who will have the worst record in 07? nl and al?

Answer 1

Big props to the asker of this question. There are too many people who ask who is going to win the World Series and who is going to have the best record, this is a fresh approach to looking at the forth-coming season.

In the American League I think there are about four teams that can safely be considered good bets to pace the league in losses.

The Kansas City Royals, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and those loveable losers in the great northwest, the Seattle Mariners.

I really liked most of the moves the Royals made this offseason and I think the organization as a whole is definitely moving in the right direction to bring some pride and honor back to Kansas City baseball, unfortunately with the young roster they're assembling and the youth of the "veterans" on the pitching staff it's safe to assume that they will simply be a better last place team than they were last year. I do think that in about three or four years, salary issues notwithstanding, the Royals could be a legit contender, but this year they are going to struggle due to inexperience and lack of depth in the starting rotation and bullpen.

The Devil Rays are a pitching staff away from being contenders, yes contenders. I realize the AL East is stacked with teams that have much deeper pockets but the D-Rays have also had a top five pick in the draft every year since the team's inception and have stock-piled a plethora of talent. They have an offense that is like an undisciplined and much, much younger version of the Yankees. A look up and down the roster shows potential All-Stars at nearly every positions, assuming they can all learn the plate discipline they need to reach that level of success. Unfortunately the D-Rays only have a one-man pitching rotation in young fire-baller Scott Kazmir. Granted Kazmir is a legit ace who could star on any team in any market, but he'd still need to pitch 6 days a week and serve as his own bullpen for this squad to stand a chance. Young Edwin Jackson was acquired from the Dodgers in a trade and may be able to right the ship on his once-promising career and aid Kazmir in the process but for now, it's looking a little bleak in D-Ray land.

Finally, the Mariners, a powerhouse of the early 2000's and a joke of more recent years. The team has money, but has a hard time drawing in top-shelf stars. Unhearlded free agents like Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson latched on with the M's, only to find out rather quickly why they were pioneers in the greater northwest. Ichiro is in his walk year and has pretty much stated that if the team doesn't contend in '07, he's gone and I know of at least a few teams out east and a few a little further down the coast that would love to add his bat and speed to their lineups. The M's have made moves, just not the right ones. The team has been reluctant to let their young, up and coming stars take the reigns and as such the team will parade guys like Jose Vidro and Jose Guillen onto the field as the big off-season acquisitions. But the problems run deeper than awful roster moves and extends into the lack of pitching depth. Acquiring Jason Schmidt was a must that didn't happen, along with acquiring just about any other pitching worth referencing. The rotation is weak. The bullpen is weak. The AL West...is not. Sorry boys, but it looks like another season in the cellar for the M's.

As far as the National League goes I'd say the Reds are in for a decline from their run in 2006, the Pirates showed some signs of life last year but it was too little too late, the Cubbies are improved greatly, the Rockies have made a push with some key acquisitions and the Marlins were a solid bunch last season so it's hard to put one team at the bottom....but I think I can do it. I can only think of one team that will finish at the very bottom of the heap in the NL in 2007 and that's the Washington Nationals. The Nats have done nothing this offseason aside from losing Alfonso Soriano, Jose Guillen and Jose Vidro and mentioning just about everyone not named Zimmerman in trade rumors. Some of the young guns will be there in Zimmerman, Kearns, Johnson and Lopez...but the team has openly admitted that it's going into rebuilding mode and looking to stockpile talent. Don't expect much from the Nats in 2007...except for maybe 90+ losses that is.

Answer 2

American League: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
National League: Colorado Rockies

Naturally, I was about to say the KC Royals for the AL, but there were two topics that considered the Devil Rays being on top of them on the "worst list." First of all, the Rays did worst than them (by 1 game) this year AND the Royals made a lot of good trading and signing moves this offseason, while the Rays just sat there, staring at the sky.

Answer 3

The Tampa Bay Devils

Answer 4

National League: The Pittsburgh Pirates
American League: Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Answer 5

AL= Kansas City Royals
NL= Arizona Diamonbacks

I'm surprised with the numerous Tampa Bay Devil Ray answers. Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, Johnny Gomes, Delmon Young, Ty Wiggington, and Jorge Cantu. Plus they got 2 good startes in Scott Kazmir and Casey Fossum. I'm not talking playoffs, but they can make some noise.

OK, now for your question. Kansas City HAD some money to spend for help. They needed offense, not immediate pitching. They had bad pitching but their offense was way more of a glaring hole. And when you go and spend 5 yrs./ $55 million on a pitcher that WON'T help, you dig yourself in a hole that couldn't possibly get any deeper. So now they have no offense, no pitching, and no money. As for defense, I'm not sure. But they have to play the White Sox (GO SOX!), Tigers, and Twins 19 times a year so they don't have a chance.

For the D-Backs, they got 3 quality guys in Eric Byrnes, O-Dawg (Orlando Hudson), and Chad Tracy, but no offense and only one good pitcher (Brandon Webb) won't get it done. And Randy Johnson will just send the team ERA a couple runs higher. They don't play in the greatest division, but there are some quality teams (Dodgers and Padres) that will give them trouble.

GO SOX

Answer 6

Nationals in the NL and Royals in the AL

Answer 7

AL = Tampa Bay Devil Rays
NL = Pittsburgh Pirates

Answer 8

American League: Tampa Bay (yes, there will be a team worse than Kansas City)

National League: Washington Nationals

Neither team has done much to improve themselves in the off-season.

Answer 9

AL Royals
NL Pirates

Answer 10

AL= Baltimore Orioles
NL= Colorado Rockies