MLB National League Teams' Holes to Fill in the 07/08 Offseason

Every team in the National League believes that they have a chance to get to the World Series. Over the last 10 years the National League hasn't done very well. In fact they have only won three World Series, and have gone 16-34in World Series games during that stretch. Each of these teams has to fill holes in their team to get to the World Series.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Hole 1-The Diamondbacks have to get starting pitching. Brandon Webb and Doug Davis are going to be fine but after that they could be in trouble. Right now (November) they have Micah Owings and Randy Johnson. Owings went 8-8 and Johnson is injured.

Hole 2-Improve hitting. The team only hit .250 in 2007. A lot of that has to do with the fact that they start many young, inexperienced players. That will come with time, but they need to get some veterans on the team, at first base or on the bench. There has to be a better hitter to come off the bench than Alberto Callapso. He hit .215 last year.

Atlanta Braves

Hole 1-The team might have filled a hole with the signing of Tom Glavine. But is he going to be the answer? The top of the rotation will be alright with Smoltz, Hudson and Glavine, but the rest are pretty suspect.

Hole 2-The Braves pretty much packed Andruw Jones' bags for him. Even though he didn't do much last season, his loss is going to create a big hole in the defense and the lineup. There isn't much out there after Torii Hunter. They may need to work out a trade due to the fact there isn't much on their minor league teams as well.

Chicago Cubs

Hole 1-Make a decision on who is going to play centerfield. Felix Pie is the future. Do you want to throw him in and go through the season of learning? Last season Pie hit .215 and had an on base percentage of .271. Throughout the minors Pie hovered around .300 and showed some speed on the base paths.

Hole 2-Another decision to make. This time they need to decide how to get Geovany Soto into the lineup. Soto played in 110 games for Triple-A Iowa and hit .353 with 26 home runs and 109 RBIs. Once he got to Chicago he kept the bat going. He hit .389 with 3 home runs and 8 RBIs in only 18 games.

Cincinnati Reds

Hole 1-The Reds have needed the same thing for years now. They need pitching. The Reds had a team ERA of 4.94, and most of the middle relievers were between 5.00 and 7.00. They need a complete overhaul.

Hole 2-Get some outfield help. Griffey hit 30 home runs in 144 games last year. That is the most games he has played in since 2000. The "Kid" is also 38 years old now. Right now the number one outfielder off the bench is Ryan Freel, who is a .270 lifetime hitter and averages about 4 home runs a year. They could always try to convince Geoff Jenkins to sign and be the fourth outfielder.

ColoradoRockies

Hole 1-Yes they got to the World Series. Yes they looked unstoppable until they faced the Red Sox. No they can't do it again unless....... Bring back Kazuo Matsui. Jamey Carroll's .225 average isn't going to cut it.

Hole 2-Get some starting pitching help for Jeff Francis. To start with re-sign Josh Fogg. While you're at it, figure out how he can throw at home. His home ERA was 5.97 and his road ERA was 4.15. If they lose Fogg they could be in trouble. Fans could demand that the team bring back Jason Jennings.

Florida Marlins

Hole 1-- Make a decision on whether or not you are going to trade Miguel Cabrera. Once the big name third base free agents are gone the Marlins should be able to clean another team out, and they should be able to fill a bunch of their holes. The next step would be to bring up Scott Seabol. Seabol hit 32 homeruns for Triple-A Albuquerque last season.

Hole 2-This sounds like half of the other teams out there. They need to get a center fielder. As of right now they have Alejandro De Aza starting. He hit .229 last season. They may be able to fill this position and get some much needed pitching with a trade of Cabrera.

Houston Astros

Hole 1-The Astros traded away their closer, Brad Lidge. I am thinking that they must have something in mind. But what? Right now the answer is Chad Qualls. Last year he gave up 10 home runs and batters hit .272 off him. Troy Percival may still be available.

Hole 2-The Astros could use an upgrade at second base. Chris Burke hit .229 and had an on base percentage just above .300. Kaz Matsui would fit in nicely and also help with the fact that the team only stole 65 bases last season.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Hole 1-The Dodgers need a power hitter. Jeff Kent led the Dodger in home runs with 20. Chances are if they can't get a free agent then they may need to part with either Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier to get someone.

Hole 2-The second hole isn't necessarily a hole as it is a potential problem. Juan Pierre doesn't have a strong arm and would probably be better in left field. But who do they put in center if they move him? Would Andruw Jones look good in Dodger blue?

Milwaukee Brewers

Hole 1-The Brewers need to improve the bullpen. To start this they should resign Francisco Cordero. Ray King and Derrick Turnbow each had ERAs approaching 5.00. Matt Herges pitched pretty well last year and probably would fit into the Brewers spending.

Hole 2-Bring in some veteran leadership. They could use another outfielder either to be the fourth or to take Kevin Mench's place in left field. The Brewers have a lot of talent, they just need help to guide them. Right now Prince Fielder and Ben Sheets are taking on the leadership roles.

New York Mets

Hole 1-The Mets proved down the stretch that they just didn't have the pitching to stay at the top of the NL East. In fact before the All-Star Game the team ERA was 3.91 and after it fell to 4.66. The free agent market is pretty thin for starting pitching so the Mets will have to swing a trade or two to upgrade.

Hole 2-The Mets are going to need outfield help. 41 year old Moises Alou is starting in left and his best years are far behind him. The number four outfielder is Lastings Milledge, and he doesn't get on base enough. I also don't think that Marlon Anderson will be the answer. He is a lifetime .268 hitter. I think the Mets are expecting playoffs this year, so be ready for a big trade or two.

Philadelphia Phillies

Hole 1-The Phillies are going to need a center fielder. Re-signing fan favorite Aaron Rowand would be ideal. He was second on the team in runs, hits, doubles, batting average and being hit by pitches. Most of those were behind NL MVP Jimmy Rollins.

Hole 2-Once again a team needs pitching. The good thing about the Phillies is that they don't need an ace, Cole Hamels looks good. With the signing of Brad Lidge, Brett Myers is able to return to the rotation. Kyle Kendrick is a good looking righty. In fact at home he was 7-1 with an ERA of 3.76. But after that things get pretty scary. Jaime Moyer and Adam Eaton combined to go 6-7 from August 1^st to the end of the season (including playoffs).

Pittsburgh Pirates

Hole 1-The Pirates need help in the bullpen. Matt Capps and Damaso Marte did well last year, but after that it was up in the air as to how well the middle relief did. With Capps moving to closer things could get worse. With the thin free agent market they may want to think about bringing up Matt Peterson. Peterson, the closer for Double-A Altoona, had 29 saves with an ERA of 1.98.

Hole 2-They are in desperate need of outfield help. Are they really going to have Nate McLouth and Nyjer Morgan battle it out for centerfield? McLouth showed a little speed last year with 22 stolen bases, but he only hit .258. Morgan only played 76 games last season between the minors and Pittsburgh.

St. Louis Cardinals

Hole 1-The Cards need a starting pitcher or two. Adam Wainwright pitched well, but that was about it. The other starters, Braden Looper, Kip Wells, Anthony Reyes combined to go 21-43 and each had an ERA over 4.90. Joel Pinero pitched average in his 11 games last year, but he hasn't had a winning record or an ERA under 4.63 for a full season since 2003. Once again the market is thin so they may need to trade for pitching.

Hole 2-There could be a big hole at shortstop if David Eckstein doesn't re-sign. Brendan Ryan is penciled in as the potential starter but don't be surprised if the Cardinals go out and pick up another shortstop.

San Diego Padres

Hole 1-The Padres need outfield help. Scott Hairston may be alright in left, but he won't get it done in center. They don't have much in the minors as far as outfielders, so will they do it via the free agent market or will they make a trade or two? Better yet, make a decision about Morgan Ensberg. See if he can play in the outfield or trade him. He is probably going to open the season backing up Kevin Kouzmanoff at third.

Hole 2-They are going to need a starter on the back end of the rotation. Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Greg Maddux will do well. Jack Cassel, slated to be the number four, was 7-14 at Triple-A Portland before being brought up. Someone like Eric Milton or Russ Ortiz might do alright as a number four or five.

San Fransico Giants

Hole 1-The bad part is that they need a big bat. The good thing about it is by not re-signing Barry Bonds they have plenty of money to play with. They are in desperate need power in the outfield. One option they do have it putting Daniel Ortmeier in a corner of the outfield and then bringing up power hitting first baseman Scott McClain. He hit 31 homeruns at Triple-A Fresno last season. Or they could test the free agents. Andruw Jones would be a nice fit in centerfield.

Hole 2-The bullpen needs work. They need some middle relief to get to the closer. They also need to decide if Brian Wilson is going to be the closer. His ERA of 2.28 last year looks pretty good, hopefully he won't revert back to the pitcher he was in 2006 when his ERA was 5.40.

Washington Nationals

Hole 1-Washington is in need of a center fielder. Nook Logan has been very inconsistent since he came up to the major league. Will the Nationals go out and get a big bat like an Andruw Jones or Geoff Jenkins or will they just go after another stop gap guy like a Jerry Hairston Jr.?

Hole 2-They need to get some starting pitching. Last season only one pitcher started over 21 games. Matt Chico started 31 games and finished 7-9. They should sign Kenny Rogers or Randy Wolf. Both pretty good pitchers but there doesn't seem to be much interest in them. The Nationals might think of petitioning MLB to play only day games. During the day the team ERA was 3.93 in 2007. At night that dropped to 4.83. Hmmmm.

There you have it. What each team needs to do to get into the playoffs next season. It seems pretty easy. Each team either needs starting pitching, relief pitching or a center fielder. Let the bidding and trading begin.