third base. Tatis was awful at the hot corner last year, posting just a .228 batting average with only 15 homers and 55 RBI. He also committed 13 errors at the position in 99 games. The veteran makes too much money to sit him, but if he continues to struggle something drastic must be done.
First base is the land of the unknown for the Expos, as newcomer Jeff Liefer and Wil Cordero are still battling it out for the spot. Liefer, 28, hit .230 with seven homers and 26 RBI in 76 games for Chicago last year. A four-year veteran, Liefer belted a career-high 18 home runs in 2001 for the White Sox. Cordero managed six homers and 29 RBI to go along with a .263 batting average in 66 contests.
Behind the plate, the duo of Michael Barrett and Brian Schneider will take care of business. Barrett should be the starter, while Schneider (once healthy) will provide a very solid replacement.
OUTFIELD
The clear and present star of the Expos is Guerrero, who is sure to be the darling of the free agent market next year. At 27, Guerrero is quite possibly the best player in baseball, as he is excellent with the bat and the glove. The seven-year veteran has hit over .300 in six consecutive seasons while driving in 100-plus runs in five straight years. His power stroke is consistent as well, considering he has belted 34 or more homers in five consecutive campaigns.
Guerrero's talents have impressed opposing teams so much that they have been trying to clear cap space for the coming offseason in hopes of making a run at him. The free-swinging Dominican has it all, including a rocket arm that helped him throw out 14 runners at the plate last year.
On the other side of the outfield for the Expos will be left fielder Brad Wilkerson. Last year, Wilkerson posted 20 homers and 59 RBI, while hitting .266 during his stint in center field. The move to left will make the excellent fielder even better this year.
Taking over in center is 25-year-old phenom Endy Chavez, who played extremely well in September for the Expos last season. He did strike out 16 times in 125 at-bats, but he also hit .296 and performed well in the field. Chavez's progress could be a major factor to the success of the Expos' outfield into the future.
STARTING ROTATION STARTING ROTATION
With Colon a short-lived memory, Javier Vazquez will return to his spot as the number one starter. Vazquez, who was also a subject of many trade talks in the offseason, tallied a 10-13 record with a 3.91 ERA last season. His under-.500 mark had a lot to do with the lack of run support from his team. The Puerto Rican may get off to a slow start, though, as he has recently strained his calf.
Vazquez isn't the only the Montreal twirler dealing with an injury right now, as Orlando Hernandez is struggling with shoulder tendinitis. The Expos will need El Duque to be healthy so that he can hold down the third or fourth slot. Last season, the 33-year-old Orlando went 8-5 with a 3.64 ERA in 24 appearances for the Yankees.
Holding down the second slot in the rotation will be Tony Armas Jr., who won a career-high 12 games last season. The 24-year-old should be ready for a break- through season after lingering in the middle of the rotation for the past two seasons.
With the addition of Livan Hernandez, there is just one spot left in the Expos' rotation. Tomo Ohka is favored to garner the position, but he has struggled in spring training. Sun-Woo Kim, Britt Reames and T.J. Tucker are also being considered.
BULLPEN
A mix of low-priced no-names will hold down the fort in the bullpen for the Expos this year. The group of hurlers is nothing to scoff at either with talented players such as southpaw Joey Eischen. Last year, Eischen went 6-1 with a 1.34 ERA in 59 appearances in middle relief.
Righthander Dan Smith and southpaw closer Scott Stewart should provide solid innings of relief for the Expos. Stewart was the workhorse out of the 'pen in 2002, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.09 ERA and a team-high 17 saves in a team- high 67 appearances. Meanwhile, Smith registered a 1-1 mark with a 3.47 ERA in 33 games.
The Expos could go with a closer by committee format if Stewart can't hold up. Former starter Tim Drew could be an option as an alternate closer for the Expos. Drew has seen sparse major league playing time in the last three seasons, two of which were with Cleveland.
BENCH
Utilityman Jose Macias will be the heart of the Expos' bench this season. Macias had a mediocre 2002 season, tallying seven homers and 33 RBI in 90 contests. He must find a way to be a consistent spark of the pine. Also young infielder Jamey Carroll, who batted .310 in 16 games last September, should see plenty of time.
OUTLOOK
As usual, the Expos are mired in uncertainty, wondering where they will be in a year's time. However, a change of scenery for a portion of their home games may turn out to be a good thing. Montreal is likely to play to more people in its smaller Puerto Rican stadium than at Olympic Stadium. Nonetheless, the Expos will have little chance at matching or bettering its 2002 second place finish in the tough National League East.
